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Nightmare Years: 1930 - 1940 Paperback – March 5, 2008

4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 398 ratings

As European correspondent for a number of American newspapers during the 1930s, William L. Shirer witnessed at first hand many of the pivotal events in the buildup to World War II. At the Nuremberg rallies, when Hitler roared through the streets celebrating his newly-won domination of Germany, Shirer was there. In Munich, as Chamberlain abandoned the Czechs, Shirer was there. In Vienna during the night of the Anschluss, in Berlin, when Hitler loosed his Blitzkrieg on Poland and began the war, Shirer was there. Through articles, broadcasts and translations of Hitler's speeches, Shirer tirelessly tried to warn the world of the terrible evil that was growing in Germany. The Nightmare Years, a No. I bestseller when first published in America in 1984, is not only the fascinating eyewitness account of this cataclysmic decade, but also the more personal story of a young American caught in tense and desperate times, struggling to survive and provide a life for himself and his family as the world lurched inexorably towards war.



'More than any conventional history book, Shirer's memoirs let a reader relive history' -People

'A superb journalist. ..Shirer was close enough to Hitler to feel the Nazi leader's messianic personal force. ..An unusually fine book' -Time

'No one ever did more to explain the rise of the Nazis'
-Barbara Tuchman

'An outstanding achievement of journalistic history; indeed it is the best kind of accurate and absorbing history' -Washington Post

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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Reporting at its best. ..A highly readable, absorbing story of a fascinating man and a dangerous decade. ..A deeply personal account of living with history as it's being made -an absorbing narrative"
Houston Chronicle

"More than any conventional history book, Shirer's memoirs let a reader relive history"
People

"A superb journalist. ..Shirer was close enough to Hitler to feel the Nazi leader's messianic personal force. ..An unusually fine book"
Time

"No one ever did more to explain the rise of the Nazis"
Barbara Tuchman

"An outstanding achievement of journalistic history; indeed it is the best kind of accurate and absorbing history"
The Washington Post

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Birlinn (March 5, 2008)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 654 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1841581224
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1841581224
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.76 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.25 x 1.75 x 9.25 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 398 ratings

About the author

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William L. Shirer
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William Lawrence Shirer (February 23, 1904 – December 28, 1993) was an American journalist and war correspondent. He wrote The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich, a history of Nazi Germany that has been read by many and cited in scholarly works for more than 50 years. Originally a foreign correspondent for the Chicago Tribune and the International News Service, Shirer was the first reporter hired by Edward R. Murrow for what would become a CBS radio team of journalists known as "Murrow's Boys." He became known for his broadcasts from Berlin, from the rise of the Nazi dictatorship through the first year of World War II (1940). With Murrow, he organized the first broadcast world news roundup, a format still followed by news broadcasts.

Shirer wrote more than a dozen books beside The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich, including Berlin Diary (published in 1941); The Collapse of the Third Republic (1969), which drew on his experience living and working in France from 1925 to 1933; and a three-volume autobiography, Twentieth Century Journey (1976 to 1990). His brother was an analyst for the Securities and Exchange Commission and his niece, Jean Ingold, was an employee of the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Bio from Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia. Photo by US State Department [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons.

Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars
4.7 out of 5
398 global ratings

Customers say

Customers find the book excellently written, autobiographical, and quick to read. They also find the content fascinating, realistic, and unique.

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25 customers mention "Readability"25 positive0 negative

Customers find the book excellent, fascinating, and well-written. They also say it's informative, factual, and a tremendous work. Readers also mention that the book reads quickly.

"...This was a tremendous work that I read alongside the author’s work “ The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich...." Read more

"First hand account of Hitler's march to war. Great storytelling. Could have been avoided many steps along the way. Fascinating." Read more

"This excellent account of a prolonged, true nightmare is a very personal story that does not shy away from giving the author's understandable human..." Read more

"...This book is well written, but more about personal struggles. However, I was able to pull several bits of information from it...." Read more

16 customers mention "Content"16 positive0 negative

Customers find the book fascinating, realistic, and highly recommended for history lovers. They say it's particularly relevant in light of current events, riveting, and never loses its appeal. Readers also say it provides a contemporary view and a unique perspective on Nazi Germany.

