Editorial Review

The angry ranting of an obscure, small-party politician, the first volume of Read more

Reviews (138)

hitlers book
the reason ichose to recomend this book is because i belive it is the only one which tells the truth about nazi germany.its really not "racist propaganda" as the school systems would have you belive but an account of a man who loved his country so much,he tried to perfect it.its basicly just a philosophy book.remember ,hitlers allies in ww2 were a half black man ,mussolini and the japanese leader.so,if you want truth,read this book.if you want a bunch of tree huggin hippie bs,read any other book on the matter.this book was the most widely owned book in the world in its day.if you cant handle the truth,steer clear.if you want the german equivelant ofthomas paines's"common sense",then read it.

A Terrible Beginning Indeed
This is a very difficult book to read, not only because it is the product of the hateful and ignorant mind of a man that seized control of Germany and plunged the world into one of history's most devastating wars, resulting in the ethnic genocide of millions of Jews, Slavs, gypsies, homosexuals and others.
Putrid, but Important to Take a Look at
During the Nazi Era, this book was the most un-read bestseller in Europe.Lots of people purchased the volume, but very few took the time to read it.
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Subjects:  1. 20th century    2. Biography / Autobiography    3. Dictators    4. Europe - Germany    5. Fascism    6. Germany    7. Germany - History - Third Reich (1933-1945)    8. Historical - General    9. History    10. History & Theory - General    11. History: World    12. National socialism    13. Nationalsozialistische deutsch    14. Political    15. Politics and government    16. Biography & Autobiography / Historical   

Editorial Review

The second work in a planned three-volume series (after 2004's Read more

Reviews (15)

Powerful
Insightful, well documented, and very powerful!This book is a wonderful primer on the type of society the Nazis created, the lengths that they went to control their people, and the measures used to create the 3rd Reich.

The Ceremony of Innocence is Drowned...
"The Third Reich in Power" is the second part of Richard J. Evans's projected trilogy on the Nazi Dictatorship.The first book, "The Coming of the Third Reich", narrated German history since Bismarck, explaining how the various elements of what we know as Nazism grew during the 19th century, intensified as a result of Germany's defeat during the Great War, and then rose to power following the Great Depression and the inept political leadership of both the traditional right and left.
engrossing, full strength history
Do you like your history light or full-strength with nothing taken out? If you want to skim through yet another book about the Nazis that tells you something you probably already knew but in a different way then don't bother with this book. However, if you want to read first class, detailed historical writing then this is certainly the book for you. Evans makes 1930s Germany come alive. How does he do it? By using historical records and documents to recount incidents involving `ordinary' people. He recalls appalling things that happened to people no different to his readers. He recounts cases of `ordinary' people doing unspeakable things to their fellow Germans. The reader is brought back 70 years and is really made to feel (as much as is possible now) what it must have been like to live in an all-embracing dictatorship. The author forces you to ask yourself the uncomfortable question, "Would I have behaved differently"? You'll have guessed by now that this book does not make for easy reading. This is exactly the way it should be. You probably won't pack this book the next time you're going on a sun holiday. However, if you want to read a book that actually tells you something new then this is the book for you. Evans makes no concessions to readers who don't like too much, `boring' details and who are only interested in the `big picture'. This book describes in detail how the Nazis mercilessly quashed all opposition, controlled every element of German society, remilitarised at breakneck speed and remorsely drove Germany into a second world war. This is full-strength, full-fat, nothing taken out history. Thank God for that! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 1933-1945    2. Europe - Germany    3. Germany    4. Germany - History - Third Reich (1933-1945)    5. History    6. History - General History    7. History: World    8. National socialism    9. History / Germany   

Reviews (13)

An amazing story, not the best account
I bought this book wanting some background on the White Rose before going to see the German film on Sophie Scholl, and it was informative, if rather short - the actual story is less than 100 pages, as half the book represents documents. On the plus side, it is by the sister of Hans and Sophie Scholl, so though it isn't a great read, presumably it is an accurate account. However, I have since read some negative comments that the author used this book to place herself more centre stage, which put me off a bit as I like to think the books I read - at least those on historical events - are well-researched and unbiased.
It gives me hope
For those unfamiliar with the story of The White Rose, it is a testament to the power and courage of those who are willing to stand up for freedom and independence in a world gone mad. Once again I find this book paticularly compelling today, for obvious reasons. The pamphlets the White Rose students distributed (that they subsequently paid the ultimate price for) are reprinted in their entirety in the book. They are well written, beautiful in spirit, and as compelling today as they were then.
In All My Life
In all my life I don't think I have read a book about such courageous people as Hans and Sophie Scholl. They are involved in an anti-fascist resistance movement and know they can be killed at any hour of the day. They are in constant fear of the people around them, wondering if they are Nazi spies, and yet they keep going. Read more

