Keeping Up With the Germans: A History of Anglo-German Encounters - Softcover

Oltermann, Philip

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0571240178 ISBN 13: 9780571240173

Publisher: Faber & Faber, 2012

Synopsis

In 1996, in the middle of watching an ill-tempered football match between England and Germany, Philip Oltermann's parents tell him that they are going to leave their home city Hamburg behind and move to London.

Inspired by his own experience of both countries, Philip Oltermann looks at eight historical encounters between English and German people from the last two hundred years: Helmut Kohl tries to explain German cuisine to the Iron Lady, the Mini plays catch-up with the Volkswagen Beetle, and Joe Strummer has an unlikely brush with the Baader-Meinhof gang.

Keeping Up with the Germans is a witty look at the lighter-side of Anglo-German relations over the last 100 years.

About this title

Product Description

Brand New Item, Fast Dispatch

Review

'In itself, this memoir would be enough exquisitely rendered comedy to keep me transfixed. ... It's so refreshing to hear a witty German poke fun at us, instead of an unfunny Brit doing the whole 'achtung!' bit. See also his analysis of the verb 'pull' in teenage jargon, bathroom carpets, and a lovely anecdote about his father ruining a new friendship with a schoolmate by an overzealous use of the word 'efficiency'. ... Oltermann vows to himself that he won't write about the war, because otherwise, he'd write about nothing but. He almost gets away with it (bar a wonderful moment when Unity Mitford dates Adolf Hitler - they flirtatiously squabble about soup). This clears so much space for this wonderful, surprising book that will have you rethinking British life even if you never, ever, get the Germans.' --Helen Rumbelow, The Times

'With my own head still full of interesting ideas from Philip Oltermann's new book - a paean to modern German reasonableness - I was foolish enough to see War Horse at the cinema. Here was a film which, despite twisting and turning to be even-handed, simply could not help itself and, like some faux-reformed alcoholic, gorged itself on an entire miniature liqueur selection of Anglo-German clichés. ... Oltermann's charming mix of memoir, analysis and random facts has to struggle to stay upright in the sort of storm generated by such an elemental piece of Anglo-Hollywood lore. But it is he who is on the side of right. Everything that makes modern Germany so appealing a sort of wryness mixed with tentative enthusiasm, a wish to be liked tempered by a genuine concern to engage with a terrible past are all in this book.
...
As War Horse so carelessly and Keeping Up with the Germans more thoughtfully show, the two countries seem condemned, like two not very interesting immortals, to tumble, grappling with one another forever through infinite space.' --Simon Winder. The Guardian

'In the realm of national stereotypes - especially those minted in England - Germany still commands a special place. ... Philip Oltermann is the latest person to venture into this perilous, churned-up no-man's land. Keeping up with the Germans avoids anything too heavy-handed, and yet still manages to offer an intelligent, entertaining and, at times, surprising take on relations between the two nations. ... For those whose knowledge of German history is bookended by the Beer Hall putsch and the rubble of the Berlin bunker, there is much illuminating stuff. ... Oltermann (almost) didn't mention the war - and got away with it.' --Frederick Studemann, Financial Times

About this edition

• Publisher: Faber & Faber
• Publication date: 2012
• ISBN 10: 0571240178
• ISBN 13: 9780571240173
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 304