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4.29 AVERAGE
4.29 AVERAGE
Megalomania, sadism, delusion, and cold calculation. This book has been on my shelf for a few years, and I was inspired by the recent U.S. election to read it. I found it well-written, sometimes painfully thorough, and upsetting. Hitler and the Nazis used propaganda, bluff, military might, and intimidation to build a vast empire, then lost it with miscalculation and over-reach. In the process, they ended millions of lives and destroyed vast parts of the world. It's hard to believe how recently this occurred. It's also striking how different the communication was just a short time ago, and how much less efficient the military weapons. If a similar scenario were to occur today, the fighting would not last long, but the destruction would be much more far-reaching. A great read, highly recommended.
One of the most well-known histories on Nazi Germany, although there are a few facts and oversights that are disputed among historians or proven to be inaccurate since it's publication. Quite the lengthy read, as well.
I FINALLY FINISHED THIS BOOK!!!! It took me over a month, but I finally finished it! This was for the 2023 PopSugar Challenge category of "the longest book on your To Read Shelf" and it was something I've wanted to read for a while, there's just a LOT to it.
I generally don't read forwards or introductions to books, I just jump right in, which is what I did with this one, but then went back and read the intro at the end, which explained why there were somethings left out here. This was originally published in 1960 (with several updates since then) and I'm reading this in 2023 so there is a lot we've learned about since then, that the author didn't know either.
As someone who has read, watched, learned an immense amount about WWII & the nazi regime, there was not a lot of data in here that I wasn't aware of. What was interesting were his own, personal observations from actually being there in person and seeing events as they happened. It's similar to Erik Larson's In the Garden of Beast with the personal letters from the Dodd family in Berlin in the 30s.
Some personal observations...I wish this had maps in here. There were times that I had to stop and look things up because I couldn't remember where they were in relation to X or Y and maps would have helped. Several people were noted to be "man of limited intelligence" and yet that applied to SO MANY in the nazi party. The more I hear about Hitler's behavior and mood swings the more I think he was (aside from being a psychopath) he also had severe depression and was possibly bi-polor. To think, if they knew then, what we know now & he had been treated, the Holocaust would never have happened.
Unfortunately, there are a lot of observations in here that I'm also seeing in the current political climate here in the US. A couple sentences stood out to me: "...sometimes in casual conversation with a stranger, I would meet with the most outlandish assertions from seemingly educated and intelligent persons. It was obvious they were parroting some piece of nonsense they had heard or read." Social media is making this much worse and I do not understand how people cannot see the parallels between Hitler and Trump and it's the same thing (except Trump is somehow, more pathetic).
We all know that hindsight is 20/20, but it's still amazing how there are times where you can pinpoint where the future changed. I have to wonder if in 1924, if Heinrich Held had not lifted the ban on the nazi party & their newspapers, if any of this would have come about.
There's a LOT of data in here and for "non-readers" they will probably never even attempt to read it, but this is still a good account of events that occurred during the rise & fall of the third reich and if one fells up to the task, to give it a read.
I generally don't read forwards or introductions to books, I just jump right in, which is what I did with this one, but then went back and read the intro at the end, which explained why there were somethings left out here. This was originally published in 1960 (with several updates since then) and I'm reading this in 2023 so there is a lot we've learned about since then, that the author didn't know either.
As someone who has read, watched, learned an immense amount about WWII & the nazi regime, there was not a lot of data in here that I wasn't aware of. What was interesting were his own, personal observations from actually being there in person and seeing events as they happened. It's similar to Erik Larson's In the Garden of Beast with the personal letters from the Dodd family in Berlin in the 30s.
Some personal observations...I wish this had maps in here. There were times that I had to stop and look things up because I couldn't remember where they were in relation to X or Y and maps would have helped. Several people were noted to be "man of limited intelligence" and yet that applied to SO MANY in the nazi party. The more I hear about Hitler's behavior and mood swings the more I think he was (aside from being a psychopath) he also had severe depression and was possibly bi-polor. To think, if they knew then, what we know now & he had been treated, the Holocaust would never have happened.
Unfortunately, there are a lot of observations in here that I'm also seeing in the current political climate here in the US. A couple sentences stood out to me: "...sometimes in casual conversation with a stranger, I would meet with the most outlandish assertions from seemingly educated and intelligent persons. It was obvious they were parroting some piece of nonsense they had heard or read." Social media is making this much worse and I do not understand how people cannot see the parallels between Hitler and Trump and it's the same thing (except Trump is somehow, more pathetic).
We all know that hindsight is 20/20, but it's still amazing how there are times where you can pinpoint where the future changed. I have to wonder if in 1924, if Heinrich Held had not lifted the ban on the nazi party & their newspapers, if any of this would have come about.
There's a LOT of data in here and for "non-readers" they will probably never even attempt to read it, but this is still a good account of events that occurred during the rise & fall of the third reich and if one fells up to the task, to give it a read.
The book is a must-read for anyone who has an interest in World War II. The book presents a detailed account on Hitler's humble origins and rise to power, followed by the war and the dramatic downfall of Germany. The author cites plenty of journal entries, letters, and previously classified documents to tell the story in the most detailed way possible. The pacing of the book seems odd at times. The first half of the book contains an excruciating amount of details and presents the events almost day-to-day, but when it comes to the actual war it glosses over so much and focuses only on the main ones. This makes sense, since otherwise the book would be 20,000 pages long. The only thing I did not enjoy was that at times the author makes a few biased comments about some characters in an attempt to ridicule them. I feel those types of comments have no place in a history book. Overall the book is an incredible source of information, I really enjoyed reading it.
This book weighs heavy, and not just because it's over 1,000 pages (or 57 hours of Audible listening). It's hard to read a book that documents some of the most terrible things human beings have ever done to each other. So why read it? To understand how and why something like this could happen in hopes that it never happens again.
Shirer does an excellent job given the scope of what he covers in years, events, and number of people and countries involved. Despite the all these moving parts and details, he never loses the thread of the story about how someone like Hitler could ever come to power, and why he and his regime ultimately failed. For much of the time covered in the book, Shirer was in Berlin reporting for news outlets in the United States. This gives his writing the confidence and immediacy of a first hand observer.
As I listened, I was disheartened to learn that Great Britain, France and even the German generals had so many missed opportunities to stop or hinder Hitler's rise to power. But hindsight is 20/20, and perhaps it isn't fair to judge now that we know how the story went. It is also frightening to read about all of the thousands of regular people who didn't directly participate in the most vile acts of Hitler's regime, and yet, made these horrible things possible because of their silence and apathy.
Shirer does an excellent job given the scope of what he covers in years, events, and number of people and countries involved. Despite the all these moving parts and details, he never loses the thread of the story about how someone like Hitler could ever come to power, and why he and his regime ultimately failed. For much of the time covered in the book, Shirer was in Berlin reporting for news outlets in the United States. This gives his writing the confidence and immediacy of a first hand observer.
As I listened, I was disheartened to learn that Great Britain, France and even the German generals had so many missed opportunities to stop or hinder Hitler's rise to power. But hindsight is 20/20, and perhaps it isn't fair to judge now that we know how the story went. It is also frightening to read about all of the thousands of regular people who didn't directly participate in the most vile acts of Hitler's regime, and yet, made these horrible things possible because of their silence and apathy.
challenging
informative
reflective
slow-paced
A staple of a book and a must-read for anyone interested in this topic/history. Shirer does an amazing job.
Superbly researched and with valuable personal insights from the author. An incredibly detailed history of the third reich. Not easy reading but very very good.
Hitler like I’ve never seen him before.
This is a loaded text which chronicles the events and circumstances that lead to Hitler’s rise to power, subsequent downfall, and everything in between.
It is very thorough. It was interesting to learn how certain arms were twisted, namely Mussolini and Hindenburg; How many small actions (and lack of action) led to Hitler coming into power as chancellor, and with complete control of the army and state.
A lot more happening behind closed doors than we realize, a lot of shady dealings that come to light only after terrible disasters occur.
Hitler gained the upper hand by confusing people, taking advantage of the situation, and through his ability to orate, and under the guise of wanting peace Hitler prepared for war.
The failure of the British and French to act when they could to trump Hitler. Shocking to see in hindsight the opportunities that we gave up where we could have squashed Hitler and none of this would have transpired. He called our bluff and we’ve paid dearly for it.
The events that transpired which led to full on war - Hitler’s megalomania and lack of self control - like a bossy and impatient child but with more cunning.
The young Jewish boy who killed a German, leading to the night of broken glass which was one of the first signs of government sanctioned destruction of Jewish properties, places of worship, confiscation of property, forcing them to pay for the damages the Germans caused, and ultimately killing and or shipping them off to concentration camps and excluding them finally from all areas of life.
After Chamberlain and the French conceded at Munich, Hitler’s usual air of self restraint changed completely. Spinning fantastic lies and uttering dire threats - reminds me of a current president who acts similarly.
