Adam kirsch, the new statesman it would be hard to write an original and moving account of the tortured 20thcentury history of germany. Thomas hardings family owned a lake house in germany many years ago, his grandfather had built it to get away from the humdrum of city living. The book the recent history of the alexander haus starts with the research and publication of the the house by the lake by thomas harding. Saving the house we lost to the nazis life and style.
The house by the lake, an account of the five families, including his grandmother, who resided in a house in berlin, was published in 2015. The house by the lake skips between its varied occupants and historical events to present an admirably clear and concise history of modern germany. The house by the lake by thomas harding waterstones. He cofounded a television station in oxford, and for many years was an awardwinning publisher of a newspaper. Oct 15, 2018 from the descriptions and the old photos, it was pretty idyllic. Christian jungeblodt in the sand of brandenburg, every square foot of ground has its story and is telling it, too but one has.
Thomas harding is a journalist who has written for the sunday times, financial times and the guardian, among other publications. Thomas harding the house by the lake thomas harding in the summer of 1993, thomas harding travelled to germany with his grandmother to visit a small house by a lake on the outskirts of berlin. The house by the lake by thomas harding 2015 0924 thomas harding on. In the summer of 1993, thomas harding travelled to germany with his grandmother to visit a house by a lake. One house, five families, is a nuanced look as much at the politics of the times as of the families who had lived in the house. In the summer of 1993, thomas harding travelled to berlin with his grandmother to visit a small house by a lake. In the house by the lake, the simple villa loved and lost by thomas hardings family magically becomes the setting for the great clashes of the twentieth century, and for a technicolor castvictims, villains and ordinary compromisersstruggling not to be crushed by them.
The house by the lake was published in 2015 and tells the story about a house in berlin. Thomas hardings the house by the lake covers the otherwise familiar territory of 20th century german history by telling the stories of the five families who. Personal and panoramic, heartwrenching yet uplifting, this is. In the summer of 1993, thomas harding travelled to germany w. This house was originally built by his greatgrandfather as a vacation residence, which explains his. Sep 19, 2015 the house by the lake by thomas harding is published by william heinemann on 24 september. It had been her soul place as a child, she said a holiday home for her and her family. British author thomas harding has traced the history of a section of berlin by tracing the history of the house his family had lived in before ww2. The house by the lake by thomas harding, 9781250065063, available at book depository with free delivery worldwide. Oliver kamm jewish chronicle thomas harding again pulls off the admirable feat of showing us anew the history of germans troubled twentieth century by focusing on a single story. The house by the lake, by thomas harding anz litlovers. In the house by the lake, the simple villa loved and lost by thomas hardings family magically becomes the setting for the great clashes of the twentieth century, and for a technicolor cast victims, villains and ordinary compromisers struggling not to be crushed by them.
It had been her soul place as a child, she said a holiday home for her and her family, but much more a sanctuary, a refuge. Thomas harding author of hanns and rudolf pulls off the admirable feat of showing us a new history of germans troubled 20th century by focusing on the story of a small house near berlin. The house by the lake by thomas harding penguin books australia. It had been a holiday home for her family, that she had been forced to leave as the nazis swept to power. Taking a small microcosm to tell the story of a country over the last 100 years. Theres a kind of literary alchemy that occurs in thomas harding s remarkable new history, the house by the lake. Longlisted for the orwell prize named a best book of the year by the times london new statesman london daily express london commonweal magazine. In the house by the lake, the simple villa loved and lost by thomas hardings family magically becomes the setting for the great clashes of the twentieth century, and for a technicolor cast. When british journalist and author thomas harding arrived at the. An intimate and engrossing history of a german house and its owners throughout the turbulence of the 20th century. On a trip to berlin in 20 author thomas harding visited the summer lake house his greatgrandfather built. The above description on the cover of the house by the lake caught my attention straight away because i love stories about old houses and their inhabitants down through the years and the fact that the house by the lake by thomas harding was located on the outskirts of berlin and harding s ancestors were forced to leave when the. The house by the lake audiobook thomas harding audible.
Thomas hardings the house by the lake covers the otherwise familiar territory of 20th century german history by telling the stories of the five families who inhabited a single home over the course of the last hundred years. The house by the lake is a history of germany told in a. The alexander family, with alfred and henny in the back row at right. Not the most beautiful of properties, but situated in stunning surroundings with a lake at the bottom of the garden. Livelys book tells the stories of objects in her familys country house that her grandparents bought in 1923, and in doing so creates a social history of her time. Theres a kind of literary alchemy that occurs in thomas hardings remarkable new history, the house by the lake. With the help of wonderful people involved in the house history from his own family to the neighbours and other inhabitants of gross glienicker he managed to have the house declared protected historical monument. The above description on the cover of the house by the lake caught my attention straight away because i love stories about old houses and their inhabitants down through the years and the fact that the house by the lake by thomas harding was located on the outskirts of berlin and hardings ancestors were forced to. As his knowledge of the building and its past grows, each account shared. It is a book that will stay with me for a very long time. The house by the lake by thomas harding penguin books. In the summer of 1993, thomas harding traveled to germany with his grandmother to visit a small house by a lake on the outskirts of berlin. Glienicke, a village on the edge of berlin, shifts from a personal quest to something more all encompassing.
