Hitler's Personal Security: Protecting the Führer, 1921-1945 [Paperback]

Peter Hoffmann (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 25, 2000

"I am immortal!" exulted Hitler in the wake of the failed assassination plot of July 20, 1944. As Peter Hoffmann shows in this startling book, that bombing was only the best known of more than thirty attempts on Hitler's life, the first coming as early as 1921, when he was the leader of the German worker's party. Using extensive archival material, Hoffmann details these assassination plots and outlines the fanatically complex security measures that developed to keep Hitler safe. He analyzes Hitler's SS escort and the other security groups responsible for his life—there were so many of them that they often counteracted one another—together with their arrangements for his transportation, public appearances, residences, and wartime headquarters. Providing remarkable new information about the workings of those devoted to defending and destroying him, this book is an invaluable contribution to the history of the Third Reich.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A fascinating look at the Nazi mentality at work." -- Cleveland Plain-Dealer

"[Hoffmann] has a superior grasp on German history." -- The Economist

About the Author

Peter Hoffmann, William Kingsford Professor of History at McGill University, is the author of The History of the German Resistance 1933–1945. He lives in Montreal.

Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Da Capo Press; First Thus edition (October 25, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0306809478
• ISBN-13: 978-0306809477
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,022,506 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Definitive work, April 11, 2004

By 

Candace Scott (Lake Arrowhead, CA, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hitler's Personal Security: Protecting the Führer, 1921-1945 (Paperback)

This is by far the best work every on Hitler's secruity and the various assassination plots against him. It's especially strong in the early, seminal years of the Nazi party and there are some extremely rare photographs of Hitler in Munich in the mid to late 20's. Hoffman's research is extensive and he unearths material not found in other books. He relies on primary sources for many of his arguments and these interviews enhance an already strong book. If you have an interest in Hitler's incredible knack in evading assassinations, this is the preeminent book on that subject.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An Historian's Reference Book, September 10, 2009

By 

Joline Albaugh (Tucson, AZ) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Hitler's Personal Security: Protecting the Führer, 1921-1945 (Paperback)

This is an interesting study of security measures taken to protect Adolf Hitler during his rise to power and as Fuhrer. My particular interest was in the Adlerhof/Ziegenberg bunker complex west of Bad Nauheim because I had explored it many times in the years past. See my photos above.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent review of assassination attempts on Hitler and methods used to protect him, November 8, 2008

By 

Mr. Truthteller (Los Angeles, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hitler's Personal Security: Protecting the Führer, 1921-1945 (Paperback)

This book is an excellent review of not just the means used to protect Hitler from the time of his early ascendancy in the Nazi party to the famous, but failed, 20 July 1944 assassination attempt and foiled coup, to the end of his life in the bunker in Berlin, but also discloses that Hitler, more often than realized and especially in the early days of the Nazi party, was not afraid to put himself in harm's way to advance his cause. It also portrays the many ways in which security differed, depending on the circumstances (e.g., public forum, touring car, plane) and the many layers or levels of security, often unknowingly working at cross-purposes.