Broken Republik - by Chris Reiter & Will Wilkes (Paperback)

About the Book

Book Synopsis

'A splendid book by authors who long ago detected Germany's fragility - and aimed at readers who take no pleasure in the sight of its precipitous decline' Yanis Varoufakis
'The best polemic yet ... the authors prosecute their case with vigour and a terrific eye for detail' Oliver Moody, The Times Book of the Week

The compelling story of Germany's decline - where it all went wrong and how it could bounce back.

For many years, the post-war recovery of Germany was an inspirational story. All of Europe looked on with admiration and envy as the nation rebuilt and set standards for the rest to follow. Companies such as Mercedes-Benz, Siemens and Bayer rose to become global titans, while the country's political leaders earned respect around the world - even their football teams were the best. Such was its success that when the Berlin Wall fell, it appeared to reunify almost seamlessly. Where Germany led, the rest followed.

But, even at its zenith, there were signs of trouble, with a worrying lack of national identity at its heart. So, when events started to turn against Germany, the whole edifice began to crumble. As political and business leaders benefited from the status quo, they couldn't see the problems heading their way. Volkswagen's emissions fraud tainted its industrial reputation; abandoning nuclear power left the country at the mercy of Russia for its energy needs; and a growing divide between rich and poor stoked international tensions that opened the door to the rise of the far-right AfD party.

Journalists Chris Reiter and Will Wilkes have been reporting for years on the problems the country faces. Germany is not alone in this, but it is singularly ill-equipped to deal with them. Broken Republik is an essential read for anyone who wants to understand Germany's slide towards the brink.

Review Quotes

"Although a new government has been installed since this book was released, the authors nonetheless provides a deeply insightful and fresh view of the challenges Chancellor Friedrich Merz will need to overcome if he is to correct Germany's trajectory" --Financial Times

"A splendid book by authors who long ago detected Germany's fragility - and aimed at readers who take no pleasure in the sight of its precipitous decline" --Yanis Varoufakis

"The best polemic yet ... The book's charge sheet is long and unforgiving [and they] prosecute their case with vigour and a terrific eye for detail. The book is especially good on the country's near-belle epoque levels of wealth inequality and social immobility" --Oliver Moody, The Times Book of the Week

"Reiter and Wilkes debunk several long-standing myths about Germany...the authors' in-depth analysis digs deep into the crisis without being defamatory. The analysis of the German mentality is sure to provoke some readers. But that's precisely where its strength lies: the authors avoid being easily categorised, which is often what stifles open-ended debates" --Die Welt

About the Author

After studying international relations and political philosophy in Washington and the U.K., Chris Reiter has worked as a journalist covering economics, politics and business news. For more than twenty years, he has been based in Berlin where he has chronicled Germany's political and economic struggles. He is a senior editor for Bloomberg after previously reporting for Reuters and Dow Jones Newswire. While born and raised in the U.S., he learned to love Knödel, Leberkäse and Fußball from his German father.

Will Wilkes studied German and Italian in London and Rome. Now based in Frankfurt, he has spent his working life writing about Germany, travelling across the country to talk with politicians, executives, union leaders, and workers. From terrorism to economic crises to the resurgence of the far right, he has reported on the country's mounting challenges and fraying social cohesion. He is currently a reporter for Bloomberg and has previously written about Germany for Market News International and the Wall Street Journal. He appreciates Germany's rich music culture - less so the national aversion to queuing.