The book by Friedhelm Reis takes visitors to Berlin, as well as long-time Berlin residents, on a discovery tour through Prussian and Berlin history. The author allows us to experience 800 years of past events through buildings and streets, churches and monuments, people and their stories. We witness history through images, stories, and anecdotes. We marvel at the growth of the city of Berlin through representations from the years 1250, 1560, 1688, and 1880. We learn about the lives of ordinary and significant people from that time. The author sifted through countless old books, chronicles, and documents to compile what is interesting and noteworthy, bringing us closer to the development of this great city. We are treated to a veritable fireworks display of historical documents of various kinds and images of influential personalities.