Customer Reviews

Police Rescue - Omnibus Edition

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A well-told and detailed account on the biggest publishing mess in the whole of history, Harris' "Selling Hitler" is hilarious, but has serious lessons to impart. Behind his account of how some of the biggest names in international publishing were conned into making the most enormous fools of themselves are some very chilling scenarios which we witness -- the callousness of the "primitive" Kujau, as well as the publishing world where money is above everything and the pursuit of profit is considered above journalistic integrity, the dishonesty and readiness of one such as Heidemann to believe in the authenticity of the diaries and the unrepentance of the reminiscing Nazis on the "good old days". Most importantly, we see the prevalence of and influence of Hitler and the Nazis on the world so many decades after the demise of the Third Reich, and have to imagine what would have happened had the 'diaries' been used to rewrite history if proof that they were forgeries was not conclusive. Harris' book explains the hold Hitler continues to have on the generation which had undergone the war as well as those after it, and serves as a warning on how memory or delusion can be harmful. A fantastic read, this book should be brought back into publication and made accessible to more people. Highly recommended if you're interested in seeing how people make monkeys of themselves on the world stage.

This is one of the most interesting history books I have read. All along you keep thinking, how was it possible? How could they deceive so many people at the same time. I found myself yelling out loud "wake up, can't you see it's a fraud?" But still they believe the scam. This is a great book, and it teaches us about those "scientific" certainties and experts. I just couldn't stop reading, stayed up at night and kept on reading in the car while my wife drove me to work. A must read for everyone with an intrest in history.

A well-told and detailed account on the biggest publishing mess in the whole of history, Harris' "Selling Hitler" is hilarious, but has serious lessons to impart. Behind his account of how some of the biggest names in international publishing were conned into making the most enormous fools of themselves are some very chilling scenarios which we witness -- the callousness of the "primitive" Kujau, as well as the publishing world where money is above everything and the pursuit of profit is considered above journalistic integrity, the dishonesty and readiness of one such as Heidemann to believe in the authenticity of the diaries and the unrepentance of the reminiscing Nazis on the "good old days". Most importantly, we see the prevalence of and influence of Hitler and the Nazis on the world so many decades after the demise of the Third Reich, and have to imagine what would have happened had the 'diaries' been used to rewrite history if proof that they were forgeries was not conclusive. Harris' book explains the hold Hitler continues to have on the generation which had undergone the war as well as those after it, and serves as a warning on how memory or delusion can be harmful. A fantastic read, this book should be brought back into publication and made accessible to more people. Highly recommended if you're interested in seeing how people make monkeys of themselves on the world stage.

This book reads like a real-life opera bouffe, with real people making fools of the themselves in all-too-human ways. Harris delves into the Hitler demi-monde, and it's full of flaming nutbars--David Irving (a British historian who just lost a huge lawsuit re his persistant Holocaust denial), Billy F. Price (Texas millionaire and buyer of fake Hitler art), Gerde Heideman (crazy investigative journalist), the executive staff of the German magazine STERN (greedy corporate types) and the ultra-arrogant Hugh Trevor-Roper (British lord and self-enchanted Professor of History at Oxford). They all bite the dust, courtesy of a bare-faced if not very talented forger and their own need to believe. This dissection of the human condition is hugely funny, if a trifle uncomfortable to witness.

It's a tragedy this book is out of print, as it's as gripping a read as you can find. Although a work of journalism, it reads like an Eric Ambler novel, populated by lowlifes, forgers, and SS generals who escaped the noose. More importantly, it's a great inside look at modern publishers, who know little about history other than that swastikas sell! Outside the WWII context, it's the best book about The Big Con that I've ever read.

