politics, animals, Germany, zoo, nonfiction, historical research

The publisher's blurb is okay, but only centers on the different options and methods of a succession of zoo directors in Germany and particularly in Berlin. Much more is presented and very well done. It presents a potted history of the attitudes of both the populace and zoo directors/employees worldwide over the course of at least a century and how current understanding came to be. Things that were accepted and predictable have become reprehensible. It also demonstrates how ego becomes overwhelming for some and how that affects the public good. The political climate is important, but it's the internal politics of the professional community that is so astounding to those of us on the outside of the moats and tempered glass walls. My two most memorable parts are the white whale in the Rhine, and the procurement of white whales from within Hudson Bay in Canada! Many thanks to Shelley Frisch for the flawless translation that allows non German readers to enjoy and learn from this book.
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Simon and Schuster Publishing via NetGalley.
Many thanks, but for free one doesn't get the photos!

The Zookeepers' War is a very entertaining account of the power struggle between the two zoos of divided Berlin. The two zoos history, as well as the politics of the time and life in post-war Germany are told through the lives and actions of the central characters - Katharina Heinroth, Heinz-Georg Klös and Heinrich Dathe.
Even though I prefer the original title ("The Zoo of the Others") the translation is impeccable, even the rhymes and puns were surprisingly well written.