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zare_i's review
5.0
Book consists of prologue and two story lanes that intertwine at some points but in general flow in parallel. In prologue we learn how Nazi historical documentary materiel got lost during the Nuremberg Trials and ended up in private collection for almost 70 years. This gives us setup and what is actually found during the final years of WW2 up to Nuremberg trials.
From that point we are introduced to notorious Estonian, Alfred Rosenberg, his rise through Nazi party hierarchy, friendship and worship of Hitler and we can see how Rosenberg ultimately became de facto main ideologist and soul leader of the Nazi party. We follow his never-ending bickering feuds with other Nazi top leaders and finally we witness his execution after he was sentenced to death by Allied Forces war crimes court.
On the other hand we follow Robert Kampmann, former German police officer who found himself hunted down by Nazi regime in late 1930s because of his Jewish ancestry. Hunted by his former colleagues he finally found his way to America in early 1940s from where he returned to Germany in order to sanction and prosecute the Nazis. He was not without quirks of his own and descriptions of his life before emigration to America make a very interesting read indeed.
One of the reviewers noted that title had nothing to do with actual story told.
That is not true. Diary in question is Rosenberg's private diary that would be of little (if any) value to a [general] reader without the actual context (bickering between these monstrous characters is just not enough to understand the actual depths of ... evil is best fitting word here). And majority of the book is exactly that - giving context to entries from the diary that are mentioned in detail.
Highly recommended to everyone interested in the darkest period of human history.
From that point we are introduced to notorious Estonian, Alfred Rosenberg, his rise through Nazi party hierarchy, friendship and worship of Hitler and we can see how Rosenberg ultimately became de facto main ideologist and soul leader of the Nazi party. We follow his never-ending bickering feuds with other Nazi top leaders and finally we witness his execution after he was sentenced to death by Allied Forces war crimes court.
On the other hand we follow Robert Kampmann, former German police officer who found himself hunted down by Nazi regime in late 1930s because of his Jewish ancestry. Hunted by his former colleagues he finally found his way to America in early 1940s from where he returned to Germany in order to sanction and prosecute the Nazis. He was not without quirks of his own and descriptions of his life before emigration to America make a very interesting read indeed.
One of the reviewers noted that title had nothing to do with actual story told.
That is not true. Diary in question is Rosenberg's private diary that would be of little (if any) value to a [general] reader without the actual context (bickering between these monstrous characters is just not enough to understand the actual depths of ... evil is best fitting word here). And majority of the book is exactly that - giving context to entries from the diary that are mentioned in detail.
Highly recommended to everyone interested in the darkest period of human history.
bkish's review against another edition
5.0
I have read much about Nazi Germany and it is a specialty for me first as a Jew second as a person concerned about the human condition. With each of these books (last read was KL history of the concentration camps) I learn about another dimension of this era and those people. The thirst for power and the depravity and the lack of conscience and boundaries. someone should write about the Nazi women as most of what I read is on the male supremacy ideal.
What I noted with this book was the reason for its existence (Nazi existence) was a world of the Aryan race pure and unaffected by any others. Their plan was to destroy everyone and everything that didnt fit into that mad view.
Rosenberg was considered by Hitler as the idealogue and he absolutely hated the jewish people and that was in agreement with Hitler while he helped to build that as their platform with everything coming from that and therefore the plans to solve the "jewish question" by killing us all. In this book the authors include parts of the Rosenberg Diary which was only recently discovered. So the book is about Rosenberg as it is about the Nazi segment of world history and the other criminal Nazis. It is also about Robert Kempner who got hold of the Diary and tried to keep it and maybe he sold it.
It is a rich book...
What I noted with this book was the reason for its existence (Nazi existence) was a world of the Aryan race pure and unaffected by any others. Their plan was to destroy everyone and everything that didnt fit into that mad view.
Rosenberg was considered by Hitler as the idealogue and he absolutely hated the jewish people and that was in agreement with Hitler while he helped to build that as their platform with everything coming from that and therefore the plans to solve the "jewish question" by killing us all. In this book the authors include parts of the Rosenberg Diary which was only recently discovered. So the book is about Rosenberg as it is about the Nazi segment of world history and the other criminal Nazis. It is also about Robert Kempner who got hold of the Diary and tried to keep it and maybe he sold it.
It is a rich book...
cmd_731's review against another edition
3.0
I knew very little of the politics and facts of Hitler's rise to power. The background was mind boggling. I learned more from this one book than many years of school history classes.
The book should be rated higher than 3 stars, but I can't give the Nazis the glory of a 4 or 5 star rating as so much of this book is about their theories and ideas.
The book should be rated higher than 3 stars, but I can't give the Nazis the glory of a 4 or 5 star rating as so much of this book is about their theories and ideas.
kikuhiko's review against another edition
4.0
« Que quatre grandes nations, ivres de leur victoire et piquées par leurs blessures décident de calmer la main de la vengeance et de soumettre volontairement leurs ennemis prisonniers au jugement de la loi est l'un des hommages les plus importants que le pouvoir ait jamais rendu à la raison. »
L'incroyable récit d'une idéologie meurtrière ayant réussi à s'emparer du pouvoir, vue à travers le prisme des pages du journal de Rosenberg. Non, ce n'est pas une retranscription de son journal, mais un récit qui nous le narre tout en le citant à plusieurs reprises.
L'apparition du nazisme, son avènement au pouvoir et, surtout, les crimes de guerres qui ont menés au très célèbre procès de Nuremberg. J'ai trouvé la plume juste et simple, à la portée de tous, tout en relayant les faits le plus précisément possible. Un livre à lire pour mieux saisir l'histoire dans sa généralité.
lpg's review against another edition
challenging
dark
informative
slow-paced
4.75
For those now generations removed from the events preceeding and during WWII, almost a must read. It's a fascinating and informative study of one of the lesser mentioned, yet central, characters behind the rise and rule of the Nazi Party in Germany. Alfred Rosenberg was the leading theorist and ideoligist of the Nazi Party, and through his writings and speeches laid most of the foundation for the "Final Solution".
The authors also provide a detailed examination of the life of Joseph Kemper, the German-born member of the American prosecution team. His story is seldom shared, but, deserves the care and attention found in the book.
The authors also provide a detailed examination of the life of Joseph Kemper, the German-born member of the American prosecution team. His story is seldom shared, but, deserves the care and attention found in the book.
At times, there is an over-abundance of personal details given, and the juxtaposition of the lives of Rosenberg and Kemper can be a bit confusing at times, especially in the early part of the book. Fortunately, the foundation laid there does pay big dividends for the rest of the book. Patience and perseverance at the start is rewarded as the book progresses.
Both individuals, along with any other figures mentioned in detail, are presented "warts and all". I found the presentation of the pettiness and flaws, along with the strengths and gifts, of the individuals makes the events, and the era, even more horrific, and believable.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Antisemitism, Genocide, Forced institutionalization, Racism, and Racial slurs
apattonbooks's review against another edition
2.0
In his last book Robert Wittman produced an amazing page turner and I was super looking forward to his new book. However once the first section of the book is done telling the interesting tale of how the US Holocaust Museum tracked down a legendary diary of the 'intellectual' leader of the Nazi party the book kinda falls into a typical retelling of the war. This could be due to me reading so much on the subject but it does not bring much new to the tale.
As for Alfred Rosenberg he is yet another simpleton with a world view that is so out of time that it remains amazing to me that the Nazis were able to come to power in the first place.
As for Alfred Rosenberg he is yet another simpleton with a world view that is so out of time that it remains amazing to me that the Nazis were able to come to power in the first place.
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