Ein mann will nach oben

The Berlin version of "The Great Gatsby"—less glamorous, but with more Berlin wit. Sixteen-year-old orphan Karl Siebrecht arrives in Berlin to conquer the city. He wants to make his fortune as an independent entrepreneur. To finance himself, he initially takes on illegal jobs. This is how he gets to know Berlin's underworld, beyond Wilhelmine prudishness and Prussian efficiency.The book offers a colorful mix of twenty years of German history. Karl encounters bigwigs, politicians, corrupt police officers, small-time crooks, and prostitutes with big hearts. The reader witnesses how Karl picks himself up after every setback. He is unshakeable.