In the last years of the Second World War, a million tonnes of bombs were dropped by the Allies on 131 German towns and cities. 600,000 civilians died, seven and a half million Germans were left homeless. W.G. Sebald's lucid but harrowing essays explore the consequences for the German people of the mass destruction of their cities. 'Sebald makes exquisite art out of vile history.' Boyd Tonkin, The Independent 'On the Natural History of Destruction is such a timely and startling book because Sebald is not proud to be telling ...
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In the last years of the Second World War, a million tonnes of bombs were dropped by the Allies on 131 German towns and cities. 600,000 civilians died, seven and a half million Germans were left homeless. W.G. Sebald's lucid but harrowing essays explore the consequences for the German people of the mass destruction of their cities. 'Sebald makes exquisite art out of vile history.' Boyd Tonkin, The Independent 'On the Natural History of Destruction is such a timely and startling book because Sebald is not proud to be telling the truth about Germany after the war, he is just dismayed that it might always need to be told' Adam Phillips 'In the past few decades we have become suspicious, rightly, of claims for literary greatness, but in Sebald's case the claim was triumphantly justified. He was, he is, the real thing.' John Banville
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Add this copy of On the Natural History of Destruction to cart. $54.69, very good condition, Sold by Green Ink Booksellers rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Hay on Wye, HEREFORDSHIRE, UNITED KINGDOM, published 2012 by Notting Hill Editions.
Add this copy of On the Natural History of Destruction to cart. $85.83, good condition, Sold by Bonita rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Newport Coast, CA, UNITED STATES, published 2012 by Notting Hill Editions.
Add this copy of On the Natural History of Destruction to cart. $124.26, new condition, Sold by Bonita rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Newport Coast, CA, UNITED STATES, published 2012 by Notting Hill Editions.
If ones wishes to understand the impact of WW II on THE GERMANS--and one should, whatever one's immediate reaction to that concept--then reading this book will present it in the sparest, most economical and almost beautiful prose. As one who came to know the country living there in the 1960's, I found the late Mr. Sebald to be the first person to articulate not so much what terrors the German civilian population had suffered, but how the inescapable recognition of their country's total guilt in launching the war had created a conspiracy of silence, even among the fellow victims. This book deserves that overworked word masterpiece.
