Defeat and unconditional surrender were the foundations on which postwar Germany was built. The overall impact, however, was not apathy, but a mentality which was down to earth, pragmatic, and forward-looking. Crucial structures survived which contributed to West Germany's phenomenal recovery, while the East was forced to submit to a ruthless Soviet leadership. Kettenacker's book offers a fascinating survey of the fortunes and features of East and West Germany—how the two states drifted apart; the differences between their economies, politics, and cultures; and the problems and events surrounding their recent unification.