Gustav Stresemann was the exceptional political figure of his time. His early death in 1929 has long been viewed as the beginning of the end for the Weimar Republic and the opening through which Hitler was able to come to power. His career was marked by many contradictions but also a pervading loyalty to the values of liberalism and nationalism. This enabled him in time both to adjust to defeat and revolution and to recognize in the Republic the only basis on which Germans could unite, and in European cooperation the only way to avoid a new war. His attempt to build a stable Germany as an equal power in a stable Europe throws an important light on German history in a critical time. Hitler was the beneficiary of his failure but, so long as he was alive, Stresemann offered Germans a clear alternative to the Nazis. Jonathan Wright's fascinating new study is the first modern biography of Stresemann to appear in English or German. This biography is detailed, shows measured judgment, and leaves a sympathetic impression of its subject ... the book presents a powerful image of a deeply patriotic politician. Raffael Scheck, The German Quarterly It is an elegantly-written book that persuasively makes the case for Stresemann's indispensability to the poor old Weimar Republic. Niall Ferguson, Books of the Year, Sunday Telegraph Scholars will find it the most thorough, up-to-date political study of Stresemann available in English. H-German Wright's book is monumental in its research. Ron Grant, History Teaching Review 'This meticulously researched, judicious, and carefully written book clearly confirms Wright's confidence in the usefulness of the biographical approach. He has produced a balanced and reasonable treatment of one of Germany's most significant statesman. This study will interest not only scholars of German history, but also a much broader audience intrigued by the career of one of Europe's most influential modern statesman in an era defined by war, revolution, and the troubled search for lasting European stability.' -- German Studies Review