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4.29 AVERAGE
4.29 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
informative
slow-paced
What a monumental undertaking this book must have been. From one who was there to see the beginning, causes and effects, and the end , this recounting holds up extremely well. Not always totally politically correct in today's world, nonetheless it leaves one with a very large and clear picture of this ugly and yet fascinating period. A 5 star book.
Worth knowing that the author is homophobic and and not only states vile, bigoted nonsense but also rewrites history when it comes to LGBT issues and the Nazis. Given that this is a history book, you should know in advance that the author omits important events and writes in such a way that when it comes to LGBT people and the Nazis you will come away with almost the exact opposite of historical truth.
challenging
dark
informative
slow-paced
Very informative piece of work and I appreciate the unique perspective provided by someone who experienced the Third Reich firsthand. It took a while to get through obviously, especially the chapter detailing various war crimes, but was ultimately worth the time to learn more about this period in history. There were a lot of smaller details and political manuverings during WWII that I learned from this book.
My primary criticism is that it seems clear that the author tends to lean towards painting Germans as uniquely suspectible or special in the way they fell into totalitarianism. This reading of the text feels even more clear in the afterword written in 1990 as the author reflects on the upcoming reunification of Germany. Despite this, the book overall feels grounded in historical fact (clear sources) and I would recommend if you've got the time.
My primary criticism is that it seems clear that the author tends to lean towards painting Germans as uniquely suspectible or special in the way they fell into totalitarianism. This reading of the text feels even more clear in the afterword written in 1990 as the author reflects on the upcoming reunification of Germany. Despite this, the book overall feels grounded in historical fact (clear sources) and I would recommend if you've got the time.
challenging
dark
informative
reflective
tense
slow-paced
dark
informative
medium-paced
dark
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
unbelievable feat of documentation and you can tell the era in which it was written for sure, all i have to say is i am grateful for the opportunity to be educating myself and fearful for the future, thank you to this audiobook for helping me get through this tome, this method of learning history is so much more enjoyable to me
A very detailed book about the Third Reich. I love that everything in it is factual and backed up by sources. Mr. Shirer must have gone through thousands of diaries to come up with so much information to really tell Hitlers story. I was impressed by all the research that must have gone into writing this magnificent work of history. I listened to the audiobook (60 hours) and was sad when it was over, as I was enthralled by the way he made history truly come alive for me. I was born and raised in Europe and so knew a lot about Hitler and World War II, but apparently there is a lot more out there that I need to read. This book is a must for everyone to read in their lifetime. We have forgotten how easy it is for a dictator to come to power and do so much damage. Remembrance of the past helps us understand the present.
Still the definitive story of 1933-1945 in Europe, based on original sources (private and official documents from German citizens and Nazi and Italian leaders) and the author's own eyewitness account as a journalist and war correspondent.
Thorough and well-written, Shirer keeps a readable pace with enough nuance to allow complicated events and gruesome details to sink in.
If there is a weakness, it is Shirer's propagation of the caricature of the German people as a proud, militaristic, nationalistic group who were low-hanging fruit for a megalomaniacal Hitler. This is a persistent feature in so much interpretation of the time period, but it glosses over the global tendency to place our hope in human leadership to give us power and secure our wealth and peace. Weimar Germany provided a perfect incubator for this, it is true, but at least one enduring lesson of the Third Reich is the danger of placing such unalloyed trust in a man or his government. The führerprinzip is a temptation such as is common to man, and we would be fools to think it died with Hitler in 1945.
Thorough and well-written, Shirer keeps a readable pace with enough nuance to allow complicated events and gruesome details to sink in.
If there is a weakness, it is Shirer's propagation of the caricature of the German people as a proud, militaristic, nationalistic group who were low-hanging fruit for a megalomaniacal Hitler. This is a persistent feature in so much interpretation of the time period, but it glosses over the global tendency to place our hope in human leadership to give us power and secure our wealth and peace. Weimar Germany provided a perfect incubator for this, it is true, but at least one enduring lesson of the Third Reich is the danger of placing such unalloyed trust in a man or his government. The führerprinzip is a temptation such as is common to man, and we would be fools to think it died with Hitler in 1945.