Subjects:  1. Anti-Nazi movement    2. Europe - Germany    3. General    4. Germany    5. Germany - History - Third Reich (1933-1945)    6. History    7. History: World    8. Nazism    9. Poetry    10. Riot, 1943    11. Scholl family    12. Universitat Munchen    13. Weisse Rose (Resistance group)    14. European history: Second World War    15. Fascism & Nazism    16. History / General    17. Second World War, 1939-1945   

Reviews (2)

Excellent research
This book has for me the same high value as "Hitlers flying saucers" by Henry Stevens. The research is first class, especially because dr. Farrell sees the big picture and is able to connect seemingly different subjects. It never stops fascinating me how nazi Germany was able, before and in the war, to develop such things as rockets, electronics, radar, LASERS, grasers and the science fiction stuff we are only now discovering in the open literature. They were twenty to fourty years ahead of their time ! The book includes photos of german wartime electonic achievements like a miniature klystron (thumbnail dimensions) by Telefunken and the worlds first integrated circuit (photo by British intelligence). This book is a must have for the serious researcher of the terrestrial origins of (most)UFO's.

THE TRUTH ABOUT ROSWELL AND THE 20TH CENTURY!
One of the very best explanations about the legendary Roswell Incident and the best answer to technological and politicalphenomena of the second half of the Twentieth Century. This book will convince you, or else you just don't want to know the truth. The Bell was the biggest technological breakthrough since those of Nikola Tesla, whose work and knowledge (along with ancient texts) inspired the device. Farrell presents an extremely well-documented, exhaustively researched and intelligently composed argument that common-sense thinkers will rejoice over. Farrell's cumulative work finds a summation in SS BROTHERHOOD OF THE BELL that everyone can grasp, and few can legitimately deny possesses veracity.
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Subjects:  1. Germany - History - Third Reich (1933-1945)    2. History    3. Military    4. Military - World War II    5. New Age / Body, Mind & Spirit    6. Occultism    7. World War II    8. Fascism & Nazism    9. Germany    10. History of engineering & technology    11. Second World War, 1939-1945   

Editorial Review

Noted for his excellent structural explanation of the Third Reich's political culture in Read more

Reviews (64)

Hitler's confusing rise to power
This is the first of two books written by Ian Kershaw on Adolf Hitler. The first book proves to be far superior then the second since it dealt with the Hitler as a boy, young man, soldier and as a young politican finding himself. The first book covers the period of Hitler's life that don't get a lot attention and set the stage for the second volume that reinforced what Kershaw wrote in the first volume. Kershaw in studying Hitler's early years, adds the social, economic and family element within that sphere that surrounds his subject to create a very in-depth analysis of Hitler's early life. He also disspelled many of the myths and controveries around Hitler such as his Jewish ancestors have been dismissed or sexual deformity. His lack of initimate relationship with the opposite sex was explored, its Kershaw's belief that only female Hitler truly love in his entire life was his mother. I kind of wish Kershaw went little deeper into Hitler's shyness with initimacy and bodily contact.
For all the detail, an incomplete portrait of Hitler
Kershaw's book, obviously the result of years of research, is a massive tome that incorporates some new research. However, the highly selective way in which he decides which evidence to include and which to exclude is surprising. There are also a couple of errors of fact and many highly dubious interpretations. In particular his account of the origins of Hitler's anti-Semitism is not simply questionable but wholly inadequate. A good book overall but could have been much better. A more rounded portrait, based on the very latest research, is given in Michael FitzGerald's 'Adolf Hitler: A Portrait,' published in July 2006 by Spellmount.

