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The Conquest of Nature: Water, Landscape, and the Making of Modern Germany
The Conquest of Nature Water Landscape and the Making of Modern Germany Author:David Blackbourn Majestic, lyrically written, and handsomely illustratedone of the most original works of history in a generation. — This absorbing work traces the rise of the German nation through the development of water and landscape. David Blackbourn begins his morality tale in the mid-1700s, with the epic story of Frederick the Great, who attemp... more »tedby importing the great scientific minds of the West and by harnessing the power of his armyto transform the uninhabitable marshlands of his scattered kingdom into a modern state. Chronicling the great engineering projects that reshaped the mighty Rhine, the emergence of an ambitious German navy, and the development of hydroelectric power to fuel Germany's convulsive industrial growth before World War I, Blackbourn goes on to show how Nazi racial policies rested on German ideas of mastery of the natural world. Filled with striking reproductions of paintings, maps, and photographs, this grand work of modern history links culture, politics, and the environment in an exploration of the perils faced by nations that attempt to conquer nature. 70 illustrations.« less