I enjoyed reading Patch's book a lot due to the - in my opinion - very balanced description of Bruening within the collapsing Weimar Republic. It descripes very well the complex situation democratic politicians have been faced with at the end of the Weimar Republic. Bruening himself is evaluated regarding his politics under his regime of the "Notstandsverordnungen" by Patch in the context of his intentions and beliefs as well as in the context of tactical moves, he took to maintain power. Unfortunately, contemporary science especially in Germany focuses on specific politicians only and evaluate latter almost always in terms of their standing in relation to the successors in form of the NSDAP from an ideological point of view. Fortunately, Patch does not repeat this mistake. So Bruening, Patch explains clearly, was alienated within the dominant leftish emigrant group opposing the Nationalsocialist due to his somewhat ambivalent point of views. Patch examines correctly, that Bruening was in line with Stresemann, but less gifted, in finding a balance (even after the war) to follow an integrational international policy and failed finally also in his struggle with Adenauer in the 1950s.