Hitler bullied Austria - bullied Czech - he knew how to play the game and make the Czech president beg Hitler for his help so he could do this under the guise of legality despite the Franco German and Munich agreements. Planned incidents to frame Czechs and Poles.
The Russian failure to side with the allies - interesting to see Stalin’s perspective and fear of facing Germany alone which in hindsight would not have happened. Germany could not fight Russia Poland France and England united. All the red tape they must go through and the countless attempts at mediation which were in vain.
Hitler would plan his discourse with Paris and Great Britain in an attempt to look as though he was offering peace and despite his lack of sticking to his word and the British finally seeing this, he was able to undermine the beliefs of the Germans by stating that they wanted war. Under the guise of wanting peace Hitler was immensely successful in disillusioning his people.
Inability to strike early and devastate the Ruhr in The heart of Germany’s industry, which would have devastated the war effort.
After Eichman in Jerusalem I had a good grasp on the extermination and forced emigration - also learned more about happenings in extermination camps and some medical testing. This book pulls everything together into a cohesive picture of the happenings leading up to and during the war. Most concise and thorough book on the topic
Almost exclusive to war topics and not much mention of the more famous accounts of the concentration and extermination camps until book 5 where you learn gruesome details of the enslavement of millions of innocent people, confinement to dog cages without access to food water proper clothing shoes and medical supplies, disease was common.
Amazing, amazing book. Highly recommend.
This is a loaded text which chronicles the events and circumstances that lead to Hitler’s rise to power, subsequent downfall, and everything in between.
It is very thorough. It was interesting to learn how certain arms were twisted, namely Mussolini and Hindenburg; How many small actions (and lack of action) led to Hitler coming into power as chancellor, and with complete control of the army and state.
A lot more happening behind closed doors than we realize, a lot of shady dealings that come to light only after terrible disasters occur.
Hitler gained the upper hand by confusing people, taking advantage of the situation, and through his ability to orate, and under the guise of wanting peace Hitler prepared for war.
The failure of the British and French to act when they could to trump Hitler. Shocking to see in hindsight the opportunities that we gave up where we could have squashed Hitler and none of this would have transpired. He called our bluff and we’ve paid dearly for it.
The events that transpired which led to full on war - Hitler’s megalomania and lack of self control - like a bossy and impatient child but with more cunning.
The young Jewish boy who killed a German, leading to the night of broken glass which was one of the first signs of government sanctioned destruction of Jewish properties, places of worship, confiscation of property, forcing them to pay for the damages the Germans caused, and ultimately killing and or shipping them off to concentration camps and excluding them finally from all areas of life.
After Chamberlain and the French conceded at Munich, Hitler’s usual air of self restraint changed completely. Spinning fantastic lies and uttering dire threats - reminds me of a current president who acts similarly.
Hitler bullied Austria - bullied Czech - he knew how to play the game and make the Czech president beg Hitler for his help so he could do this under the guise of legality despite the Franco German and Munich agreements. Planned incidents to frame Czechs and Poles.
The Russian failure to side with the allies - interesting to see Stalin’s perspective and fear of facing Germany alone which in hindsight would not have happened. Germany could not fight Russia Poland France and England united. All the red tape they must go through and the countless attempts at mediation which were in vain.
Hitler would plan his discourse with Paris and Great Britain in an attempt to look as though he was offering peace and despite his lack of sticking to his word and the British finally seeing this, he was able to undermine the beliefs of the Germans by stating that they wanted war. Under the guise of wanting peace Hitler was immensely successful in disillusioning his people.
Inability to strike early and devastate the Ruhr in The heart of Germany’s industry, which would have devastated the war effort.
After Eichman in Jerusalem I had a good grasp on the extermination and forced emigration - also learned more about happenings in extermination camps and some medical testing. This book pulls everything together into a cohesive picture of the happenings leading up to and during the war. Most concise and thorough book on the topic
Almost exclusive to war topics and not much mention of the more famous accounts of the concentration and extermination camps until book 5 where you learn gruesome details of the enslavement of millions of innocent people, confinement to dog cages without access to food water proper clothing shoes and medical supplies, disease was common.
Amazing, amazing book. Highly recommend.
I read this book over the course of a month or so this winter. It is one of those books I always wanted to read in my lifetime and I'm very glad I followed through with it. Despite being several decades old, this book remains incredibly relevant and only minimally outdated. After the section detailing the rise of the Nazis to power, the book focused primarily on Germany's military history. I think several hundred more pages could have been dedicated to Nazi Germany's internal affairs and its treatment of the Jewish people but know that all of that information was probably not available at the time of publishing.