Reichschancellery [Hardcover]

Josephine Cowdery Ray Cowdery (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0910667284 | ISBN-13: 978-0910667289 | Publication Date: January 1, 2003

This heavily illustrated 128 page hardcover book contains a complete illustrated history of the New Reichschancellery in Berlin, designed and built in 1938 by Albert Speer. Period and modern illustrations, maps and an 11 X 28 inch foldout showing plan, view and architectural drawings.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

"Reichschancellery" was written by, and illustrated with maps, drawings and photographs from the unequaled archive of Ray & Josephine Cowdery. The authors have visited Berlin and the site of the New Reichschancellery dozens of times since the mid-1970s and have sought out countless facts and artifacts connected with Hitler, Speer and their New Reichschancellery.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 130 pages
• Publisher: Victory WW2 Publishing Ltd (January 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0910667284
• ISBN-13: 978-0910667289
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.9 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #840,083 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Reichschancellery, January 27, 2003

By 

Dale Stroklund (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Reichschancellery (Hardcover)

I recently obtained a copy of Ray & Josephine Cowdery's new book THE NEW GERMAN REICHSCHANCELLERY. I have several of their previous books, including an older book on the same subject. This book is different; it's more comprehensive, with more, never-seen-before photographs and the chronological progression of the Reichschancellery itself. . I have an extensive German WWII reading library. I would rate their new Reichschancellery book among the top five books in my library. I have been to Europe several times with the Cowdery's. This book parallels their superbly conducted WWII German history tours. You can count on three things when you pick up a book written by the Cowdery's, its: (1) interesting, (2) comprehensive, and (3) factual. The first time I picked up the REICHSCHANCELLERY book it was fun just to take a cursory look at it and review all the photos and illustrations of the Reichschancellery itself. The next time I reviewed all the photos in detail, helping me link the various rooms of the Reichschancellery together. There were so many great photographs that it was like taking a virtual tour of the Reichschancellery itself. The third time I sat down and digested all the information surrounding the planning, building, and operation of the Reichschancellery. Nothing was left out. The Reichschancellery was one of the great buildings of the 20th century; it should be studied from political, historical, and engineering perspectives. This book covers it all. If you are a student of WWII German history this is a "must have" book you'll review over and over again.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Exceptional research Job, June 7, 2004

By 

Jazzcat "stef" (Genoa, Italy Italy) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Reichschancellery (Hardcover)

I ordered this book without never had the opportunity to look inside it. I found a very well written book, full of informations about the Adolf Hitler-Albert Speer Reichschancellery, a really impressive building of great historical value. The paper is great. The book is full of exceptional color and black and white pictures of the building (front, back, inside) that I think you can't find elsewhere. If you, like me, are interested in reading and studying the Third Reich history I can onestly say that this book is simply a musthave. An exceptional item. In the end I point out the section dedicated to the german manufacturers that were responsible for the construction of the building. Fantastic. You can find 1930's advertising pages from those industries, things that I really think you can't find elsewhere. And last but not least you will find the architectural plans for the building so you will have the opportunity to understand completly the Reichschancellery structure and appering. My only complaint is that I thought this book was a little bigger (not in terms of pages, they are 126 if I remember correctly, just in terms of dimensions, but this is my fault and in the end it is not something that you can't pass over). Maybe I would have appreciated some more pictures of the ruined building, after the bombings. Pictures taken by the Allied troups that entered the building. I think that there must be a lot of them somewhere. Anyway you can buy this book with confidence. Cowdery's did a great job for sure!

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a fresh view, February 8, 2003

By 

James E. Teets (Bronx, NY United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Reichschancellery (Hardcover)

The Third Reich came to an abrupt end almost sixty years ago and, though time alone cannot heal all wounds, today it is possible to look with fresh eyes upon things that once produced emotions of hatred, fear, suffering and cruel death. Of themselves, public buildings are usually seen as neither good nor evil, though the Coliseum in Rome can never outlast the muffled cries of the early Christians and others who were once tortured and killed there for the entertainment of the masses. Nor can the vastness of that public square outside the Kremlin buildings in Moscow be visited without the mind flashing back to a not-too-distant time when military aggression and might paraded there to intimidate the whole world.

And so it is  or was  with the seat of power in Adolf Hitlers Berlin. When he came to that power in January, 1933, the Reichschancellery consisted of a run-down eighteenth century mansion connected to a small and colorless office building put up in 1929-30. Obviously not an edifice indicative of a new political movement that presented itself as dynamic and energetic. And as a tangible symbol of that energy, a gigantic new complex was created to exemplify that movement, in less than one year, including the furnishings.

Much has been written about Professor Albert Speer. He was a talented artist who had the organizational skills of a modern corporate CEO and, like the other zealots of his masters political movement, he possessed seemingly boundless energy. It was Speer who designed and brought this mammoth complex to life, this New Reichschancellery.

When the building was opened to the public on January 12, 1939, a new book documenting its creation was already off the press  an elaborate and beautiful book of coffee table-sized proportions (12x15") that presented the new building in impressive color and black-and-white photos and in the glowing words of its new inhabitant, as well as those of well-known architects, artists and designers. This book is a rare and welcome addition to ones history library  when it can be found.

Ray Cowdery took upon himself the task of preserving the New Reichschancellery  in word and photograph  and he published his first book dedicated to that subject in 1987. Produced in the same size as Speers book was in 1939, Cowderys Hitlers New German Reichschancellery In Berlin 1938  1945 included many of the original photos in color and black-and-white as were found in Speers publication, together with information about the eventual destruction of the complex by the Soviets in December 1949.

Today, Cowderys 1987 publication is almost as hard to find as Speers original book. On the other hand, much more information has come to light over the past sixteen years. That brings us up to today, with Ray and Josephine Cowderys new book, The New German Reichschancellery In Berlin 1938  1945. Simply speaking, the Cowderys have outdone themselves. While this new book is slightly smaller than its two predecessors (9x11½"), it contains twice the number of pages as the 1987 edition and equals that of Speers original. The number of color and black-and-white photos has greatly increased, while the quality of the photos equals that of the 1939 work. It is enhanced by drawings and paintings of the Voss Street construction site. New and expanded information is present, including material on the Old Reichschancellery, the furniture and silverware created for the new seat of government, and biographical sketches of the major artists and designers who contributed to this monumental building project.

It is difficult to limit my comments and my praise for the Cowderys new book. One may only hope that they will consider producing companion works of similar depth and quality on the Führerbau and the Haus der Deutschen Kunst in Munich, the Berghof on the Obersalzberg, and other monumental sites so often lost to the ages.