The distinguished German historian, H.W. Koch, has lived in Britain since 1952. A graduate of the University of Keele he teaches modern history at the University of York. He has contributed to a wide variety of history and social science journals in both Britain and Germany. His best-known books are Der Sozialdarwinismus: Seine Genese und Einfluss auf das imperialistiche Denken and Te Hitler Youth - Origins and Development, 1922-1956. His recent work is Der deutsche Buergerkrieg 1918-1924.

In little more than two centuries Prussia rose from medieval obscurity and the devastation of the Thirty Years War to become the dominant power of continental Europe. Her rulers rose from Electors to Kings, and from Kings to Emperors. It is a dramatic story, and H. W. Koch fills a major gap in English-language literature with this comprehensive account. It traces the origins and rise of the Prussian state from the thirteenth century to the causes and consequences of its incorporation into the German Empire.