The Arms of Krupp: The Rise and Fall of the Industrial Dynasty That Armed Germany at War

The Arms of Krupp: The Rise and Fall of the Industrial Dynasty That Armed Germany at War by William Manchester

The Krupp family manufactured arms in Germany. They had a tight relationship with the military regime, including Nazis. They used this to ensure the appropriate session of ownership. They also took advantage of the slave labor provided by the Nazis. This book goes into extreme detail on the history of the Krupps, from centuries ago into the mid-twentieth century. The author didn't care for the Krupps and freely injects his opinion in numerous places.

The bulk of the book covers the experiences of Alfried Krupp. He rose to take over the company during the Nazi era, taking control in 1943. He was thus involved in the war crime trials where he was sentenced. He served time, but was later released. Even in prison, he helped control the firm. He was influential in building up the German industry after the war, as well as spreading German exports and knowledge throughout the world. How much of the German post-war success can be attributed to his work?

The tells his story from a distance. It feels like a student's report rather than a close telling of his life. The author is so keen on criticizing Krupp that you can't help but feel sympathy. (Imagine Fox News writing a biography of the Democratic Party.) 

A world lit only by fire

This book rambles on about the middle ages and renaissance, and eventually goes on the laud Magellan. Finally in the afterward he explains that it started after he wrote an introduction for a friend's work on Magellan. He decided that he wanted to write a brief background to the times of the explorer. Things got out of hand, and we ended up with this book. He also admits to using all secondary sources in the work.

Alas, what we have is a book that is half filled with lurid details of the depredations of corrupt popes, and half filled with the voyage of Magellan. Here is the middle ages as seen through the eyes of modern sensibilities.

This book reads like a disorganized term paper on the middle ages that was graded on length not quality. About the only part worthwhile part was the tale of Magellan's final fall. And this would probably be better told in a more focussed book. That leaves, well, nothing to recommend in this book.