The Young Hitler I Knew [Hardcover]

August Kubizek (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 15, 2006

This is the first edition to be published in English since 1955 and it corrects many changes made for reasons of political correctness. It also includes important sections which were excised from the original English translation. August Kubizek met Adolf Hitler in 1904 while they were both competing for standing room at the opera. Their mutual passion for music created a strong bond, and over the next four years they became close friends. Kubizek describes a reticent young man, painfully shy, yet capable of bursting into hysterical fits of anger if anyone disagreed with him. The two boys would often talk for hours on end; Hitler found Kubizek to be a very good listener, a worthy confidant to his hopes and dreams. In 1908 Kubizek moved to Vienna and shared a room with Hitler at 29 Stumpergasse. During this time, Hitler tried to get into art school, but he was unsuccessful. With his money fast running out, he found himself sinking to the lower depths of the city: an unkind world of isolation and 'constant unappeasable hunger'. Hitler moved out of the flat in November, without leaving a forwarding address; Kubizek did not meet his friend again until 1938. The Young Hitler I Knew tells the story of an extraordinary friendship, and gives fascinating insight into Hitler's character during these formative years. A must for Hitler scholars.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Midwest Book Review, October 2006

"The Young Hitler I Knew is an extraordinary memoir by a man who actually met Hitler in 1904 while they were both competing for a space at the opera. Their mutual passion for music created a friendship, and a roommate situation--and lends a personal and unique eye to explaining Hitler's character at the time. Most biographies begin with Hitler's rise to power: The Young Hitler I Knew is a 'must' for any who would delve into the roots of his personality"

 

Simon Sebag Montefiore

"An invaluable tool for every Hitler scholar; a fascinating portrait for every reader who is interested in Hitler."

Language Notes

Text: English, German (translation) --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Greenhill Books (September 15, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1853676942
• ISBN-13: 978-1853676949
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.3 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #768,411 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

43 of 46 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Extraordinary first hand account, a must read., March 11, 1998

By 

RICHARD A DINSMORE (Chula Vista, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Young Hitler I Knew (Hardcover)

An extraordinary first hand, first person account by Hitler's only best friend of their adolescent years together. Fills in many missing years uncovered by most biographers and provides a fascinating insight into the formation of a complex personality, explains many motivations that only became apparent later in his life, solving many puzzles that most biographers have left as 'mysteries'. The subject aside, this is a wonderfully written account of life in Europe and Germany prior to WWI. A must read for any truly serious student of the man or times.

98 of 114 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I can't say enough good things about this book!, July 9, 2002

By 

anna (Vienna, Austria) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Young Hitler I Knew (Hardcover)

So much of what is taken and accepted as "FACT" about Hitler is full of inconsistencies and assumption. It has been my experience that the public will readily swallow whatever they are fed about "The Great Dictator" without giving so much as a second thought as to whether or not it is correct. I wish I could be indifferent to this and take a neutral stance, but I cannot. I have dedicated six years of my life to studying that of Hitler, and it pains me to witness the widespread ignorance displayed by the majority whenever Hitler's name is mentioned. Which is why this book is so important to me. It is by far the best ever written about his young adulthood and, in short, who he really was as a person. For, in order to understand who Hitler was, one must look into his past.
During the years the two spent together in Linz and later in Vienna, young Hitler was already developing into what he would later become. For getting a deeper perspective of the true nature of Adolf Hitler, August Kubizek is, in my humble opinion, the most reliable source for insight into this complicated human being. No one knew Hitler more intimately than he did. He was also reunited with his old friend three decades after their ways parted in Vienna, and thus gives valuable insight regarding "Adolf Hitler, the Fuehrer". And, as Kubizek remarked, "Hitler didn't change."
The words Kubizek uses to describe his young friend convey the image of a deep, passionate, gifted and serious young man who, due to his great obsession with changing the world around him, did not enjoy his youth in any traditional sense. Kubizek did his friend a great service by writing this book. It is required reading for all serious students of Hitler's incredible life, for it is an honest, first-hand account of the young starving artist, open and unbiased, (unlike any other book ever to tackle the subject.)
Kubizek was, I am convinced, a good man who had nothing to gain and everything to lose by publishing the truth about Adolf Hitler's character and showing the world his "human" side. The world after the war (and today still) was not interested in the truth. So many were then and still are content to make Hitler into the embodiment of all evil, to reject his humanity. But therein lies the danger.

27 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the most important books on Hitler, February 15, 2007

By 

Future Watch Writer (Washington, D.C. Area) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Young Hitler I Knew (Hardcover)

This is one of the most important books ever written on Hitler. It is an honest memoir of Hitler's best childhood friends. There is no book that even comes close to the coverage this book provides of Hitler's early years. Perhaps, the most important section of the book is the chapter where Hitler sees Wagner's opera Rienzi for the first time and sees a larger vision for his own life. Indeed, one aspect of the book is the huge influence of Richard Wagner on both Hitler and a generation of Germans. Check my German history book list on Amazon for more interesting books including a book on Wagner's influence on Hitler.