This volume on Imperial German history launches the History Made Simple Series (HMSS) and is the first in a four-volume set on Germany. The other volumes are Weimar Germany and the Rise of the Nazis (1918-1933), Nazi Germany (1933-1945), and, post-war Germany: From division to reunification (1945-present). HMSS books are for everyone who finds history dull and boring. Let's face it; most of us aren't history buffs. We don't spend our free time reading up on historical periods, persons, or events. We would sooner surf the web or vegetate on a couch with a remote control than read the typical history book. Why does the series begin with Germany and not some other "ship"? I picked Germany for these reasons: It has been the economic motor of Europe for over 140 years; it played a central role in two World Wars; it was the birthplace of the nasty phenomena of Nazism and Hitlerism; it was one of the few countries that were split after the second World War into capitalist and communist halves; and it was reunited as a single state when the cold war ended. Last but not least, Germany today is the dominant player in The European Union, the world's largest market, which is currently undergoing serious centrifugal pressures. HMSS offers a new approach to transmitting historical information. It makes the history of separate countries as simple and enjoyable as possible with hundreds of illustrations, and lots of humor and irony, just the ingredients that make life itself interesting. All historical actors, large and small, voice their opinions and argue with each other, and sometimes with me, the author. History can't be interesting to the non-specialist when it's served up as a cold monologue like the nine o'clock news. You might say history is a futile exercise. We can't agree about the present, how can we possibly agree about the past, right? Sure, but who said we have to agree about everything? In addition, aren't the most informed opinions all sides of an argument? So sit back, make yourself comfortable, and enjoy the read Kurt E. Breitner