These essays analyze how German and American views of each other developed and periodically shifted, providing a fresh analysis of the often complex German-American relationship. The images—found in travelogues, private letters, diaries, diplomatic reports, newspaper articles, and movies—that resulted from each encounter frequently reflected the contemporary relations, often foreshadowed future trends, and illustrate how political agendas, prejudices, stereotypes, and pragmatic forces influenced each society's perceptions.