To tell about the history of the Germans over twenty centuries, to identify those special features of the people that allow us to talk about national identity, to determine the most important key moments in the formation of the German state - this is the goal of the author of this book, a professor at the Free University of Berlin and director of the German Historical Institute in London Hagen Schulze. And he coped with it brilliantly. The book, which successfully combines science and liveliness of presentation, has received recognition not only in the author’s homeland, but also far beyond its borders. The publication is beautifully illustrated, equipped with maps and a preface specially written for readers in Russia.