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4.29 AVERAGE
4.29 AVERAGE
dark
informative
slow-paced
adventurous
emotional
informative
reflective
slow-paced
Holy crap that was amazing. I mean, I knew how it was gonna end, I already knew quite a few details and names, having read a bit already about WWII, but this was a crazy-ass soap opera I couldn't put down. Goodreads tell me I made 505 highlights. I showed some restraint because I wanted to highlight the whole book! 1600 pages of wild, insane, heart-breaking, shocking drama.
This book is a bit different from other WWII histories in that the author was in Germany as a journalist during the rise of Hitler and at the beginning of the war, so every now and then he would insert his own personal observations, like "I remember this speech of Hitler's" or "the atmosphere in Berlin that day was jubilant." I liked it because it made me feel more present in the events. It wasn't just a dry history with facts, the language was more personal and opinionated in places.
Wholeheartedly recommend if you're looking for a big project!
This book is a bit different from other WWII histories in that the author was in Germany as a journalist during the rise of Hitler and at the beginning of the war, so every now and then he would insert his own personal observations, like "I remember this speech of Hitler's" or "the atmosphere in Berlin that day was jubilant." I liked it because it made me feel more present in the events. It wasn't just a dry history with facts, the language was more personal and opinionated in places.
Wholeheartedly recommend if you're looking for a big project!
Totally worth the length of the book (or audiobook, in my case). There's much detail pulled from recovered Nazi documents, really providing insight into how they came to be in power. There was only one part that I thought it got a bit dry when ambassadors were going back and forth right before the war began. Other than that, the story moved forward very well. I would recommend this to anyone with a passing interest in WWII. I'm no history buff and found it fascinating.
So, I finally finished The Rise And Fall Of The Third Reich! After almost 7 months...I managed to get through, and I have never been more relieved to finish a book.
Here's the thing: I don't feel completely confident in my ability to review this book, because it's taken me so long to finish, and at this point...well...everything is floating around my brain..somewhere...
I mean, if I ever read or see anything involving Nazi Germany, and things seem vaguely familiar, it's probably because of this book! Here is what stuck out to me, though.
One: I think I vaguely knew that the Nazi's kept crazy meticulous records, but it wasn't until I listened to this book that I realized how detailed their records and documents were. I mean, seriously. I'm impressed by the amount of time Shirer spent looking through so many of these records.
Two: While I couldn't tell you specific things about what happened, I can tell you that it was really easy to see how Hitler came into power, and how he managed to take over Germany. He just happened to come along at the right time...as weird as that may seem, that's my recollection.
Three: Shirer was in Germany, working as a journalist during the 1930's, and he has a really interesting perspective. I do remember that he does distinguish between his personal experiences, and the documents he looked at, so he does admit to his own biases.
Four: This book was surprisingly easy to listen to, and while there's a lot of detail- I mean, it is 57 hours, after all- it's really readable. Still, I found that I could only listen to it for 30 minutes to an hour at any given time. If I could go back re-read it, I think I'd go with the print version, because it's a lot to take in and remember. It's detailed while not being boring or tedious. And Grover Gardner did really well as a narrator. I would definitely listen to other books he's narrated, because he just has a voice for non-fiction and history.
Final Thoughts: I really liked The Rise And Fall Of The Third Reich. Well, as much as one can like a book about Nazi Germany, and how they came into power. It's a great book if you want to know more about the Nazi's and the political decisions Hitler made. It's easy to read, which is sort of impressive, given that there's a lot of information to take in. I am wishing I had gone with the print version instead of the audiobook, but either way, it's definitely worth reading. The Rise And Fall Of The Third Reich gets 4 stars.
Here's the thing: I don't feel completely confident in my ability to review this book, because it's taken me so long to finish, and at this point...well...everything is floating around my brain..somewhere...
I mean, if I ever read or see anything involving Nazi Germany, and things seem vaguely familiar, it's probably because of this book! Here is what stuck out to me, though.
One: I think I vaguely knew that the Nazi's kept crazy meticulous records, but it wasn't until I listened to this book that I realized how detailed their records and documents were. I mean, seriously. I'm impressed by the amount of time Shirer spent looking through so many of these records.
Two: While I couldn't tell you specific things about what happened, I can tell you that it was really easy to see how Hitler came into power, and how he managed to take over Germany. He just happened to come along at the right time...as weird as that may seem, that's my recollection.
Three: Shirer was in Germany, working as a journalist during the 1930's, and he has a really interesting perspective. I do remember that he does distinguish between his personal experiences, and the documents he looked at, so he does admit to his own biases.
Four: This book was surprisingly easy to listen to, and while there's a lot of detail- I mean, it is 57 hours, after all- it's really readable. Still, I found that I could only listen to it for 30 minutes to an hour at any given time. If I could go back re-read it, I think I'd go with the print version, because it's a lot to take in and remember. It's detailed while not being boring or tedious. And Grover Gardner did really well as a narrator. I would definitely listen to other books he's narrated, because he just has a voice for non-fiction and history.
Final Thoughts: I really liked The Rise And Fall Of The Third Reich. Well, as much as one can like a book about Nazi Germany, and how they came into power. It's a great book if you want to know more about the Nazi's and the political decisions Hitler made. It's easy to read, which is sort of impressive, given that there's a lot of information to take in. I am wishing I had gone with the print version instead of the audiobook, but either way, it's definitely worth reading. The Rise And Fall Of The Third Reich gets 4 stars.
This was the "text" for a seminar in Nazi Germany course that I took in college. Intriguing book, obviously a disturbing topic and a haard class to get through, but I'm very glad I took it.
I read this as a 17-year old, and found it dense, though at times fascinating.
I should give it another go.
I should give it another go.
challenging
dark
informative
sad
medium-paced
dark
informative
sad
slow-paced
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced