The German right, 1860-1920 : political limits of the authoritarian imagination / James Retallack.

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

Written with clear, persuasive prose, this wide-ranging analysis draws together threads of reasoning from German and Anglo-American scholars over the past 30 years and points the way for future research into unexplored areas.

Reviews provided by Syndetics

CHOICE Review

Retallack's most recent book offers several alternatives to conventional studies of political movements. Rather than utilizing a chronological framework, there are several essays that illustrate the interpretive points about the German Right that Retallack (Univ. of Toronto) wants to emphasize. These include regional and doctrinal diversities the Right accepted and the political strategies it employed as it sought to preserve its strength while recruiting adherents from social classes outside its traditional base. Thus, this is not an analysis of the Prussian aristocracy's political strategy, but rather one deliberately focused elsewhere, especially on Saxony, where the author's previous research can be utilized. Another unique use of this thematic structure, demonstrated especially in the introduction and the three chapters in the first of four parts, is the skillful discussion illuminating existing interpretations, amounting to critical bibliographical essays. Other emphases include the use of anti-semitism as a cohering and recruiting device, the role of journalists, and the Right's efforts to affect government policies while demonstrating loyalty to the emperor. The footnotes well illustrate the impressive variety of sources utilized, and the illustrations, many from Retallack's own collection, are helpful additions to a well-written text. Summing Up: Recommended. Upper-division undergraduates and above. H. D. Andrews emeritus, Towson University