Plotting Hitler's Death: The Story of German Resistance (Paperback)

by Joachim Fest (Author), Bruce Little (Translator) "Essential to the history of the German resistance is the sense of powerlessness that defined it from the outset..." (more)
Key Phrases: civilian opposition groups, city commandant, resistance circles, Army Group Center, Kreisau Circle, Weimar Republic (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Prodigious research and a commonsensical tone distinguish this compelling survey of the German resistance. Fest (Adolf Hitler, etc.) challenges the idea of "everyday resistance" in Nazi Germany, which has often been extended to include adolescent rebellion, antisocial behavior and the telling of jokes about Nazi bigshots. Any attempt to give ordinary people a consequent role in resisting National Socialism founders, he contends, on the realities of a totalitarian system, which can be challenged effectively only by those with the protection and influence to shield themselves as they draw conclusions and make plans. Fest focuses on the men and women whose rejection of Nazism culminated in the July 20, 1944, attempt on Hitler's life. Carl Goerdeler, Claus von Stauffenberg and most of their counterparts were slow to accept the need to act until well into the war. The author insists that the resisters were more than simple opportunists seeking to escape a sinking ship, however. Their growing awareness of Nazi atrocities, he explains, generated a corresponding sense that Germany was under the rule of a criminal regime. Opposition became a moral imperative regardless of its practical chances for success. While the resisters had no head for conspiracy and no coherent concept of Germany's future, they did accurately perceive their essential task: to remove Hitler, at whatever cost. Though they failed, Fest makes a convincing case that they nevertheless established an enduring moral standard not only for Germany but for the world. Photos.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal
Daniel Jonah Goldhagen's Hitler's Willing Executioners (LJ 3/15/96) again stirred an ongoing debate with his assertion that Germans willingly participated in Adoph Hitler's policies. Historian Fest (Hitler, Harcourt, 1992) more than adequately counters Goldhagen's thesis. Fest begins by pointing out that his book is intended for a wide audience of general readers, not specialists who already know that in fact there was resistance throughout Hitler's rule. In a narrative that is a joy to read, he masterly covers the whole sweep of resistance from the beginning of the Third Reich to its destruction. Adding greatly to the work for the general reader is a section of short biographies of the major people involved in the resistance and a list of books that are cited in the original German edition that are available in English. Fest, for example, writes that the lessons of the failed resistance "is that it is virtually impossible to overthrow a totalitarian regime from within." Fest offers an outstanding effort to make scholarship readable for those with a general interest in history. His work should be on the shelves of all libraries.?Dennis L. Noble, Sequim, Wash.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 448 pages
• Publisher: Holt Paperbacks (September 15, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0805056483
• ISBN-13: 978-0805056488
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,060,822 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Story of one determined indecisiveness, April 2, 1998

By A Customer

One of the things my sons and I have in common is an interest in World War II. I am interested in the personalities, one son is interested in battle specifics, one in the political ramifications, and the other in the over all picture. But in the past, they were united "against" me in one specific. They said that Hitler's generals who plotted to kill Hitler in July, 1944, did not begin their plot until they saw that they were going to lose the war. However, after reading Fest's "Plotting Hitler's Death" my sons and I all understand better what really happened--and we are now of the same understanding of this resistance. In his book "Hitler," Fest was quite contemplative, apparently trying to make sense of Hitler, his accomplishments and failures, and Germany's responsibility in bringing him to power. This introspection is lacking in "Plotting Hitler's Death." Perhaps that is because those who tried to get rid of Hitler compensated for those who brought him to power. Perhaps it is simply because it is a different tale to be told-a tale that Fest tells well. He rehearses in clear detail the events leading up to that July 20 th, the anxious and feverish moments before the explosion, the confusion following it, and the terrifying roundup and executions that followed. Fest points out that there was not one unified group or movement of resistance against Hitler; rather there were numerous groups that acted separately and often held differing views. Fest focuses on the three groups who were the only ones able to develop a strategy that posed a genuine threat to the regime. He follows them in his usual thorough manner. But this does not keep him from characterizing the very human natures involved, their determination and their indecisiveness, their fears and their courage, their plan and their failure. "Plotting Hitler's Death" brings an important clarity to one dimension of a tormented and confused era.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very Good Book, April 17, 2002

By	John G. Hilliard (Toronto Canada) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

The author of this book, Joachim Fest, is one of the better know of the German World War 2 historians so I was expecting a well researched and factual book. What I found was just that. Fest first takes us through a history of a number of the failed plots and people responsible before sending the second half of the book on the plot that actually got the closest with a bomb blast injuring Hitler. Fest describes the set up of the plot, what was to take place after the assassination in regards to taking control of the German government and the assumptions of what would happen with the war. We also get a chapter on what happened to the members of the plot once it failed.

Overall this is an interesting and well-constructed book. The information is laid out in an organized and easy to understand method. The writing is better then you expect from a historian, it flows through the story. The book is a good one volume accounting of the attempts on Hitler's life and, unless you are a true historian of the issues, is about all one needs to understand and appreciate it. If you are interested in World War 2 this is a good pick up.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good Narrative History and Analysis, May 27, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Plotting Hitler's Death: The Story of German Resistance (Hardcover)

This book is very well-written with a lot of interesting information about major and minor members of the German resistance. In addition to good story-telling, Fest provides interesting analyses of the reasons for their failures. It is a sad story, but the moral courage of many of those in the German resistance is inspiring.