You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
storyscribe 's review for:
The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich: A History of Nazi Germany
by William L. Shirer
Excellent history and overview of the Third Reich that leaves you wanting to read more about some of the other players (Eisenhower, Stalin, Roosevelt etc). The book starts mainly with Adolf Hitler immediately after the end of World War 1 and ends In May 1945 with the official end of the war. The Nuremberg trials are mentioned frequently but often to give evidence to events as they are happening as part of the story. Very well researched relying mainly on first person accounts and details from captured Nazi documents. Shirer does his best to include context of what people outside of Germany are doing (France, England, Poland Etc). However, compared to the depth of the Nazi regime it occasionally leaves you wanting more information about these "side" characters. Shirer is clear when he is injecting is opinion versus stating fact.
It is very long but that doesn't mean it isn't readable, the exact opposite. It's easy to read for an hour or 2 and put it down and pick it back up. The history is presented in a way that constructs a grand narrative. At times feeling more like reading a tragedy or dark comedy (The Nazi leaders are not the brightest bulbs and make sometimes comically bad errors and deal with them in comically bad ways). When you finish the book you will certainly have learned some things you didn't know about the war and the third Reich.
You should be warned, that the chapter about the holocaust doesn't hold any punches. Excerpts from the Nuremberg trials, surviors, witnesses and the Nazi's own documents are frequently quoted. They describe events that will leave the reader deeply disturbed. There is no doubt the the average German know what was happening and that everyone from the ground up knew how morally repugnant their actions were. They somehow held contradictions of seeing Jews as less than people but acknowledged and tried to limit the emotional toll mass execution took on the executioners. Why would there be such a toll if they were not killing human beings?
Only removing a star for how long it was. It seemed like there were some events (the July 20th plot, some pre war events & German politics) that could have been condensed.
Would highly recommend to anyone with even a mild interest in World War 2.
It is very long but that doesn't mean it isn't readable, the exact opposite. It's easy to read for an hour or 2 and put it down and pick it back up. The history is presented in a way that constructs a grand narrative. At times feeling more like reading a tragedy or dark comedy (The Nazi leaders are not the brightest bulbs and make sometimes comically bad errors and deal with them in comically bad ways). When you finish the book you will certainly have learned some things you didn't know about the war and the third Reich.
You should be warned, that the chapter about the holocaust doesn't hold any punches. Excerpts from the Nuremberg trials, surviors, witnesses and the Nazi's own documents are frequently quoted. They describe events that will leave the reader deeply disturbed. There is no doubt the the average German know what was happening and that everyone from the ground up knew how morally repugnant their actions were. They somehow held contradictions of seeing Jews as less than people but acknowledged and tried to limit the emotional toll mass execution took on the executioners. Why would there be such a toll if they were not killing human beings?
Only removing a star for how long it was. It seemed like there were some events (the July 20th plot, some pre war events & German politics) that could have been condensed.
Would highly recommend to anyone with even a mild interest in World War 2.