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on December 11, 2014
William L. Shirer was the fly on the German wall during the Third Reich, first as a print reporter and later as a radio reporter. He saw, read, and heard it all: the speeches, the adoration, the leadership, the planning, the disagreements, the plotting, and he was there for all of these because he was working on the inside.
Normally I don't read history books that are relatively recent. The facts have to be checked and rechecked, there are so many insights and opinions that come out later, etc. With Shirer it's just the opposite. He had to write while the buns were still warm from the oven. No one would ever again have the first hand knowledge that he had when he wrote his book, NO ONE.
I bought this book in hardcover when it was just published, I guess around 1959-60, and I still have it, brand new, never read, because I thought it would be dry, factual reading. It's packed up with many other books that I have no shelf room for. And every time I went to look for a new book at Amazon they kept suggesting TRAFOTTR, so I bought it again and downloaded it.
If you want the details of how Hitler's Third Reich was born, grew, and became the most powerful war machine ever to exist on this planet, TRAFOTTR is the book to read. I was annoyed, being Jewish, that not enough was said about "The Jewish Question," and I was approaching the end of the book, and then POW!!!, Shirer lays it ALL on you.
I'm very glad I didn't read the book the first time I bought it. I wasn't mature enough. A thoroughly (enjoyable?) informative book about a very dark period in human history. Read it if you are curious. Read it if you can handle it. Read it if you are mature enough. You won't be sorry.
Normally I don't read history books that are relatively recent. The facts have to be checked and rechecked, there are so many insights and opinions that come out later, etc. With Shirer it's just the opposite. He had to write while the buns were still warm from the oven. No one would ever again have the first hand knowledge that he had when he wrote his book, NO ONE.
I bought this book in hardcover when it was just published, I guess around 1959-60, and I still have it, brand new, never read, because I thought it would be dry, factual reading. It's packed up with many other books that I have no shelf room for. And every time I went to look for a new book at Amazon they kept suggesting TRAFOTTR, so I bought it again and downloaded it.
If you want the details of how Hitler's Third Reich was born, grew, and became the most powerful war machine ever to exist on this planet, TRAFOTTR is the book to read. I was annoyed, being Jewish, that not enough was said about "The Jewish Question," and I was approaching the end of the book, and then POW!!!, Shirer lays it ALL on you.
I'm very glad I didn't read the book the first time I bought it. I wasn't mature enough. A thoroughly (enjoyable?) informative book about a very dark period in human history. Read it if you are curious. Read it if you can handle it. Read it if you are mature enough. You won't be sorry.
on June 18, 2015
This should be required reading for students in High School. It is impossible to overstate the importance of this work of history. What is so wonderful too is that its not a dry history book. Its a real page turner due to the style of writing. My copy is signed by a Holocaust survivor who spoke at my church. This book ranks in my top 3 must read books of all time. Its really hard to believe that the Third Reich could happen....but it did and that is why this should be required reading.
on November 19, 2014
The story of the Nazi's and their rise to power has been caricatured in modern political and historic discussions, often used as the nuclear option in any policy debate that marks anything as leading down the path to Nazism and quintessential evil. As their history becomes more black and white, we dangerously lose touch to the realities which allowed the Nazis to come into power in the first place. From their history as described in this book, those same forces which allowed a man like Hitler into power is alive and well in the world today.
This book is a terrific remedy to this oversimplification of Nazism and shows that Hitler was the final act in what was a long and nuanced political history of 19th and early 20th century Germany. The author was a journalist during the political revolutions occurring in early 20th century Germany, and had his finger on the pulse of the German people. Hitler was the result of economic and political stars aligning in the tinderbox and social upheaval that was post WWI Germany. He was the product of fear and hatred, elected by a people who felt abandoned and betrayed by their governments. Rarely do you get such a well thought and written first hand account of important historical events. This is a must read for those who want to understand their history and want to know how to best avoid repeating the mistakes of the people and political figures described in this book.
This book is a terrific remedy to this oversimplification of Nazism and shows that Hitler was the final act in what was a long and nuanced political history of 19th and early 20th century Germany. The author was a journalist during the political revolutions occurring in early 20th century Germany, and had his finger on the pulse of the German people. Hitler was the result of economic and political stars aligning in the tinderbox and social upheaval that was post WWI Germany. He was the product of fear and hatred, elected by a people who felt abandoned and betrayed by their governments. Rarely do you get such a well thought and written first hand account of important historical events. This is a must read for those who want to understand their history and want to know how to best avoid repeating the mistakes of the people and political figures described in this book.
on September 16, 2016
Tried for 15 years to read this in the hardback version. The book is just too big and clumsy. Got if for my Kindle and have nearly finished it, finally. This is a very good history of Nazi Germany. There are many places where the author is not as politically correct as an author from today, but it has been found to be a great source of information about the Third Reich since it was written over 50 years ago. Great description of both the mistakes and successes of those involved.
on March 18, 2015
This is an amazing, important work, and yet it's quite readable - and even becomes a page turner at points, despite the fact that it's not exactly a secret how it ends.
