Hitler: The Path to Power [Hardcover]

Charles Bracelen Flood (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

A highly readable account of a period many consider the most interesting of Hitler's tumultuous life, Flood's ( Lee: The Last Years ) book covers the years of political apprenticeship through the abortive Munich putsch , the months in prison and the first few days after his release in 1924. The pathetic vagrant years in Vienna are movingly described, along with Hitler's service in the army during World War I, where he found a home and his first recognition as an individual, followed by his initial political commitment to the small group from which the Nazi Party eventually arose. Most of the attention, however, is devoted to the development of the extraordinary gifts that enabled Hitler later to put his grandiose schemes into action, and his influence over such men as Rudolf Hess, Alfred Rosenberg, Hermann Goring, Julius Streicher, Ernst Rohm and others who played key roles in his assumption of power in 1933. The events leading up to and including the 1923 putsch form the climax to this engrossing narrative, followed by an account of Hitler's trial for treason, his comparatively comfortable period in Landsberg Prison (where he wrote the first volume of Mein Kampf ); it concludes with Hitler confidently preparing to rebuild his political fortunes. Photos.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

This well-written popular narrative resembles John Toland's Adolf Hitler ( LJ 8/76) in focusing on events rather than analysis. Its more limited scope enables Flood to integrate a lucid discussion of the Nazi party's confusing early years with an impressionistic account of the conditions in Germany that contributed to the party's survival. Flood is best known for works on U.S. history. His acknowledgements and his references indicate a limited command of the German language and of German sources. He nevertheless succeeds in establishing Hitler as benefiting above all from his own sense of purpose at a time when his rivals and challengers were intellectually and morally adrift in the aftermath of a lost war and an incomplete revolution. Flood's book thus supersedes such previous surveys as John Dornberg's Munich 1923 (LJ 8/82).
- Dennis E. Showalter, Colorado Coll., Colorado Springs
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 686 pages
• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin (T); 1St Edition edition (May 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0395353122
• ISBN-13: 978-0395353127
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6.2 x 2.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,489,627 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Engrossing, Fascinating Story, August 12, 2003

By 

David Disabatino (Philadelphia, PA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Hitler: The Path to Power (Paperback)

I cannot recommend this book enough for anyone interested in reading about the causes and origins of German fascism. Any book on Hitler can always veer off into the cartoonish, reinforcing the idea that the man was a monster. That approach devalues the very serious underpinnings of Hitler's ascent that Bracelen Flood describes: The Versaille Treaty and the short-sighted behavior of the victors of World War I; the intense racialism of Bavaria; the sheer incompetence of Germany's leaders; and the brilliance of Hitler's campaign to rule the country. Telling details are on every page of the book, but Bracelen Flood is very careful to qualify his observations when the evidence is conflicted. He sees the interaction between the anecdote and the big picture, using several devices to ground the reader in the reality of what happened. Best of all, Bracelen Flood's extensive research allows us to understand what people involved in the events were thinking. At several points, I was struck by how, above all else, Hitler was abetted by luck and the fact that he was consistently underestimated by people who should have known better. The end result is both a study of a pivotal portion of the last century and a valuable tool to ensuring that nothing like it ever happens again.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I'm not a history buff and yet..., December 7, 2002

By 

PianoMom (New York, United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hitler: The Path to Power (Hardcover)

...this book captivated my attention. Very clearly and well written, Flood takes you almost step by step from Hitler's early years as a floundering nobody to the flourishing of what became the Nazi party under his rule. Be advised that this is as far as the timeline goes. The historical context is thoroughly discussed, a necessity considering that the rise of a man such as Hitler happened as a reaction to the political and cultural and social stagnation that occured in Germany after WWI.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating history lesson, September 23, 1998

By 

Peter Wilhelmson ([e-mail]) (Sweden) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hitler: The Path to Power (Paperback)

In his book Flood goes into detail about the early years of Hitler's political awakening. Many events where Hitler himself had no influence are discussed at length in a very casual language. This is a lot of information about a short time, mainly between WWII and the mid-20's as he is released from the Landsberg prison. A treasure full of interesting anecdotes!