Konrad Adenauer was one of modern Germany's great statesmen and perhaps its most remarkable representative: his long life spanned all important epochs, ranging from Bismarckian Empire to the Federal Republic. We are therefore pleased to present the second volume of this major biography in English, written by one of Germany's most influential historians. Using previously inaccessible records kept by Adenauer's closest colleagues and only recently released official documents, Hans-Peter Schwarz is able to cast new light on controversial aspects of many of Adenauer's policy decisions and draw a detailed picture of Adenauer's rise to power.