"A compilation of essential German contributions to philosophy, theology, mathematics, natural and social science and the arts since 1750. Watson enshrines a vast pantheon of creative thinkers... [including] compressed summaries of some exceedingly difficult ideas. The range of subjects is impressive, from painters to physicists." -- New York Times Book Review

"[The German Genius is] Watson's eight-hundred-and-fifty-page love letter to the all-stars of the Teutonic intellect...his élan generates its own momentum... The book's breadth is part of the point." -- The New Yorker

"[An] engrossing, vast chronicle. . . . English now dominates the arts and sciences, but Watson writes an absorbing account of a time not so long ago when German ruled." -- Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"Reveals several surprises. . . . A remarkable book on many levels. The research is first-rate and it is surprisingly accessible." -- Tucson Citizen

"A tour de force. . . . It is impossible not to be impressed by his range and versatility as he bounds across the disciplines. . . . This intelligent book presents a breathtaking panorama." -- Sunday Times (London)

"[A] colossal encyclopaedia. . . . Heroic. . . . Watson derives the German genius from deep springs." -- The Guardian

"Watson's book is intended to subvert the negative German stereotypes. Though it checks in at just short of 1,000 pages, it is a usefully concise introduction to the principal themes and personalities of German scientific, philosophical, social, literary and artistic culture since 1750." -- The Times (London)

"Few wasted words--a welcome resource for students of modern history, literature and cultural studies." -- Kirkus Reviews

"Watson tells how the Nazis' first artistic blacklist appeared just six weeks after Hitler assumed power in 1933 - and how his catastrophic handling of his intellectual inheritance has unfairly overshadowed the country ever since. This exhaustive and virtuoso sweep through history goes some way to restoring the balance." -- Press Association

"The German Genius present a huge corpus of scholarship in easily digestible form, and its range is astonishing. No professor, least of all a German one, would have dared to essay such a synthesis; so much the worse for the professors." -- Standpoint

"He has an enviable gift of explaining lucidly and cogently ideas that are complicated or profound (or both). . . . Everyone interested in the sufferings and greatness of modern culture will be informed, entertained and provoked by it." -- Literary Review

"Assembles such a wealth of information, based on an impressive range of sources, that The German Genius will be an essential work...for years to come." -- The Independent

"Watson's story is vibrating with life. It is unputdownable. It contains a lot one didn't know. So much enlightenment and so much that moves." -- Frankfurter Rundschau

"A joy, for its ambition, its seriousness and its moral integrity." -- The Scotsman

"A powerful and vivid opus. . . . Watson's story is brimming with life. You can barely put the book aside." -- Berliner Zeitung.

"Few wasted words-a welcome resource for students of modern history, literature and cultural studies." -- Kirkus Reviews