The Ruins of the Reich: Travels in Germany Past and Present

An exploration of German identity, Michael Geoghegan journeys through the former German Reich, through the eighteen territories memorialised in the Hall of Liberation. His travels cover present-day Germany and Austria and those regions of Italy, Czech Republic, Poland, Lithuania and Russia which were once German or which remain German-speaking.

Geoghegan witnesses a parade of "Schutzen" in Bolzano, an Easter Monday demonstration in Frankfurt and the Festival of the Five-Petalled Rose in Cesky Krumlov.  He visits monasteries, fantasy castles, Jewish ghettoes and the remains of the Iron Curtain. He is stopped by "unofficial collaborators" in a wood near Weimar, gets hopelessly lost in Swinoujscie and spends a dismal New Year's Eve in Rudesheim. There are flashbacks to an exchange visit to Dusseldorf as a schoolboy, love affairs and broken engagements, arrests at borders and a search for his Stasi file.

Shipping

You can choose between Royal Mail's 24 or 48 hour tracked service in order to receive your items by post.

• 48 hr tracked (2-3 days) on orders bteween 0kg - 2kg is £2.80
• 48 hr tracked (2-3 days) on orders bteween 2kg - 20kg is £3.15
• 24 hr tracked (next working day) on orders bteween 0kg - 2kg is £4.15
• FREE standard delivery for orders over £30

Local delivery

If you live within 10 miles of our bookshop, then we offer free local delivery on all orders, just choose this option at the checkout.

Store pickup

You can also choose to pick up your order for FREE from our shop at:

1 Chaldicott Barns
Semley
SP7 9AW

We would be delighted to hear from you so please do drop us a line using the form below or alternatively, give us a call on 01747 898247

Monday: Closed 
Tuesday: 10am-4pm
Wednesday: 10am-4pm
Thursday: 10-4pm
Friday: 10am-4pm
Saturday: 10am-4pm
Sunday: Closed