Pros:
--Great use of Nazi source material. He's not guessing - a lot of the dialog and detail comes from recovered documents and meeting notes.
--The author was a journalist covering pre-war Germany and he was present at key events during the war. His firsthand recollection of the mood and description of how people reacted is not found in most history books.
--Comprehensive. I've read/watched tons about the war, but the politics before the war and what led up to it are not nearly as well documented in other places.
Cons:
--It's really, really long. That's not a bad thing, but it becomes a project to complete it, while you can be done with a 400 page book in a weekend.
--Some of the language and descriptors are not politically correct.
--He covers the horrors of the Holocaust and Russian POW treatment in a fair amount of detail - it's gripping, appropriate, and terrifying - but doesn't spend as much ink on the Nazi treatment of homosexuals, Roma, and disabled.
--I don't think this detracts from the book at all, but it is worth noting that some historians discount his argument that Naziism was not just another form of facism, but grew, in part, due to German history and culture.
Pros:
--Great use of Nazi source material. He's not guessing - a lot of the dialog and detail comes from recovered documents and meeting notes.
--The author was a journalist covering pre-war Germany and he was present at key events during the war. His firsthand recollection of the mood and description of how people reacted is not found in most history books.
--Comprehensive. I've read/watched tons about the war, but the politics before the war and what led up to it are not nearly as well documented in other places.
Cons:
--It's really, really long. That's not a bad thing, but it becomes a project to complete it, while you can be done with a 400 page book in a weekend.
--Some of the language and descriptors are not politically correct.
--He covers the horrors of the Holocaust and Russian POW treatment in a fair amount of detail - it's gripping, appropriate, and terrifying - but doesn't spend as much ink on the Nazi treatment of homosexuals, Roma, and disabled.
--I don't think this detracts from the book at all, but it is worth noting that some historians discount his argument that Naziism was not just another form of facism, but grew, in part, due to German history and culture.
on February 13, 2015
This is for me a re-reading of Shirer's famous tome, and I found it a genuine pleasure. I have read most of the more traditional historians on this notorious period of modern history, but none are as well-written or as memorable as Shirer's who was after all a journalist by trade. One can always quibble about facts here and there--Lucaks is especially good at that--but this summary remains to me masterful and well worth the time it takes to go through. It does shortchange various parts of the complexities of the war itself, but certain elements, like his summary of the horrors of the camps and Einsatzgruppen in the east, make gripping reading. And his suggestions about what a Hitler victory would have meant for the world are ghastly in their formulations. I heartily recommend the book, especially for those ready to take a long, first look at this story, a stark reminder that even the most educated and sophisticated cultures can all too easily fall under the sway of a madness hard to fathom. In our own day, when forces of hatred and bigotry stride the world, the saga of the Third Reich is a cautionary tale that needs retelling and rehearing.
on August 8, 2016
When nationalistic politicians around the world are finding a frightening increase in their audiences it is worth remembering that Adolf Hitler was actually elected to his first position of real power. The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich is a fascinating and highly readable account of those times. In addition, rare among detailed histories of such a complex eras, it is written in something of a personal tone because the author was present for much of the story, at least of the rise and seen most and met many of the players of the story. At 1100 plus pages it is a bit of an investment but worth it if for no other reason than I provides an unignorable caution for our own times.
on September 10, 2016
This is a fascinating book that should be read by everyone who can read! The events depicted are not that far from what we are currently experiencing in our society and provide an ominous warning of what can happen when leaders and society abrogate their responsibilities as citizens.
on January 6, 2017
The book is unquestionable, relying on the massive surviving documents of the fallen Reich.
I've read the book multiple times, with the greatest interest being how so many can be persuaded by the beliefs of a person like Hitler, and how so many others took up his ideals and turned his evil thoughts to action and the atrocities against humanity.
It's disturbing it happened, has happened albeit in smaller and different ways, and gives the finished reader the understanding that prejudice will always exist and in some form or manner events in the future will occur such as this, with different and newer technologies. Humanity should always be on guard.
I've read the book multiple times, with the greatest interest being how so many can be persuaded by the beliefs of a person like Hitler, and how so many others took up his ideals and turned his evil thoughts to action and the atrocities against humanity.
It's disturbing it happened, has happened albeit in smaller and different ways, and gives the finished reader the understanding that prejudice will always exist and in some form or manner events in the future will occur such as this, with different and newer technologies. Humanity should always be on guard.
