Kaiser and His Times

A tad on the dry side for the average reader, this scholarly account of the Kaiser clearly explains the influences that came to bear on the man--his family history, his personality and the society in which he lived. Just as his grandmother, Queen Victoria, embodied 19th century Britain, Kaiser Wilhelm II was Germany at the turn of the century. His behavior was in keeping with the beliefs and expectations of the Prussian upper class. Although he is not fully responsible for World War I, his flaws were the flaws that lead his country into World War I. This book is a good account of one of history's great failures.