Review
Bolchazy-Carducci Publishers has now finished a one-volume English abridged edition of the four-volume set of their English translation [Hitler Speeches and Proclamations 1932-1945: The Chronicle of a Dictatorship]. Chapters are organized topically, each with a particular focus relating to an important aspect of Hitler public life and role as the Fuhrer of Nazi Germany. The result is a volume of general interest that should find a prominent place on the reference shelf of any student or specialist interested in any phase of the life and career of the most complex, destructive, and central historic figure of the twentieth century. --Charles W. Sydnor, Jr., Emory & Henry College, former president, Commonwealth Public Broadcasting Corporation
Compelling Read Recommended 4 stars
'Essential Hitler The Speeches and Commentary' is both a reference book and a persuasive non fiction read. This abridgement work shrinks a four volume set into a single 800+ page work suitable for home and high school and college student use. The edition is chronological and historical along with being filled with maps and illustrations. Comprised of fifteen chapters, an epilogue, glossary, list of dates important to Hitler's life, maps, a chronological index of speeches and events and subject index 'Essential Hitler The Speeches and Commentary' is a highly usable text for the casual reader as well as the serious student of Hitler. Hitler's beliefs, how he governed, his party and his regard for 'the Jewish Question' are all included in the volume.
The religious community and Hitler as well as how Hitler was able to put Germany back to work following the defeat of World War I help provide younger readers in particular with insight into the forces shaping Hitler and his thinking. Life in Germany before and after he became the Supreme Commander bring the reader into a further understanding of this complex man and the time in which he lived. Hitler's confronting America, fighting World War II, expanding the Reich along with the press view of Hitler round out the work.
As a reference work for the high school and college political science, history or similar class 'Essential Hitler The Speeches and Commentary' will prove valuable. Chapters focus upon important aspects of Hitler as leader of Nazi Germany, and as a person. Hitler was one of the most multifaceted historical players of modern times. He was at times gentle and at others destructive, 'Essential Hitler The Speeches and Commentary' help the reader put both aspects in perspective. His hurt at not being accepted for his artistic ability as well as his deep love for his mother have been chronicled as motivating factors in his life.
Reading Hitler's own words to his people and the world at large regarding his viewpoint, objectives and thoughts is chilling and compelling.
Writer Domarus began collecting Hitler's speeches and writings in 1932. He was a history scholar born in Germany in 1911 who saw first hand what was happening in his country. Early on Domarus realized the significance of Hitler's rise to power. Hitler was obsessive in his belief that Germany must be avenged for the humiliation it suffered at the close of WWI. Facts were something to manipulate, blame must be leveled and the people must agree were all tenets of the Hitler doctrine. That Hitler dominated everyone around him to the point that his own generals rarely spoke against him even near the end of WWII has been documented time and time again. That the German people did not question his leadership has been the subject of studies from the 1940s to today.
Writer Domarus offers a study of Hitler in clear and readable prose. The speeches chronicle Hitler's thinking, intentions and desires. They bring in perspective what the general public was hearing from the man who history records as an iron fisted dictator. --Peter Black, senior historian of the Holocaust Museum, as quoted in the Chicago Tribune, August 4, 2005
Compelling Read Recommended 4 stars
'Essential Hitler The Speeches and Commentary' is both a reference book and a persuasive non fiction read. This abridgement work shrinks a four volume set into a single 800+ page work suitable for home and high school and college student use. The edition is chronological and historical along with being filled with maps and illustrations. Comprised of fifteen chapters, an epilogue, glossary, list of dates important to Hitler's life, maps, a chronological index of speeches and events and subject index 'Essential Hitler The Speeches and Commentary' is a highly usable text for the casual reader as well as the serious student of Hitler. Hitler's beliefs, how he governed, his party and his regard for 'the Jewish Question' are all included in the volume.
The religious community and Hitler as well as how Hitler was able to put Germany back to work following the defeat of World War I help provide younger readers in particular with insight into the forces shaping Hitler and his thinking. Life in Germany before and after he became the Supreme Commander bring the reader into a further understanding of this complex man and the time in which he lived. Hitler's confronting America, fighting World War II, expanding the Reich along with the press view of Hitler round out the work.
As a reference work for the high school and college political science, history or similar class 'Essential Hitler The Speeches and Commentary' will prove valuable. Chapters focus upon important aspects of Hitler as leader of Nazi Germany, and as a person. Hitler was one of the most multifaceted historical players of modern times. He was at times gentle and at others destructive, 'Essential Hitler The Speeches and Commentary' help the reader put both aspects in perspective. His hurt at not being accepted for his artistic ability as well as his deep love for his mother have been chronicled as motivating factors in his life.
