Dissolution: The Crisis of Communism and the End of East Germany

"Charles Maier is an historian whose writing talks both to political scientists and to lay readers no mean feat. Dissolution combines probing historical examination with disciplined and informed political analysis."--Richard H. Ullman, Princeton University

"Undoubtedly the most important survey of the GDR and its demise. Readers will find not only an engaging narrative of events but also coverage on broad topics ranging from an analysis of the 'old guard' to post-unification nostalgia. Throughout every facet of this book, we hear Maier's philosophically sophisticated 'voice' leading us through dilemmas created by values, economic realities, political clashes, and cultural ruptures."--Claudia Koonz, Duke University

"This is a beautifully written and insightful account of the collapse of the East German regime. It poses important general questions about inevitability and agency in history, and is especially good in analyzing the mood of the East German population itself. It is a wonderfully thoughtful book."--Paul M. Kennedy, Yale University

— Political Science Quarterly - Melvin Croan

This broad-gauged yet sharply focused, cogently argued, and copiously documented study by Charles Maier exemplifies the writing of contemporary history at its best...Maier's balanced and nuanced study constitutes first-rate scholarship; it is also a good, if demanding, read.