Hubert Faustmann enjoys giving books, but only to friends and family who share his passion for reading. This festive season, the book he would offer is Christopher Clark’s The Sleepwalkers: How Europe Went to War in 1914. “Its account of how polarised societies, nationalism, and inept, reckless leaders drew the world into its largest conflict to that date, despite none of them truly wanting war, feels alarmingly relevant to the times we live in. It is a book I would give to any friend interested in politics or history,” he says.
He says he has many favoutite books. "One hidden treasure I recently revisited is Stefan Zweig’s biography of Joseph Fouché, one of history’s most ruthless yet ingenious political opportunists. Zweig’s brilliant portrayal of Fouché’s repeated changes of allegiance during the French Revolution keeps the book high on my list of favorites".
For his 60th birthday in September, Hubert Faustman received many books as gifts. "One that perfectly matches my passion for music is Robert Dimery’s 1001 Songs You Must Hear Before You Die, a celebration of some of the greatest tracks in music history".
Professor Faustmann obtained his PhD in History from the University of Mannheim in 1999. Since May 2011, he has led a small team at the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung Cyprus office, organising seminars and workshops, supervising expert reports, and exploring various aspects of Cypriot history and politics.