Einstein's German World

"This wide-ranging collection of essays reminds us again that Fritz Stern is a living national treasure--in both Germany and the United States. It will interest and delight anyone who wishes to think deeply about how and why Germany, with all its potential, wrecked the century that it tried to dominate, and left a legacy that haunts us still. From Einstein to Goldhagen, Fritz Stern shows us again the extraordinary depth of his historical insights, and raises our understanding to a different level."--Ambassador Richard Holbrooke

"Stern gives us penetrating character sketches of eminent Jews in pre-Nazi Germany, and he makes us feel for those whose lives ended in tragedy."--Max Perutz, Nobel Laureate in chemistry and author of "I Wish I'd Made You Angry Earlier: Essays on Science, Scientists, and Humanity"

"Stern, prominent historian of Germany, who knew Einstein personally, a cousin of the late Otto Stern, intimate friend of Einstein, is uniquely qualified to write of Einstein's world. His main essay on Einstein and Haber, Stern's godfather, brilliantly sketches the contrast between those who saw the Nazi threat in time and those who saw it too late. A splendid book."--Abraham Pais, Rockefeller University, author of "A Tale of Two Continents" and "Subtle Is the Lord: The Science and Life of Albert Einstein"

"The essays are clearly from a master's hand--well-crafted, thoughtful, learned, and wise. The biographical essays display Stern's gifts as a portraitist. With a few swift and confident strokes, he captures a series of extraordinary characters at moments of personal and public crisis. The historiographical essays display the author's critical intelligence and syntheticability."--James Sheehan, Stanford University