Reading Hitler's own words to his people and the world at large regarding his viewpoint, objectives and thoughts is chilling and compelling.
Writer Domarus began collecting Hitler's speeches and writings in 1932. He was a history scholar born in Germany in 1911 who saw first hand what was happening in his country. Early on Domarus realized the significance of Hitler's rise to power. Hitler was obsessive in his belief that Germany must be avenged for the humiliation it suffered at the close of WWI. Facts were something to manipulate, blame must be leveled and the people must agree were all tenets of the Hitler doctrine. That Hitler dominated everyone around him to the point that his own generals rarely spoke against him even near the end of WWII has been documented time and time again. That the German people did not question his leadership has been the subject of studies from the 1940s to today.
Writer Domarus offers a study of Hitler in clear and readable prose. The speeches chronicle Hitler's thinking, intentions and desires. They bring in perspective what the general public was hearing from the man who history records as an iron fisted dictator.
A highly readable work, 'Essential Hitler The Speeches and Commentary' is recommended for the history buff's personal reading shelf as well as for classroom reference use in high school and colleges, and placement in school and public libraries. --Molly Martin, Reviewer - Midwest Book Review - November, 2007
Today's headlines sometimes send chills down the spines of those who still recall the pronouncements and policies of Germany's dictator, Adolf Hitler. Most notably, Iran's president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has drawn international criticism for his position as an anti-Semite, recently hosting a conference to debate the very existence of the Holocaust. With potentially dangerous leaders such as Ahmadinejad in the world today, how can we learn from Hitler's terrifying reign to keep history from repeating itself?
The Essential Hitler is a new edition of Hitler's speeches, proclamations and other documents, along with commentary by the late German scholar and first-hand-witness Max Domarus. Domarus was a historian, archivist and author of 22 books on Franconian and German history. Born in Germany in 1911, Domarus witnessed Hitler's rise to power. In 1932, he began collecting Hitler's speeches, interviews, letters, public proclamations and public statements for what would later become this volume.
Both a reference and a non-fiction read, The Essential Hitler distills the four volumes of Hitler's Speeches and Proclamations 1932-1945: The Chronicle of a Dictatorship by Domarus into a single book. This abridgment maintains the chronological, historical and scholarly integrity of the highly acclaimed four volume series including its twelve appendices, 20 photographs and 4 new maps.
Features include: History of Hitler's Government (1932-1945), What Hitler Believed, How Hitler Governed, Hitler's Party, Putting Germany to Work, The Jewish Question, The Churches and Hitler, Hitler Becomes Supreme Commander, Life in Hitler's Germany, How the Press Viewed Hitler, Expanding the Reich, Hitler Confronts America, Hitler Fights His War, Epilogue, Glossary, Dates in Hitler's Life, Maps & Illustrations, and Chronological Index of Speeches and Events.
As will become evident to readers of The Essential Hitler, though he began as just another ambitious politician, Hitler soon learned to play on the fears and prejudices of the German people during a time of political and social unrest. Soon, his deeply-held hatred for Jews, Communists and other racial and social groups began to permeate his oratory, and then government policy, slowly poisoning the public with his bigotry. Every speech, letter and proclamation represents the official stance of the Nazi party and Hitler himself in his own words. The commentary places events in context and clarifies Hitler's ideology.
SirReadaLot.org
May 2007, Issue #98
It is very important that we have in his own words Hitler s messages to his own people and to the world on the subject of his thoughts, beliefs, and intentions.
Ronald Smelser,University of Utah
Domarus published his first edition of the four-volume Hitler, Reden und Proklamationen 1932 bis 1945 in 1963, and an English translation of the fourth edition was published in 2004. Both are for students and professionals in history, so an abridged edition was deemed desirable for general readers to help the public understand Hitler and the Nazi regime and avoid any recurrence. About one-fourth of the material is presented, and in topical rather than the original chronological order. Maps are also provided.
