{"product_id":"bismarck-book-jonathan-steinberg-md-9780199782529","title":"Bismarck","description":"This riveting, \u003cem\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/em\u003e bestselling biography illuminates the life of Otto von Bismarck, the statesman who unified Germany but who also embodied everything brutal and ruthless about Prussian culture. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eJonathan Steinberg draws heavily on contemporary writings, allowing Bismarck's friends and foes to tell the story. What rises from these pages is a complex giant of a man: a hypochondriac with the constitution of an ox, a brutal tyrant who could easily shed tears, a convert to an extreme form of evangelical Protestantism who secularized schools and introduced civil divorce. Bismarck may have been in sheer ability the most intelligent man to direct a great state in modern times. His brilliance and insight dazzled his contemporaries. But all agreed there was also something demonic, diabolical, and overwhelming in Bismarck's personality. He was a kind of malign genius who, behind the various postures, concealed an ice-cold contempt for his fellow human beings and a drive to control and rule them. As one contemporary noted: the Bismarck regime was a constant orgy of scorn and abuse of mankind, collectively and individually. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eA brilliant study in power, this comprehensive biography brings Bismarck to life, revealing the stark contrast between the Iron Chancellor's unmatched political skills and his profoundly flawed human character.\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"US \/ GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":49514927063313,"sku":"CIN0199782520G","price":15.79,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"US \/ WELL_READ \/ SBYB","offer_id":50478332313873,"sku":"CIN0199782520A","price":6.86,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ VERY_GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":50761609249041,"sku":"CIN0199782520VG","price":9.49,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/0199782520.jpg?v=1751323545","url":"https:\/\/www.worldofbooks.com\/products\/bismarck-book-jonathan-steinberg-md-9780199782529","provider":"World of Books ","version":"1.0","type":"link"}