The Arms of Krupp

By William Manchester

Book Overview

The Krupp family were the premier German arms manufacturers from the middle of the 19th century until the end of World War II, producing artillery pieces and submarines that set the standard for... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 055325992X
• ISBN13: 9780553259926
• Release Date: May 1983
• Publisher: Bantam
• Length: 1068 Pages
• Weight: 1.08 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.9" x 4.2" x 6.8"

Customer Reviews

How one manufacturing family influenced the shape of Germany.

This is an excellent description of a family noted for its involvement with the steel industry, particularly in the manufacture of arms. They struggled with Germany’s economy and influenced Germany’s foreign policy, covering about 400 years between 1587 and 1968. It looks like a lengthy volume; however, it is over just as you are getting started. A side benefit is that the technical information added helps you imagine what it is like to design and sell the arms. In some cases, arms were almost given away for a cause. At other times, they mercenarily sold arms to many conflicting countries on both sides. This story parallels other books on history and makes the world seem as if it is made up of people, not just historical facts. Speaking of historical facts, one of the things I like to do is to read books that become movies and movies that are novelized. This would have to be a mini-series. Notice that in the book, interestingly enough, William Manchester mentions that George Bernard Shaw based a play on the Krupp family, “Major Barbara,” which consequently was made into a movie with Windy Hiller in 1941.

How one manufacturing family influenced the shape of Germany

This is an excellent description of a family, noted for their involvement with the steel industry and especially the manufacturer of arms. They struggle with Germany's economy and influence Germany's foreign policy covering about 400 years between 1587 and 1968. It looks like a lengthy volume however it is over just as you are getting started. A side benefit is the technical information added helps you imagine what is like to design and sell the arms. In some cases arms were almost given away for a cause. At other times they mercenarily sold arms to may conflicting countries on both sides. This story parallels other books on history and makes the world seem that it is made up of people not just historical facts. Speaking of historical facts, one of the things I like to do is to read books that become movies and movies that are novelized. This would have to be a mini-series. Notice that in the book; interestingly enough William Manchester mentions that George Bernard Shaw actually based a play on the Krupp family, "Major Barbara" which consequently was made into a movie with windy Hiller in 1941.

Brilliant history

How DARE they let this book go out of print! This is one of the most brilliant histories of recent years, a classic to go along with Bill Shirer's "Rise and fall of the Third Reich" and Barbara Tuchman's "August 1914"/"The guns of August", to which it is an excellent companion. It captures both eras and characters wonderfully well. ABove all, Manchester is a passionate historian. No academic distance for hîm. The words burn with anger at the treatment of the slave workers of the Third Reich - and their murdered offspring, to whom the book is dedicated. Long it may be but it bears rereading, because nobody ought to forget this stuff.