Another topic from the series Seminar Studies in History. This is a well balanced work presenting Bismarck & his influence on uniting Prussia with German states to create Germany. Although Bismarck is controversial both in his time & after his death, what he accomplished was enormously impactive in Germany's creation with skill & manipulation of weaker individuals both within Prussia & outside of Prussia. Bismarck kept central Europe stable for as long as he remained in power but his system he had created unraveled after he was forced to resign. Lesser men afterwards blinded by ego & perceived grievances destroyed much of what Bismarck had put in place. Still, the author presents several perspectives using primary sources & historian thoughts both good & bad. ( )