Customer Reviews

Hitler: The Path to Power

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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.

...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.

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!

Here we have a terrifically lucid, readable, and even entertaining account that truly does answer the question, how such a seeming loser from nowhere could rise to become the undisputed leader of the German Nazi party. The tragic and horrible conditions in Germany between 1918-1924 are described in haunting detail, the economy a wreck with inflation reaching 1 billion% by the time of the Novemeber, 1923 Putsch. The cast of characters includes the mesmorizing speaker Hitler, plus the weird general Ludendorrf, Rohm, Hess, the Strassers, Drexler, Goring, and many others, including the WC Fields-like Putzi Hafstaengel, who kept contact with foreign journalists. And the actual events of the BeerHall Putsch have their horrid moments plus some Keystone Kops moments too! In short, about the best early Nazi history out there!

I do not condone one single evil thing Hitler did during his rise to and reign of terror and destruction but reading of the combination of events that caused this fanatical behavior is fascinating. It was more than the influence of the abusive father, the doting mother, being a loner and dropping out of school, losing his mother early in life, being rejected from art school that would cause Hitler to strive for and achieve control of his beloved Germany. It also took Germany losing the First War and the chaos, degradation and humiliation that followed, the insurgence of Communism in Germany and the perceived danger of Jewry.

It was this and more that turned Hitler into a hateful, vengeful, sadistic person that wanted to take it out on the whole world for the way he and his mother were treated, for not receiving the recognition he deserved. Mr Flood, a noted author, has presented a deliberate step by step narrative that clearly and eloquently shows the evolution of that lonely abusive child turn into the fanatical dictator that turns the world into chaos.

The author doesn't spend a lot of time on Hitler's childhood. The bulk of his story starts at the beginning of WWI, showing the bravery of Corporal Hitler and the subsequent appreciation he feels for the Wehrmacht and the state of warfare where you take what you want. He sees the possibility of wielding the power of a country for his obsessions. The author will lead you through every event and happenstance through the years up to Hitler's trial and incarceration for treason and the writing of Mein Kampf. The book ends just as Hitler is released from prison and resumes his path to political power. There are many people included in this story that either influence Hitler or was influenced by Hitler. People like Ludendorff, Rohm, Weber, Eckart, Goering, Streicher and even Wagner the composer to name a few.

There is a selection of great early photographs of Hitler, Hess, Goering and others that add to the value of the book. There is also an impressive Notes section and an extensive Bibliography if further reading is desired. The author spent six years on this book and it shows. While this book stops in 1925, it clearly shows the genesis of Hitler's fanatical ways and the beginnings of his rise to power. It is highly recommended.

Hitler--The Path to Power is a thoroughly documented and meticulously researched biography revealing the early years of Adolf Hitler. The book begins with a description of Hitler's childhood and ends with an account of the Munich Beer Hall Putsch of 1923 and Hitler's subsequent imprisonment at Landsberg Prison. Flood also provides an analysis of Mein Kampf at the end of this engrossing biography. While the book is mainly about Hitler (who is very much present in this biography) and the development of the Nazi party, Charles Flood provides the reader a great deal of information about the economic and political situation in Germany between the end of World War I and 1923. German resentment toward the Treaty of Versailles is a common theme in the book. We also get a glimpse of future Nazi leaders such as Rudolf Hess, Hermann Goering, and Joseph Goebbels. Includes bibliography, index, and sixteen pages of photographs. Highly recommended.

This well-researched journal of Hitler's early days will really get you thinking. You cannot understand World War 2 or the Holocaust without learning about what went on with this man before the age of 40. I recommend this to anyone and everyone who loves history or is doing a report. It is out of print so you can either get it used or get it at your local library. Whatever you do, you will enjoy this great book.

Another of a line in study of out of control power that changed the world. A study of Hitler that contributes to the greater picture of governmental agents of change.. Study with opinions.

Charles Bracelen Flood explains the life of Adolph Hitler and how he came to power following WWI. Want to know the true meaning of a story then you have to go back to the beggining and this is the book that does just that. Read this and all you think you knew will take on a new meaning. Your understanding of WWII and events today will take on a new under current.

Though not a short book, this one does the most with the least, in terms of explaining how Hitler rose to power. Flood has a talent for really putting the reader in the place and time under discussion. Hitler becomes explicable, and one must respect the German people for their remarkable resistance to extreme solutions over a period of many years. The author also does an especially good job with the pre-Hitler Nazis, well-meaning working-class men who saw it all get away from them. Flood stakes out a valuable middle ground between superficial treatments on the one hand and denser, more specialized works like those of Joachim Fest (whom I highly recommend) on the other. Carefully researched, this book in all its seriousness manages to sustain the pace of a great novel. Absolutely THE book to read if you want to know how Nazism happened.