Scan barcode
aislingoh's review against another edition
2.0
I just don’t think anyone is really that naive, really this bordering on the very stupid I don’t care how young you were. Do you really want to read a book written by a stupid person? I think I would have more respect for her if she was a raging anti Semite then this laughable self serving account. I am reminded of the part in Downfall when Hitler is making his last will and she seems terribly surprised by his anti Semitism. Didn’t know what was going on around you, really?
I found it boring and self serving so much so that some of it was bordering on the humorous, I think this must have been written in a time when there was some credibility for the “oh it was all a big secret, we never knew what was going on” story of German history, this has been widely discredited years ago.
You could also forgive this element of the book if it was remotely interesting but its not. It contains boring details of Hitler’s life with very little new details added. Reads like somebody cashing in on a connection they had rather then any real insight.
I found it boring and self serving so much so that some of it was bordering on the humorous, I think this must have been written in a time when there was some credibility for the “oh it was all a big secret, we never knew what was going on” story of German history, this has been widely discredited years ago.
You could also forgive this element of the book if it was remotely interesting but its not. It contains boring details of Hitler’s life with very little new details added. Reads like somebody cashing in on a connection they had rather then any real insight.
komet2020's review against another edition
4.0
I first became aware of Traudl Junge through the TV series "The World at War" during the 1970s. She spoke of her time with Hitler in the Fuehrerbunker in Berlin during the final days of the war. What she said in those interviews conveyed to me a heightened atmosphere that was surreal and veering on ghoulishness.
Several years later, I had the chance to see the German film, "The Bunker", which brought Frau Junge back to mind. So, when I learned that she had written a book about her time as one of Hitler's secretaries, I bought it and found it an interesting book. For anyone with an interest in the history of life in Germany during the Third Reich, this is the book to read.
Several years later, I had the chance to see the German film, "The Bunker", which brought Frau Junge back to mind. So, when I learned that she had written a book about her time as one of Hitler's secretaries, I bought it and found it an interesting book. For anyone with an interest in the history of life in Germany during the Third Reich, this is the book to read.
mandijoz16's review
I am just not in the mood for this right now. I tried, but couldn't get going on it. I have too many others on my list that I am dying to read. I'm sure I will come back to it when I get tired of fiction again.
whatsnonfiction's review
2.0
The second half is significantly more interesting than the first, which mainly consists of her descriptions of the rooms and furniture in various buildings she lived and worked in for Hitler. She comes off as being very removed, frequently saying things like "He called me into his office to dictate something, I can't remember what it was." So basically this job is exactly like every other job anyone has ever had? Maybe that's what she's trying to demonstrate; how mundane and routine the goings-on were. It just kind of came off as distracting and unrelated to the narrative. The portion of the book describing the actual final days is far more intense and meaningful, although she continues to gloss over major emotional details in favor of descriptions of decor. The movie that was somehow based on this book, Der Untergang, is an incredible film, and a better way to spend your time if you're interested in the subject, I think.
More...