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dtab62's review against another edition
4.0
There are several good books about the death of Adolf Hitler. The most definitive remains Hugh Trevor-Roper's "The Last Days of Hitler". The Death of Hitler: The Final Word is a worthy update to Trevor-Roper's work.
When Trevor-Roper was assigned to find out what happened to Hitler, he didn't have much to work with. On the one hand, the event was recent, but on the other, the best sources were in Russian custody so he his only eyewitnesses were those who were captured by the western Allies.
The Russians kept a tight lid on their evidence and transcripts for seven decades. In 2016, a pair of documentary film makers approached the Russian government about studying their archives, and were given limited access. This book is as much about the Russian investigation and handling of archival materials as it is about the actual death of Hitler. We learn that the Russians in charge of the investigation were as driven by what they thought Stalin wanted to hear as much as they were by the evidence and testimony.
Which is fine, it's a fascinating story. And there are some aspects of the story that they legitimately update. The most famous relic in the "A.H." file, the skull fragment discovered in the 1990s, remains somewhat a mystery because the team was not permitted to analyze it, only look at and photograph it. But the teeth purported to be Hitler's were studied more in depth (it would be easy to give away spoilers, here, but I'll refrain) and proven to be his.
This wouldn't be the place to start for someone looking to learn about the demise of Hitler. I'd recommend beginning with Trevor-Roper's book, or perhaps James P. O'Donnell's "The Bunker." But The Death Of Hitler: The Final Word has earned a place towards the top of the literature on the subject.
This might not be the first book I'd recommend to someone looking to learn about Hitler's demise, but I'd still recommend it.
When Trevor-Roper was assigned to find out what happened to Hitler, he didn't have much to work with. On the one hand, the event was recent, but on the other, the best sources were in Russian custody so he his only eyewitnesses were those who were captured by the western Allies.
The Russians kept a tight lid on their evidence and transcripts for seven decades. In 2016, a pair of documentary film makers approached the Russian government about studying their archives, and were given limited access. This book is as much about the Russian investigation and handling of archival materials as it is about the actual death of Hitler. We learn that the Russians in charge of the investigation were as driven by what they thought Stalin wanted to hear as much as they were by the evidence and testimony.
Which is fine, it's a fascinating story. And there are some aspects of the story that they legitimately update. The most famous relic in the "A.H." file, the skull fragment discovered in the 1990s, remains somewhat a mystery because the team was not permitted to analyze it, only look at and photograph it. But the teeth purported to be Hitler's were studied more in depth (it would be easy to give away spoilers, here, but I'll refrain) and proven to be his.
This wouldn't be the place to start for someone looking to learn about the demise of Hitler. I'd recommend beginning with Trevor-Roper's book, or perhaps James P. O'Donnell's "The Bunker." But The Death Of Hitler: The Final Word has earned a place towards the top of the literature on the subject.
This might not be the first book I'd recommend to someone looking to learn about Hitler's demise, but I'd still recommend it.
lennyhead's review against another edition
dark
informative
slow-paced
3.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicide
epictetsocrate's review against another edition
3.0
Ajunşi în sala cu masa dreptunghiulară, Dina ia loc şi ne pofteşte să facem şi noi la fel. Nikolai îşi parchează căruţul într‑un colţ şi extrage din el nişte dosare uzate şi o pânză de bumbac groasă. Scena se derulează fără cuvinte. Dina îi călăuzeşte mâna tovarăşului ei şi‑i indică unde să pună tot mormanul: dosarele la capătul mesei, pânza uzată drept în faţa noastră. „Asta‑i… Tot ce am găsit se află aici.” În chiar clipa când Dina ne punea la curent, colegul ei desfăcea pânza cu un gest amplu şi graţios şi dezvelea… nişte picioare de masă. „Apropiaţi‑vă. Aveţi dreptul.” Nikolai şi‑a regăsit darul vorbirii şi se arată aproape limbut: „Iată cealaltă dovadă a morţii sigure a lui Adolf Hitler, iată urmele lui de sânge pe structurile de lemn ale divanului său”. Structurile de lemn ale divanului lui Hitler dând la iveală nişte scurgeri negricioase. Să fie oare de la sângele lui Hitler?
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