"A full and compelling account of the Reich’s rise in Germany and its treacherous expansion both east and west throughout Europe...." Read more

"...Could have been avoided many steps along the way. Fascinating." Read more

"This excellent account of a prolonged, true nightmare is a very personal story that does not shy away from giving the author's understandable human..." Read more

"...It's a contemporary view which helped me better understand the rise of Hitler and why others followed him." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

Reviewed in the United States on March 18, 2024
A full and compelling account of the Reich’s rise in Germany and its treacherous expansion both east and west throughout Europe.
The author provided great context to the events and players throughout the book.
This was a tremendous work that I read alongside the author’s work “ The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich. In tandem, the books solidified the readers grasp of the compelling nature of WW 2 events and the key figures of the period.
A very full and excellent work.
2 people found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on February 16, 2024
First hand account of Hitler's march to war. Great storytelling. Could have been avoided many steps along the way. Fascinating.
2 people found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on March 1, 2023
This excellent account of a prolonged, true nightmare is a very personal story that does not shy away from giving the author's understandable human reactions to an inhuman reality. His private reactions to the major people responsible for and victims of the world's worst conflagration fills the reader with disbelief until you recall the latest evening news. Shocking parallels to recent events in our own country and our unshakable ability to create emotionally palatable alternate realities highlight how no nation is impervious to such poison. An excellent firsthand account from someone who is, as most readers will be, incredulous that we can be so cogently self-destructive.
8 people found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on July 18, 2011
Although I was searching for more indepth history of actual struggles of America during this period. This book is well written, but more about personal struggles. However, I was able to pull several bits of information from it. It is definitely worth reading. Great value for the price from AMAZON.COM. I am glad I bought it and have placed it in my history library as I write historical fiction.
4 people found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on February 24, 2023
A history book of sorts but with very personal insights,prejudices and opinions. Not a polished novelist,Shorter been not apologize for story makes the book attention grabbing. I felt like I had a ringside seat to the making and movements of a maniac in very troubled times.
One person found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on December 11, 2022
I have read other books by Shirer but this book makes you feel as if you are there with him experiencing events as they happened back then. It's a contemporary view which helped me better understand the rise of Hitler and why others followed him.
5 people found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on June 2, 2022
This was an outstanding read. It was big picture history told by a man who saw it happen. Shirer had access to top level sources and clearly pointed out the duplicity, cruelty, and hypocrisy of the Nazi strategies. He also pointed out the missed opportunities that France and Great Britain had to stop Hitler long before Hitler's armies gained momentum. While it covered history, it read like a story.
5 people found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on February 22, 2023
Wherever on the political spectrum your sentiments lie, you should read this memoir. Shirer's first hand account, from 1930s Europe, details the hijacking of a modern industrialized society by the Nazis. He also describes the self destruction of the French government by various disparate parties, disgrunteled by who knows what, but certainly hungery for power. There are many parallels with current events. One of the most compelling is how propaganda, no matter how outrageous, can be spun to steer a people and a nation on a path of self destruction.
5 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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Mike Brooke
5.0 out of 5 stars One of the author's best:
Reviewed in Canada on January 24, 2024
Tough going in parts due to the content, not the writing style. Yes, this was a tough decade for all involved.
Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Perfeito
Reviewed in Spain on December 27, 2021
Perfeito
J. A. Bailey
5.0 out of 5 stars very interesting account from a top journalist but very readable too
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 28, 2017
Bought this to supplement the TV series - very interesting account from a top journalist but very readable too,
garry johnson
3.0 out of 5 stars Not Shirer's Best Book, But Worth Taking A Look At.
Reviewed in Australia on December 25, 2022
Read Shirers Rise and Fall and Berlin Diary's both of which i enjoyed. This book not so much. Shirer seems to have become a bitter old man, everything about Germany is bad. Even the girls legs take a knock. He's very opinionated, very left wing, i guess today we would put him down as very WOKE. Although i got tired of his constant complaining and ridiculing of Germany and its leaders ( yes, they were not nice guys ) its still a decent book and covers the lead up to WW2.
A. S.
5.0 out of 5 stars Gorgeous
Reviewed in Spain on December 11, 2019
My favorite American war correspondent!