Explore John Lord books at New West Press.

John Lord's Two German Giants places Frederick the Great and Otto von Bismarck beside one another as major figures in the development of Prussian and German power. The sketches focus on leadership, warfare, diplomacy, and the consequences of statecraft across different periods. This collection centers on Lord's comparative historical portrait, which also includes a Bismarck speech. Readers can examine what the pairing illuminates and what it leaves in the background. The book offers a focused way to consider how biographies of powerful individuals can become interpretations of a nation's political history.

Biography connects a person's choices with the circumstances of an earlier age. As you read, follow the relationship between private experience and public events, and consider the perspective from which the life is being told. A timeline or map can provide useful context. This selection offers a starting point for readers interested in historical lives and the ways they are remembered.