The history of Krupp intertwines with the narrative of modern Germany, encapsulating its triumphs and tribulations. No other company epitomized the highs and lows of this history as profoundly as the renowned steel and arms manufacturer. 

Within the pages of this book, Harold James recounts the saga of the Krupp family and their industrial empire, spanning from the early 19th century to the present day, while examining its evolution from a family-run enterprise to one governed by a nonprofit foundation.

Established in 1811 as a modest steel mill by Friedrich Krupp, launched the beginnings of the company that would eventually become one of the world's largest and most significant corporations by the turn of the century. 

Friedrich’s son Alfred expanded the steel business in a big way, adding canons and other armaments to the portfolio. Alfred cultivated and demanded unwavering loyalty from the group’s well-compensated workforce. 

After his death, his successors, who were close to the Kaiser Wilhelm II, intensified the focus on armaments, adding submarines to their product list, supplying these to the German navy. The group flourished in the years before the war as Germany armed itself before the First World War.

After a little more than a decade the German defeat in the First World War, Krupp stepped up its armaments. Later, the company also played a pivotal role in arming Nazi Germany, with its leaders being convicted as a war criminals in the Nuremberg trials. 

Remarkably, in the aftermath of the war, Krupp managed to rebuild itself and reemerge as a symbol of a new Germany—one characterized by openness, economic success, and social responsibility.

Literature on Krupp tends to fall into two categories: either vehemently condemning it as a malevolent enterprise or extolling its technical ingenuity. In contrast, James delivers a nuanced narrative, illustrating the owners' ambivalence toward the company's military involvement, even as they became increasingly enmeshed in Germany's aggressive politics during the imperial era and the Third Reich.

By contextualizing the tale of Krupp and its proprietors within a broader framework, James offers fresh perspectives on the political, social, and economic history of modern Germany.

This is a book worth reading if you are interested in knowing more about the Krupp empire (now known as the ThyssenKrupp group) – but also to discover some interesting information about the steel industry, about German business, and about Germany during two world wars.

- Kiron Kasbekar