Good, exhaustive, and slightly skewed
You will not find any apologetics at work in this well-researched, interesting biography covering Hitler's coming to power in the ugliness of post-war Germany.Kershaw is not an admirer of his subject, seeking instead to cast a cold historian's eye toward this disastrous, chaotic time which produced a passionate, flawed, menacing personality around whom so many Germans put their trust and hope.There are the obligatory statements of atrocities toward Jews, but they are related in a general sense through Hitlers "strangeness" of perception toward these people.No attempt is made to show the deep underpinnings of the antagonisms displayed and vented by Jews and non-Jews toward each other.Nor is any reason given for this dislike of one race toward another.It is simply stated as fact to add to the damning sheet on Nazi evils.No, Hitler wasn't a nice person.And there are no evil Jews in his book.Not one.There is nothing new here, and Kershaw's constant desire to distance himself from his subject because, after all, historians cannot afford such luxuries rings a little hollow, as does his grasp of what really made Hitler the way he was.One has to assume that Hitler formed his opinions from experience, not fantasy.But Kershaw leaves it in the nether realm of untouched thoughts, never to be understood. In the general sense, however, Kershaw does give an excellent overview of the events and personalities that moved on this horrid world stage of war.His research is good.His views on Hitler are obvious and predictable. A very adequate, but not great, read. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 1889-1945    2. Biography    3. Biography & Autobiography    4. Biography / Autobiography    5. Biography/Autobiography    6. Childhood and youth    7. Europe - Germany    8. Germany    9. Germany - History - Third Reich (1933-1945)    10. Heads of state    11. Historical - General    12. History    13. Hitler, Adolf,    14. Military - World War II    15. National socialism    16. Political    17. Hitler, Adolf   

Reviews (46)

Great Book
Excellent book I could not put it down. One of the most informative and interesting books I have read in my life.

It opened my eyes...
I knew very little of how the Nazis rose to power.This book really details the slow rise and why and how the Nazis did come to power.I think everyone should read this book.It has changed my thinking dramatically.I am now reading The Nazis in Power by Evans.

A New Standard History of the Third Reich
The Coming of the Third Reich is an absorbing and authoritative account of the origins of Nazi Germany.Although this is not a work of groundbreaking research, it is an incisive and lucid synthesis of the vast amount of Nazi scholarship that exists. Evans outlines German history from the days of Bismarck (whose haunting of the German consciousness, Evans argues, helped lead in part to the rise of the Nazis) through World War I (on which Evans spends a disappointingly brief amount of time) and ending just after Hitler is appointed Chancellor in 1933.Evans shows with admirable clarity how methodically, carefully, and ruthlessly the Nazis seized power, squelching all opposition, and how tragically naive the Hindenburg government was in underestimating Hitler.
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Subjects:  1. 1871-1918    2. 1918-1933    3. Europe - Germany    4. Germany    5. Germany - History - Third Reich (1933-1945)    6. History    7. History - General History    8. History: World    9. National socialism    10. Political History    11. Political Ideologies - Fascism & Totalitarianism    12. European history: Second World War    13. European history: from c 1900 -    14. Fascism & Nazism    15. History / World   

Reviews (4)

Germany's Everlasting Shame
This book is quite simply a horror story.It is over 260 pages of man's inhumanity to man.I base my four star rating on one horror story after another throughout the book.Each person's misery is certainly to be respected, but how people who pass themselves off as human beings could treat other individuals with such despicable behavior defies explanation.Women would hold up their children so they could watch the "fun" taking place at the expense of the Jewish people.This night of November 10,1938 called Kristallnacht, the Night of Broken Glass, in which Jewish synagogues and Jewish places of business were destroyed all over Germany not to mention the loss of life these people experienced, was supposedly due to a Jewish person taking revenge on his family's expulsion from Germany by shooting an individual in a German embassy in Paris, France, on November 7, 1938.I've had the chance to meet Martin Lowenberg who was 10 years old at the time of Kristallnacht, and heard him tell his experience of horror at the hands of Hitler's thugs.What is especially frightening is that ordinary Germans got caught up in the terror and relished the role they, too, could play in this everlasting shame on their country.Let us not be so naive to think this could not happen again.

not his best effort
Interesting, but spends way too much time in minute details.And..plenty of the book had nothing to do with Kristallnacht.

compelling eyewitness accounts
The personal narratives that Gilbert found for this book are its most compelling aspect. The overall picture of Kristallnacht has been known for decades. And Gilbert's accounting of that, while written with his usual skill, basically covers well trodden ground.
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Subjects:  1. 1933-1945    2. Europe - Germany    3. Germany    4. Germany - History - Third Reich (1933-1945)    5. History    6. History - General History    7. History - Military / War    8. History: World    9. Holocaust    10. Jewish - General    11. Jewish Holocaust    12. Jews    13. Kristallnacht, 1938    14. Military - World War II    15. Persecutions    16. History / General   

Reviews (4)

