4.0
challenging dark informative slow-paced

Very informative piece of work and I appreciate the unique perspective provided by someone who experienced the Third Reich firsthand. It took a while to get through obviously, especially the chapter detailing various war crimes, but was ultimately worth the time to learn more about this period in history. There were a lot of smaller details and political manuverings during WWII that I learned from this book. 

My primary criticism is that it seems clear that the author tends to lean towards painting Germans as uniquely suspectible or special in the way they fell into totalitarianism. This reading of the text feels even more clear in the afterword written in 1990 as the author reflects on the upcoming reunification of Germany. Despite this, the book overall feels grounded in historical fact (clear sources) and I would recommend if you've got the time.