This is the story of how the author's German ancestors coped with life since the time of Julius Caesar. Why was so much of the Germany we know today never absorbed into the Roman Empire while much of Europe was? The book answers intimate questions about how Germans lived; everyday things like how they heated their houses and what they wore to bed (if anything) in the so-called "Dark Ages" of the sixth century. When did Germans start brewing beer? How were such a stubborn people converted to Christianity and then large proportions of them to Lutheranism? There are several charming surprises, including the radical changes that resulted in their lives when they rediscovered how to make bricks and what became a staple part of every meal. Many Americans have German family names; here, you will find out how those names were chosen. Enjoy a delightful historical discovery read along the lines of what we might expect from authors like Bill Bryson.