Sep 02, 2016 the alexander family, with alfred and henny in the back row at right. I cant find a better way to end this post than with the words of thomas harding. From the descriptions and the old photos, it was pretty idyllic. The house by the lake, by thomas harding nonfiction. Then the war came and the family had to flee to england to escape the nazis as their family was jewish, and the little house was abandoned.
The house by the lake skips between its varied occupants and historical events to present an admirably clear and concise history of modern. Nov 11, 2015 taking a small microcosm to tell the story of a country over the last 100 years. But, in the house by the lake, thomas harding succeeds remarkably. Thomas harding, the author, was born in 1968 and is a britishamerican journalist and documentary maker, with also four nonfiction books on his resume. In the house by the lake, the simple villa loved and lost by thomas harding s family magically becomes the setting for the great clashes of the twentieth century, and for a technicolour cast victims, villains and ordinary compromisers struggling not to be crushed by them. An intimate and engrossing history of a german house and its owners throughout the. The recent history of the alexander haus starts with a book. Livelys book tells the stories of objects in her familys country house that her grandparents bought in 1923, and in doing so creates a social history of her time, covering the period of rapid change in the interwar years as. The house by the lake thomas harding download free ebook. Sep 19, 2018 thomas harding, the author, was born in 1968 and is a britishamerican journalist and documentary maker, with also four nonfiction books on his resume.
The house by the lake the longawaited new work from the bestselling author ofn hans and rudolf. All perfect until the nazis forced jewish families such as thomas hardings to leave germany altogether. The eponymous house of the title is a weekend cottage built on the shores of the lake at gro. The economist wrote if hanns and rudolf was a sonata, the house by the lake is a symphony, telling the story of modern germany with one recurring theme. The jewish couple, author thomas hardings greatgrandparents, owned the lake house in germany but fled to britain after. Jun, 2016 in the house by the lake, the simple villa loved and lost by thomas hardings family magically becomes the setting for the great clashes of the twentieth century, and for a technicolour cast victims, villains and ordinary compromisers struggling not to be crushed by them. Oct 10, 2015 thomas harding author of hanns and rudolf pulls off the admirable feat of showing us a new history of germans troubled 20th century by focusing on the story of a small house near berlin. The house by the lake, a wonderful book of thomas harding. Rachel joyce in the house by the lake, the simple villa loved and lost by thomas hardings family magically becomes the setting for the great clashes of the twentieth century, and for a technicolour cast victims, villains and ordinary compromisers struggling not to be crushed by them. The house by the lake by thomas harding, 9780099592044, download free ebooks, download free pdf epub ebook. In the house by the lake, the simple villa loved and lost by thomas harding s family magically becomes the setting for the great clashes of the twentieth century, and for a technicolor cast victims, villains and ordinary compromisers struggling not to be crushed by them. The house by the lake, by thomas harding anz litlovers litblog.
It had been her soul place as a child, she said a hol. One house, five families, and a hundred years of german history, by thomas harding. Harding hanns and rudolf, a britishamerican journalist and nonfiction writer, profiles five diverse families that over the course of nearly a century either owned or rented a single house on the. The house by the lake harding thomas 0099592045 for sale. The house by the lake is a groundbreaking work of history, revealing the story of germany through the inhabitants of one small wooden building. Excerpt from thomas hardings the house by the lake. In 20 thomas harding travelled from london to the outskirts of berlin in order to visit a house that had been built by his paternal greatgrandfather, a germanjewish doctor named alfred alexander. Saving the house we lost to the nazis life and style the. The lake house is once again the jewel on the shores of gross glienicke lake and is looking forward to a bright future. In the summer of 1993, thomas harding travelled to germany with his grandmother to visit a small house by a lake on the outskirts of berlin. Excerpt from thomas hardings the house by the lake newsday.
Sep 24, 2015 in the house by the lake, the simple villa loved and lost by thomas hardings family magically becomes the setting for the great clashes of the twentieth century, and for a technicolour cast victims, villains and ordinary compromisers struggling not to be crushed by them. The house by the lake longlisted for the orwell prizenamed a best book of the year by the times london, new statesman london, daily express london, and commonweal magazinein the summer of 1993, thomas harding traveled to germany with his grandmother to visit a small house by a lake on the outskirts of berlin. Thomas harding s family owned a lake house in germany many years ago, his grandfather had built it to get away from the humdrum of city living. In the house by the lake, the simple villa loved and lost by thomas hardings family magically becomes the setting for the great clashes of the twentieth century, and for a technicolour cast victims, villains and ordinary compromisers. Jan 16, 2016 thomas harding in the house by the lake last year. This is why an ordinary house can serve so effectively as a symbol of the german experience. What started as a simple inquest into his familys german heritage by examining the history of their historic home on the outskirts of berlin was transformed into a revelatory political, economic.
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