A review by dclark32
The Last Days of Hitler by Hugh R. Trevor-Roper

5.0

The extraordinarily high quality of this book reflects the convergence of many factors: a fascinating subject matter, careful and erudite scholarship, efficient but elegant prose, and a delightfully acerbic wit. The result of an Allied investigation into whether Hitler was, in fact, dead, the book transcends this original purpose to become a portrait of the personalities of the Nazi leadership as it went into terminal decline. A footnote, describing Rudolph Hess' mission to Scotland as being "purely lunatic", could speak for the entire malevolent ensemble. The delusions of many of the key figures are astonishing; Heinrich Himmler, in particular, appears so pathetic that he is very nearly turned into a comic figure. This is a delight, and a great work of history to boot. I suspect it would appeal even to those lay readers who otherwise eschew the field.

5 perfect stars