Reviews - The Last Days of Hitler

What really happened in the last week or so in the Führerbunker ?

Between the double crosses of Soviet Archives holding Hitler's remains, Bormann's disappearance (which we can write off as: made his acquaintance with shellfire) & the final words of his last bodyguard & several secretaries, some clarity has been added since '47.

Still, the big picture remains unchanged. The fun in Trevor's classic account is the then-fresh hunt, crisscrossing the former territory of Greater Germany by jeep, for survivors in hiding and their characteristic blend of amnesia.

cami19's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark informative medium-paced

4.0

dclark32's review

Go to review page

5.0

The extraordinarily high quality of this book reflects the convergence of many factors: a fascinating subject matter, careful and erudite scholarship, efficient but elegant prose, and a delightfully acerbic wit. The result of an Allied investigation into whether Hitler was, in fact, dead, the book transcends this original purpose to become a portrait of the personalities of the Nazi leadership as it went into terminal decline. A footnote, describing Rudolph Hess' mission to Scotland as being "purely lunatic", could speak for the entire malevolent ensemble. The delusions of many of the key figures are astonishing; Heinrich Himmler, in particular, appears so pathetic that he is very nearly turned into a comic figure. This is a delight, and a great work of history to boot. I suspect it would appeal even to those lay readers who otherwise eschew the field.

5 perfect stars