Max Schmeling and the Making of a National Hero in Twentieth-Century Germany

Jon Hughes is Senior Lecturer in German and Cultural Studies at Royal Holloway, University of London, UK. He is the author of a monograph on the journalist and novelist Joseph Roth, and has also published on topics including the ‘New Objectivity’, mountaineering in Austrian culture and the representation of sport.

• 1. Introduction.- 2.The Weimar Republic 1: A Star is Born- 3. The Weimar Republic 2: The American Dream.- 4. The Third Reich 1: The “Loyal Citizen”.- 5. The Third Reich 2: “A German Victory”?.- 6. After 1945: “The Good German”.- 7. No More Heroes? Conclusion.- Index.

“Hughes is clear that his intentions are not biographical his chronological treatment of Schmeling’s life makes for an engagingly readable book. The writing is clear and straightforward, readily accessible to advanced undergraduate or nonspecialists, while the generous quotation of primary sources in the original German alongside the author’s translation would also make this useful in a graduate seminar or for readers with a more advanced interest in German studies.” (Zachary T. Androus, Journal of Sport History, Vol. 45 (03), 2018)