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Kaput

Wolfgang Münchau

Book cover: Kaput

‘Compelling’ Guardian
‘Eloquent and comprehensive’ Financial Times
‘Excellent’ The Telegraph
‘Astonishing’ The Times
‘An eye-opener’ Gavin Esler

Until recently, Germany appeared to be a paragon of economic and political success. But recent events – from Germany’s dependence on Russian gas to its car industry’s delays in the race to electric – have undermined this view.

In Kaput, Wolfgang Münchau argues that the weaknesses of Germany’s economy have, in fact, been brewing for decades. The close connections between the country’s industrial and political elite have left Germany technologically behind, over-reliant on authoritarian Russia and China, and with little sign of being able to adapt to the digital realities of the twenty-first century. It is an essential read for anyone interested in the future of Europe’s most important economy.

Hardback

ISBN: 9781800753433

Published: November 7, 2024

Paperback

ISBN: 9781800753457

Published: March 27, 2025

Ebook

ISBN: 9781800753440

Published: November 7, 2024

Book cover: Kaput

Category:
Non-fiction

Reviews for Kaput

‘Eloquent and comprehensive deconstruction of the German model’ – Harold James, Financial Times

‘A compelling new book about the end of the German economic miracle’ – Larry Elliott, Guardian

‘Excellent’ – Daniel Johnson, The Telegraph

‘With vivid anecdote, telling detail and characteristically robust language, Wolfgang Münchau excoriates the failure of Germany’s corporate neo-mercantilism to prepare for the economic challenges of today and tomorrow’ – Timothy Garton Ash, author of Homelands: A Personal History of Europe

‘Wolfgang Münchau is one of the sharpest minds in British and European journalism. In Kaput he tells the compelling story of Germany’s economic wonder gone wrong – for now at least. For those of us who never under-estimate German ingenuity and competitiveness this is an eye-opener, an accessible account of the troubles and also the potential in Europe’s greatest economy’ – Gavin Esler

‘Münchau makes a strong case here that the German economic miracle is over’ – Howard Davies, Literary Review

‘The best and most detailed account of the German economic decline to date’ – Tyler Cowen, Marginal Revolution

‘His critique of the German model couldn’t be more timely … An astonishing read … Dry humour lends his economic analysis levity and accessibility’ – Katya Hoyer, The Times

‘A cautionary tale on the downsides of trying to mix politics and investment’ – Matthew Partridge, MoneyWeek Book of the Week

Author

Wolfgang Münchau

Author image: Wolfgang Münchau

Wolfgang Münchau is a journalist and commentator who focuses on the European economy and the European Union. He is director of leading news service Eurointelligence and a columnist for the New Statesman.