A splendid book by authors who long ago detected Germany’s fragility – and aimed at readers who take no pleasure in the sight of its precipitous decline. Yanis Varoufakis

The best polemic yet ... the authors prosecute their case with vigour and a terrific eye for detail. Oliver Moody, The Times Book of the Week

For many years, the post-war recovery of Germany was an inspirational story. Companies like Mercedes-Benz and Siemens became global titans, while the country’s political leaders earned respect around the world. Even when the Berlin Wall fell, it initially seemed to reunify effortlessly.

But even at its peak, there were signs of trouble. So, when events started to turn against Germany, everything started to crumble. Volkswagen’s emissions scandal damaged its industrial reputation, abandoning nuclear power left it reliant on Russia, and growing inequality boosted the far-right AfD.

Now updated for this edition, Broken Republik tells the compelling story of Germany’s decline – where it all went wrong and how it could bounce back.