5324. The Age of Catastrophe A History of the West, 1914-1945, by Heinrich August Winkler Translated by Stewart Spencer (read 20 Nov 2015) This book by a prolific German historian who was born in 1938 was published in German in 2011 and in English in 2015. It is a very detailed account of events during the years named--becoming more detailed as we approach World War II. I found it admirable since it does not make any excuse for Hitler or for those who were responsible for his attaining power. And while Stalin's crimes are recognized the author, unlike some Germans, in no way seeks to excuse Hitler or to suggest that it was not providential that Hitler was destroyed by the cooperation of the good guys of the West combining with Communist Russia. The book is the second volume of a four volume history starting with the dawn of German history and going up to the present, but as far as I know this volume is the only one of the four books translated into English. Some of the account of American history shows a lack of familiarity with American politics but I don't think it is seriously misleading. It took me 11 days to read this work but I felt it was time well spent.. ( )