I’ve been reading up on him through Wikipedia but I’d really like a legitimate biographical book.
I’d prefer if it were in English but German would work too, especially since I’m already trying to learn German (an interesting book in the language would really help; I also don’t want the first book I read in German to be Harry Potter lol...)
Thanks.
One of the best biographies about Bismarck is Bismarck: A Life by Jonathan Steinberg. It's good overall, but he talks a bit about continuities and Bismarck's relation to the rise of Nazism. These sections are very questionable so take them with a pinch of salt. In terms of a biography in German you might be best off starting with Harry Potter. History books, especially ones written for an academic audience, will probably have specialist vocabulary and structures which you might not be familiar with and would make it very difficult to understand and enjoy the book fully.