(Annotation ©2007 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
Titles appearing in Reference & Research Book News May 2007
The speeches are an invaluable primary source. They are used to document Hitler s thinking and Hitler s political signals to his Nazi followers and the general public and give a sense of what kind of things the general public was hearing from the dictator. --Peter Black, senior historian of the Holocaust Museum, as quoted in the Chicago Tribune, August 4, 2005
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
At the core of Hitler's beliefs was the " Jewish question," code words for Hitler's conviction that there existed an extraordinary organization of Jewish people that was very pervasive and intent on world domination and whose victory would mark the end of human survival. March 26, 1933 The boycott of Jewish businesses in 1933 was an effort to influence the Western European and American press, which Hitler believed was Jewish controlled. Abroad, the consequences of the new Enabling Act had been perceived more clearly than in the ranks of the non- National Socialist parties in Germany. The commentaries of the foreign press were less than friendly and aroused Hitler's anger. According to his preconception, so-called world Jewry (Weltjudentum) was to blame. As is generally known, Hitler believed in the existence of a secret Jewish world government that influenced all of the governments around the globe to act in its interests; above all, this entity was determined not to allow the German Volk to come to the fore. On the other hand, he believed the solidarity of Jewry throughout the world was so strong that it would be willing to make concessions in order to alleviate any hardships the Jews in Germany might be made to bear. Therefore Hitler was convinced that he need only harass and threaten the German Jews, and foreign governments would be persuaded to yield in their attitude towards Germany and Hitler: world Jewry would instruct these governments to act accordingly. Without delay he went to work on setting a warning example. As Reich chancellor, he had until now been extremely reserved on this point, rarely exhibiting his anti-Semitic attitude. Since January 30, even the party and the National Socialist press had, on Hitler's orders, refrained from treating the Jewish problem in their customary fashion. This policy was to undergo a radical change. From March 26 to March 28, Hitler conferred with his Unterführers in Berchtesgaden and Munich in order to outline an operation against German Jews to commence on April 1, with the expressly announced aim of thus putting pressure on world Jewry and foreign governments. On March 28, Hitler issued the following appeal to all party organizations of the Nazi Party to boycott the Jews:
National Socialists! Party Comrades!
After fourteen years of inner conflict, the German Volk--politically
overcoming its ranks, classes, professions, and religious
divisions--has effected an uprising ( Erhebung) that put
a lightning end to the Marxist- Jewish nightmare. In the weeks
following January 30, a unique national revolution took place
in Germany. In spite of long years of exceedingly severe suppression
and persecution, the masses of millions who support
the government of the national revolution have, in a very calm
and disciplined matter, given the new Reich leadership legal
sanction for the implementation of its reform of the German
nation from top to bottom. On March 5 the overwhelming
majority of Germans eligible to vote declared its confidence
in the new regime.
The completion of the national revolution has thus become
the demand of the Volk. The Jewish- Marxist bosses (Bonzen)
deserted their position of power with deplorable cowardice.
Despite all the fuss, not a single one dared to raise any serious
resistance. For the most part, they have left the masses they
had seduced in the lurch and fled abroad, taking with them
their stuffed strongboxes. The authors and beneficiaries of our
misfortune owe the fact that they were spared--almost without
exception--solely to the incomparable discipline and order
with which this act of overthrow was conducted. Hardly
a hair of their heads was harmed.
Compare this act of self-discipline on the part of the national
uprising in Germany with, for instance, the Bolshevist
revolution in Russia, which claimed the lives of over three
million people, and you will begin to appreciate what a debt of gratitude the criminals guilty of the disintegration in Germany
would owe the powers of the national uprising. Compare
the terrible battles and destruction of the revolution
of these very November-Men themselves: their shooting of
hostages in the years 1918-19; the slaughtering of defenseless
opponents--and you will once again perceive how enormous
the difference is between them and the national uprising.
The men presently in power solemnly proclaimed to the
world that they wanted to live in international peace. In this,
the German Volk constitutes a loyal following (Gefolgschaft ).
Germany wants neither worldwide confusion nor international
intrigues. National revolutionary Germany is firmly
resolved to put an end to internal mismanagement! Now that
the domestic enemies of the nation have been eliminated by
the Volk itself, what we have long been waiting for will now
come to pass. The Communist and Marxist criminals and
their Jewish-intellectual instigators, who, having made off
with their capital stocks across the border in the nick of time,
are now unfolding an unscrupulous, treasonous campaign of
agitation against the German Volk as a whole from there. Because
it became impossible for them to continue lying in Germany,
they have begun, in the capitals of our former enemies,
to continue the same agitation against the young national
uprising that they had already pursued at the outbreak of the
war against the Germany in 1914.
Lies and slander of positively hair-raising perversity are
being launched about Germany. Horror stories of dismembered
Jewish corpses, gouged-out eyes, and hacked-off hands
are circulated for the purpose of defaming the German Volk
in the world for a second time, just as they had succeeded in
doing once before in 1914. The animosity of millions of innocent
human beings, peoples with whom the German Volk
wishes only to live in peace, is being stirred up by these unscrupulous
criminals. They want German goods and German
labor to fall victim to the international boycott. It seems they
think the misery in Germany is not bad enough as it is; they
have to make it worse!
