Christopher B. Krebs A Most Dangerous Book: Tacitus’s GERMANIA From the Roman Empire to the Third Reich tells the involving tale of a classic book that the Nazis chased during World War II. Krebs, a classical scholar at Stanford University, gives the history of Tacitus’s classic book over the ages and shows how its presence in Germany created a cult seeking the valuable copy. If you liked The Monuments Men, you’ll like this book. GRADE: B
Table of Contents:
•The Roman conquest of the germanic myth
• Survival and rescue
• The birth of the German ancestors
• Formative years
• Heroes’ songs
• The volk of free-spirited northerners
• White blood
• A bible for national socialists.
Though I’ve read Tacitus in school (seven years of Latin – most of which I’ve forgotten …) I don’t remember this eloquent description of the “Germans”. I don’t believe in all that stuff about “race” anyway – I think most of our traits are not inherited but a product of our environment, especially our parents and friends …
Wolf, I completely agree. The Nazis prized Tacitus’s “Germania” because it praised the warriors for their strength and courage.
I’ve heard of it of course, but never read it…and doubt I ever will.
Of course Wolf is right.
Jeff, it won’t surprise you to learn I have most of Tacitus’s works in Penguin editions. I’ve read a few of them. Tacitus is a cranky writer. That’s where the adjective “taciturn” comes from.
I’ve come to expect the totally unexpected in your blog, George, and this title certainly is one I know I’ll never read. Good to know the root of the word Taciturn. A joke is the dictionary shows a pix of Tommy Lee Jones
Maggie, Tacitus was a great historian, but he was a curmudgeon. Tommy Lee Jones would fit, too!
Life is strange …
Just found this discussion of the famous battle that Varus lost against the Germanic tribes:
https://www.quora.com/Why-didnt-the-Romans-develop-better-strategies-for-fighting-in-rough-terrain
PS:
Mr Krebs (whose name sounds very German) is an American but studied mainly in Germany, maybe that’s why he was fascinated by these events
Wolf, I liked Krebs’s writing style and I might read more of his work. I will certainly read more of Tacitus this Summer.
One for Phil.
Patti, Phil would enjoy all the wild history this book was a part of.
I knew his brother, Maynard G!
Bob, I wish I knew Thalia Menninger!
George, thanks for bringing this book to my notice. I’m intrigued by the Roman Empire and the Third Reich.
Prashant, I didn’t know the story of Tacitus’s GERMANIA before I read A MOST DANGEROUS BOOK. Fascinating tale!