Bismarck: The Man and Statesman

this portrayal of Bismarck gives him a more human aspect.For one thing,Taylor quotes Bismarck's memoirs often,in regard to his motivations and decisions.The other author of a bio on Bismarck,Crankshaw in particular,believes Bismarck's memoirs are not reliable at all and are in fact clouded due to the Iron Chancellors bad memory and multiple(at time unconscious layers of deceit. So being familiar with Crankshaws more recently published bio,it sort of deflates Bismarcks bombastic,philosophic,at times idealistic quotations that Taylor generously sprinkles his bio of Bismarck with.Taylor is aware of Bismarck's duplicity in politics,however the difference between Taylor and Crankshaw is one of degree.Crankshaw's is a supreme deflation of the puffed up Chancellor.Taylor gives credit to Bismarck however for designing social legislation that was later copied by most European governments.Bismarck's 3 wars against Denmark,Austria,and France were contained and had limited objectives,and according to Taylor "cost thousands of lives whereas the wars of the 20th century have cost millions of lives".You can see from a read of Taylor's book how the German govt. could have believed that the War started in 1914,would probably be over as quickly as the other 3 successful wars that lasted a month or two during Bismarck's tenure ithe 1870's.Of course in Crankshaw's work he would say that Bismarck's 3 relatively bloodless wars helped to set up the greivances that led to WW1.Taylor also injects alot of his own philosophical musings into his works. One quote is an an oftake about learning from history,he says,basically that sometimes governments in attempting to correct errors of the past commit even bigger ones in the effort.Still you can't help but believe from Taylor's book that there been a "Bismarckian" type figure in 1914 WW1 could have probably been avoided or have at least been on a smaller scale.But was Bismarck responsible for thwarting coalitions in German government and as a result making the German confederations too dependent on a strong central person?Both of these bios on Bismarck are worth a read and complement each other.Crankshaw seems to take amusement by mentioning that Bismarck's wife became known in later life as a "malicious gossip".He also spends time on Bismarck's son Herbert who Crankshaw characterizes as a dud.This despite being carefully groomed by the Iron Chancellor in the hopes of a little nepotism.Crankshaw concludes it was a "bad hair day" for Herbert.Taylor indulges in none of this type analyzation in his bio,although I'm sure he was aware of the facts or lack of facts.Numerous references to Bismarck's "Lutheranism" is mentioned in the Taylor work,but he was willing to work with Catholic interests if they didn't interfere with the Iron Chancellor's views on a strong and united Germany.

I really love books like this one. Now this book may not be the definitive, authoritative biography of Bismarck and it certainly leaves out some key points, but the book is only 288 pages. The book is not supposed to be the definitive work on Bismarck's life. I don't see how someone could pick up a book that is less than 300 pages and think that it will have everything they need to know about one of the greatest politicians the world has ever seen. So why do I like this book enough to give it five stars? The book is very well written and Mr. Taylor has a nice style so the book is entertaining and easy to read. It is also filled with very good information and, for its size, the book does a very good job hitting the major highlights of a very important historical figure. I think the book does a fantastic job giving the reader a lot of information for the pages read. I really like these short, well written books on history. They make reading about a topic that is outside one's course of study or interest accessible. The relative small size of the book means it isn't as intimidating as other works and hopefully gives the book a wider audience. The main thing is know what you're buying here and you won't be disappointed. You cannot get a definitive biography of Bismarck into 300 pages or less, but you can get a really good book that is informative and fun to read. I really liked this book and I think others will enjoy it as well.

Bismarck may be read by high school students,housewives and educated men and women...A.J.P Taylor wrote to several audiences at once. So I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to read a well written book and wants learn about the facts of Bismarck's accomplishments. Furthermore "Bismarck" is a great example of what politicians do and say. The Difference between what constituents want to hear and what great politicians actually do. Examples are when British politicians make anti-Euro currency declarations in order to gain votes, while at the same time quietly adopting European integration measures. Conversely Italian politicians agreeing quickly to sound pro-European Integration,while all the while in practice stalling every European integration measure so as not to loose voters. This book is a great introduction into Parliamentary and extra parliamentary manoevuring,the basics on Right,Center,Left and the Grand coalition,or all party initiatives for US readers. Summing up,Bismarck is a pre-requisite to understand European politics and history as well as great lessons in practical politics.

The best part about any AJP Taylor book is that he covers history in a way that no text book ever could. He makes his subject, in this case Bismarck, real and human. Many histories and biographies fall short of this goal. Taylor discusses Bismarck's entire life, from childhood until death. However, the bulk of this work is devoted to period from when Bismarck began Prussian government work until he was removed from the Chancellery by William the Second. Also if you like this book and are at all interested in the time period in which Bismarck was in power, I highly recommend Taylor's Struggle for Mastery in Europe: 1848-1918.

A.J.P. Taylor adheres to his typically excellent style and delivers this keen critical biography of the man who made modern Europe. If you expect fawning portraits, or gossip-laden scandal, stay clear of Taylor--but at the same time do not fear dry recitation of dates and events. Taylor is a master of his subject matter and knows precisely which details advance his critical wit. No distractions, no tangents, no sermons--Bismarck's political career is the focus, and the ultimate aim is to assess his aims, identify both his failures and successes, and to explain their shape as works springing from the flawed mind of a political genius. As usual with Taylor, little is slack is given to either Bismarck or his adversaries, and each parties' motives are cynically weighed and found contradictory, petty or blind. And, also per usual, Taylor is quick to reveal the absurd quirks of the political elite, and how they impinged on the course of events. Taylor provides an excellent, London-Underground-styled map to the roiling tangle of scheme and intrigue characteristic of nineteenth-century European diplomacy, charts Bismarck's course through it, and deftly shows how its fundamental structure was reformulated by him. Taylor has sometimes been accused of being anti-German, and, in rare moments, he seems to imply the existence of deep flaws in the "national character" of Germany throughout history. But here I was surprised to find Taylor asserting the presence of an instinctive commitment to peace, stability and tranquility in Germany's greatest statesman. This book is essential to an understanding of Germany, Europe and both World Wars. As well as, of course, Otto Von Bismarck.