A journey into the German Reich, through the eighteen territories memorialised in the Hall of Liberation - from Prussia and Hanover to Bavaria and Austria. And this is a tale not just of buildings, but of people too, whether Swabians or Bohemians, poets or musicians or kings. Via cathedrals and castles, ferries and pleasure cruisers, statues and spas, concentration camps and mausoleums, Geoghegan winds his way up and down the hills and rivers of a modern yet nostalgic landscape. A compelling and vivid exploration of German identity through the traces of the past in the present. Of interest to Europhiles and readers of cultural-historical travel writing. Fills a gap in the market for recent travel memoirs about Germany. Will appeal to readers of Germania by Simon Winder and Last Days in Old Europe by Richard Bassett. Also for readers of The Rhine by Ben Coates and Walking the Woods and the Water by Nick Hunt.