Los Angeles Times Book Prize
1 appearances
-
Edition 37 (2016) Winner
Volker Ullrich
フォルカー・ウルリッヒ
Volker Ullrich
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1943-06-21 （Celle, Lower Saxony (then Nazi Germany)）
- Nationality
- German
- Languages
- German
Career
- Occupations
- historian, journalist, author
- Active Years
- 1966-
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Hamburg | — | History | PhD (Dr. phil.) | — | Germany |
University of Hamburg
History
Degree:
PhD (Dr. phil.)
Year of Graduation:
1975
Country:
Germany
Completed a dissertation on the Hamburg labour movement of the early 20th century
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | Alfred Kerr Prize (literary criticism) | — | — | Alfred Kerr Prize | 受賞 |
| 2008 | Honorary doctorate (University of Jena) | — | — | University of Jena | 授与 |
Alfred Kerr Prize (literary criticism)
1992
Organization:
Alfred Kerr Prize
Result:
受賞
Honorary doctorate (University of Jena)
2008
Organization:
University of Jena
Result:
授与
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
The Hamburg labour movement from the eve of the First World War to the Revolution of 1918
1976 historyA dissertation-quality study of the early-20th-century labour movement in Hamburg, examining labour organization and political change.
labour movementsocial historylabour organizations
The Nervous Superpower: the rise and fall of the German Empire from 1871 to 1918
1997 historyAn analysis of the political and social dynamics of the German Empire (1871–1918).
imperial historypolitical historysocial change
Napoleon: A Biography
2004 biography / historyA biography of Napoleon based on historical sources, focusing on his political and military career.
leadershipmilitary historypolitical ambition
Bismarck (Life & Times)
2008 biography / historyA biography of Bismarck that examines his life and the context of German unification.
state formationpolitical strategymodernization
The Kreisauer Circle
2008 historyDiscusses the activities and ideas of the anti-Nazi intellectual group, the Kreisauer Circle, during WWII.
resistance movementsanti-Nazipolitical thought
Hitler – A Biography, Volume 1: Ascent 1889–1939
2013 biography / historyThe first volume of a detailed biography of Hitler, covering his early life and ascent up to 1939, based on extensive sources.
formation of a dictatorGerman political historyideology and propaganda
Translations
- English translation: The Bodley Head (2016)
Hitler – A Biography, Volume 2: Downfall 1939–1945
2020 biography / historyThe second volume covering Hitler's wartime leadership and downfall from 1939 to 1945, examining war conduct and collapse.
military historycollapse of leadershippolicy decision-making
Translations
- English translation available (The Bodley Head, c.2020)
Eight Days in May: The Final Collapse of the Third Reich
2021 historyA chronological study focusing on the decisive eight days in May 1945 that led to the collapse of the Third Reich.
end-of-regime politicslogistics and collapsedecisive moments
Germany 1923: Hyperinflation, Hitler’s Putsch, and Democracy in Crisis
2023 historyExamines 1923 in Germany, analyzing how economic crisis and political unrest affected democracy.
economic historycrisis and democracyfar-right movements
Bibliography
- The Hamburg labour movement (dissertation)
- The Nervous Superpower: 1871–1918
- Napoleon: A Biography
- Bismarck (Life & Times)
- The Kreisauer Circle
- Hitler – A Biography, Vol.1: Ascent 1889–1939
- Hitler – A Biography, Vol.2: Downfall 1939–1945
- Eight Days in May: The Final Collapse of the Third Reich
- Germany 1923: Hyperinflation, Hitler’s Putsch, and Democracy in Crisis
Translations of Works
- Hitler Vol.1 English translation: The Bodley Head (2016)
- Hitler Vol.2 English translation (published c.2020)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- scholarly source-based analysis presented in an accessible narrativerigorous, evidence-driven prose
- Recurring Motifs
- rise and fall of powerdeconstruction of leadership figuressocio-economic drivers of politics
Legacy
Volker Ullrich is a historian and journalist known for his works on modern German history, particularly biographies and political histories of the world wars; his writing is praised for combining scholarly rigor with accessibility.
Quotes
-
“Hitler's Willing Executioners – a book that provokes new historical dispute.”
Source: Die Zeit (review, 1996) (1996)
Trivia
- Awarded the Alfred Kerr Prize (literary criticism) in 1992
- Received an honorary doctorate from the University of Jena in 2008
- Became head of the political section at Die Zeit in 1990
- Born in Celle, Germany