Hilarious. It's also badly in need of a new edition in light of the upsurge in neo-Nazoid activity in the decade since it was published. Helmut Dietl, the brillian filmmaker whose hilarious 'SHTONK!' was based on this scandal, once said that the only way to deal with these people was to laugh at them. Harris briliantly describes the collection of con artists, duped ex-Nazis, and assorted crackpots who fooled most of the journalistic world with pathetic forgeries. More ominously, he points out that this ridiculous stunt came very close to rewriting history, since people really wanted to believe in them before there was positive proof of their authenticity. This is one of the best journalism/history books I have ever read.

This is a great book! It read like a detective story combined with farce. Harris who later became a succesful novelist has done a terrific job of investigative reporting in uncovering this ridiculous scandal which should never have happened. And there's plenty of blame to go around. We meet gullible Nazi wannabes, greedy businessmen, & pompous academics. the story is so entertaining but also contains important lessons in human nature. Beware of what you want to believe!

As part of the book explains, evil sells and Hitler is perhaps the icon of an evil man. Even today, 65 years after his suicide, he grips the audience imagination. That is why WWII sells well even today. Hitler personalified this conflict, and the appearance of his diaries in the 1980s was a well publisized event. When this extracts appeared in Newsweek, I was one of those reading his installments. However, these diaries were fakes, and were discovered soon after publishing. After reading this story, one understands how big corporations and the investing public can get swindled. If it is to good to be true, it probably is. Bernie Madoff, the recession of 2008, and good ole Enron show that there is a sucker born every day. This is the improbable story of a common forger, a right wing fanatic, and a publishing house all to willing to suspend disbelief. It results in ruined careers, and a German weekly being tarnished.

This is a great book about the Hitler diaries forgeries. I think this has all the suspense of a murder mystery, with the exception of no murder. It ends with ruined careers, millions of marks spent, and Hitler smiling from hell.

I first bought the paperback edition of this book in 1991 in the UK. There it's still on sale on Amazon's UK site - Amazon.co.uk. It's one of my favourite books. Indeed, I've read it so many times over the years that my copy is now looking battered and forlorn. So I've bought a new copy. This new edition has been printed in a larger format with a bigger typeface so it's easier to read. The book, however, has not been updated in any way, but I'm prepared to live with that as it's a classic.

I've just re-read it again and the book is as fresh, fast-moving, funny and informative as when I first read it. It's a complex story moving backwards and forwards in time, with numerous characters and locations. But Robert Harris handles the complexities effortlessly so you always know where you are. Indeed, he builds in a tension so this book reads like a thriller. What, you wonder, is going to happen next? It's great entertainment, a real page-turner.

But the book contains a serious message - an awful warning to people who write about Hitler - get your facts right. If you fail the roof will fall in. In the case of the Hitler diaries fiasco the whole house collapsed burying large numbers of people in the rubble.

Since then - 1983 - more and more Hitler books have poured off the presses. The controversial historian, David Irving, wrote at the time that 'Adolf Hitler is still big box office'. That's true 30 years later. It's one reason why authors want to write about the Nazi dictator. He sells books. But the perils are many, as Robert Harris demonstrates, and only the foolhardy would ignore them. If you do you're courting trouble - big trouble!

Having praised this book can I make a plea for an updated edition? The text can stay the same, but perhaps Robert Harris could add a couple of chapters telling us about other Hitler publishing misadventures that have happened since. An historian said to me there are two markets for Hitler books - those for people with a serious interest in history and those that appeal to fantasists and conspiracy theorists. The Hitler diaries belonged firmly to the latter.

Many people will have a good laugh at the Hitler diaries saga. Some may ask if it really matters? I think it does. Truth matters. Polluting the wells of knowledge matters. In an angry editorial the "New York Times" argued it was important to know what drove one of the century's most diabolical tryrannies. It mattered that Hitler should be seen in the light of truth and not reincarnated and redefined by forgeries. Modern authors should bear that in mind before publishing books that trample over people's feelings.

Leaving aside Hitler for a moment ... I think anyone interested in history - whatever period - should read this book - especially if they're a student. For the book demonstrates dramatically how important it is to evaluate evidence. You need to be on guard all the time, particularly when people make extravagant claims.