[.ca] The Last Kaiser: The Life of Wilhelm II (ISBN 0312305575)

From Amazon.com:
Praised for a thoughtful reassessment of Frederick the Great in his previous book, Giles MacDonogh tackles another controversial figure in German history, Kaiser Wilhelm II. William (as his British biographer calls him throughout) has often been dismissed as an anti-Semite and a reactionary whose policies, particularly the buildup of the German navy, inevitably led to World War I. MacDonogh's readable and thorough synthesis of current scholarship depicts a more complex man with far more in common with his English mother, Queen Victoria's daughter Vicky, than is usually acknowledged. "He had inherited her memory, her lack of snobbery, openness, vivacity, moodiness, over-estimation of her own importance, her cleverness without wisdom," writes MacDonogh, characteristically listing both good and bad traits without moralizing. William's mixed feelings about his mother indelibly shaped his attitude toward Great Britain: he strove from the moment he became emperor in 1888 for an alliance with England, yet seemed compelled to undermine it due to "a combination of admiration and envy, animosity and affection." Born in 1859, his botched delivery resulted in a withered left arm, the first in a lifelong series of painful physical and mental ailments that may well have been responsible for the intemperate outbursts that have damaged his posthumous reputation. MacDonogh reminds us that William's worst threats--to tear up the German constitution, to have his enemies shot--were never carried out. After Germany's defeat in 1918, he abdicated and retired to a manor house in Holland; he may have disliked Jews, but he viewed the Nazis with distaste and until his death in 1941 gave no indication he supported the Third Reich. MacDonogh's detailed account of William's life and times doesn't so much revise the conventional portrait as add nuance, and it will be welcomed by aficionados of old-fashioned narrative biography. --Wendy Smith

Thorough and balanced picture of Willy:
Good biography about man who treated his parents Fritz and Vicky very poorly but was with his grandmother Queen Victoria when she died.His belligerent and bellicose nature did nothing to quell emotions and tempers in the period prior to the outbreak of World War I.His physical deformities really messed him up as a child from which he never recovered and which plagued him with self doubt and anger. The book was very balanced in its treatment of him and attempts to remove the generally accepted position that he was largely responsible for the First World War.

A historically rich but disappointing read:
Not only should a great biography of an important world leader be well researched and historically accurate, but in order to have any appeal beyond scholastic circles it should also be entertaining and bring the subject to life. In order to achieve this delicate balance, an author must carefully review the voluminous historical record and cull the mundane and marginally relevant details from those that provide real interest and insight. I can't speak authoritatively on the subject, but it is clear that Giles MacDonogh has exhaustively studied the life of Kaiser Wilhelm II. Both original sources in the form of personal letters and first hand accounts and later critical examinations of Wilhelm are well represented. Unfortunately, while this book may be a scholarly success, it is not a particularly good read. The subject is compelling, but MacDonogh's pedantic rendition never fully engages the lay reader. Wilhelm is one of the most contradictory and controversial leaders of the 2th century, but this book never really gives you a sense of his personality or his relationships with others. Instead of really delving into the heart and soul of his subject, MacDonogh produces a dry litany of historical facts. The only personal aspect of the kaiser that MacDonogh tries to address in any depth is his anti-semitism, but even here he is not completely successful.

A New Perspective On Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany:
Giles MacDonogh gives a fine, often thoughtful, account of the life of the last German emperor, Kaiser Wilhelm II, whom the author refers repeatedly as William. MacDonogh offers a vivid, complex portrait of Wilhelm II, which clearly illustrates the contradictory aspects of the Kaiser's personality. Much to my surprise, MacDonogh amply demonstrates how progressive the Kaiser was with regards to labor relations and economics, having the vision of creating a "United States of Europe" nearly a century before its inception as the European Union. And he shows how determined Wilhelm was in maintaining peaceful relations between the German Empire and its neighbors. Indeed, Kaiser Wilhelm II comes across as the most level-headed person in his regime at the outbreak of World War II; yet he was paradoxically also the most naive, hoping that his family ties to the ruling houses of Great Britain and Russia would ensure peace. MacDonogh also notes Wilhelm's complex, often contradictory, atttitudes towards England (The British Empire), often cast as family quarrels between himself and his British Coburg cousins; for example seeking an alliance with Great Britain while simultaneously building a German navy which threatened British interests. Perhaps the most fascinating part of the book covers Wilhelm's years in exile at Doorn, The Netherlands, where the former Kaiser indulged in his lifelong passion for archaeology.

A Fresh Look at Kaiser Bill:
Gile MacDonogh has produced an interesting new look at Kaiser Wilhelm II. The writing is not scintillating, and there are some ridiculous errors (The Tsar-Liberator was Alexander II, not Nicholas II). The editing leaves a lot to be desired, too, as there are some sentences which don't make sense unless you figure out that there are some words missing here and there. Be that as it may, the book is nevertheless well worth your time. MacDonogh takes a different attitude than most about the Kaiser's damaged arm, pointing out that he was able to cope successfully with the handicap throughout a long life and that it was not necessarily psychologically damaging. MacDonogh also takes another view of Wilhelm's parents, Kaiser Frederick III and Victoria, Princess Royal of Britain. Most of their previous biographers have made "Fritz" and "Vicky" out as heroes determined to make Germany a liberal, democratic nation. MacDonogh underscores Fritz's weaknesses and penchant for pomp and Vicky's cold and demanding nature. MacDonogh also illuminates Wilhelm's role as a surprisingly progressive ruler. The Kaiser was one of the first to speak of a United States of Europe and the need to let down customs barriers, eighty years before such ideas became fashionable. At the same time Wilhelm was advocating these reforms, unfortunately, he was also pushing Germany's imperialistic and militaristic policies until they became an open challenge to Great Britain and led to World War I. One of the most interesting parts of the book is the section dealing with Wilhelm's exile in Doorn, Holland. It seems the ex-Kaiser may have grown up a little once he was out of the spotlight, refusing to deal with the Nazis, for example, and reducing some of his braggadocio. So, despite the shortcomings of the writing and editorial processes, this is a worthwhile addition to your library.