Stiff prose, sterling information
Petrouplos'has a remarkable knack for gathering valuable hisotrical information, not to mention wangling an interview with the formidable Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. He is a serious academic historian and his work includes a list of previous books he's written about the Nazi era and the holocaust. His fluency in German, and his academic background, put him in a league of his own among royalty writers. The book is written with the stiff prose of an academic research paper, but on its face, it may appeal as much to royalty buffs as to historians of World War II and the Nazi movement.Often the sensational facts underlying the story are dulled by the musty language. However, the reluctance to sensationalize gives the book more credibility. Petroupols downplays the sizzling hot genealogy of the principal players, Christoph and Philipp von Hessen. Even the family tree fails to branch out as far as it could, straight into the heart of the living royal family of England. A typical royalty writer such as Kitty Kelley would have put the facts in big bold font: the Duke of Edinburgh, husband of the Queen of England, had three sisters and three brothers-in-law who became members of the Nazi party. The facts are interesting, if deplorable. Petroupolus seeks to lay out the facts objectively, looking at root causes. Maybe there is enough distance between us and the Nazi era to admit with some calmness the appeal of the movement. Royalty buffs may want to turn their idols into saints, but this book makes it evident that some royals backed Hitler long and enthusiastically. One vivid passage in the book quotes a conversation between Phillip von Hessen and Hitler, and the Prince sounds both subservient and fanatical: 'Jawohl, mein Fuherer!'he says, several times in one minute.
The Seduction of Nazism
Philipp and Christoph von Hessen-Kassell were great-grandsons of Queen Victoria and nephews of Kaiser Wilhelm II.They were born into the highest circles of wealth and privilege in pre-World War I Germany, living in a variety of palaces and castles and secure within a wide family circle which extended into nearly every royal dynasty in Europe. Petropoulos' central story examines how such men could have been seduced into participating in the highest levels of one ofthe most thuggish regimes in modern times.
ROYALS AND THE REICH
A VERY WELL DOCUMENTED BOOK REGARDING THE RELATIONS BETWEEN GERMAN PRINCELY FAMILIES AND THE NAZI REGIME FOCUSING PRIMARILY ON THE HESSEN-KASSEL BRANCH.
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Subjects:  1. 1933-1945    2. 20th century    3. Biography    4. Europe - Germany    5. Germany    6. Germany - History - Third Reich (1933-1945)    7. History    8. History - General History    9. History: World    10. National socialism    11. Political Ideologies - Fascism & Totalitarianism    12. Princes    13. Royalty    14. Social aspects    15. History / Germany    16. History, World | European | Germany   

Reviews (11)

MEIN FLOPF
It was apparently in 1961 that a book alleged to be the second literary effort of Hitler was published in Munich. I recall seeing a very small news item around then to that effect in one of the British papers, and I recall the statement in that same item that the work had achieved no significant sales. As it started, so it seems to have continued. It surprises me still that a document of so much historical significance has had to wait more than 40 years for its first English edition, and I naturally wondered whether it could really be genuine under the circumstances. Apparently it is, but it still seems to be avoiding the best-seller lists, and I can't recall a great deal of critical discussion of it either. Nothing that I have seen has cast doubt on the work's authenticity, which I am therefore taking on trust. In attempting a review I am mainly concerned with the actual content of the volume. However in awarding a rating I have given regard only to the editorial work, and I imagine it would go without saying that this rating does not reflect any endorsement of the poisonous doctrines of Adolf Hitler.
A important historical document
This book is intersting in the sense that it helps us understand better the views of Hitler in the way of foreign policy, especially towards the United States. Altough the book was published in french in the 1960's as L'Expansion du Reich, this edition offers great footnotes by Gerhard L. Weinberg that help us better understand the historical elementsdevelopped by Hitler in his manuscript.
Terrifying
Reading this is like a journey through the heart of darkness. Here is the future as foreseen by the most evil man to ever live, and it is as terrifying a vision as you could possibly have read. Thank god this man was stopped before his terrible visions could be realized. Not a fun read, but rounds out the study of Nazi Germany the way only Albert Speer's work has done. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 20th century    2. Europe - Germany    3. Foreign relations    4. Germany    5. Germany - History - Third Reich (1933-1945)    6. History    7. History & Theory - General    8. History - General History    9. History: World    10. National socialism    11. Political Ideologies - Fascism & Totalitarianism    12. European history: Second World War    13. Fascism & Nazism    14. History / General    15. History / Military / World War II    16. Inter-war period, 1918-1939   

Reviews (3)

An introduction and overview
This is an excellent, well-written, introduction and overview of the Eastern Front, 1941, with regard to German policies vis-a-vis the general populace. However, the author says upfront that the book is not intended as a work of great scholarship and, as indicated by the footnotes, it is not. Megargee wrote a great book in 2000 about the German General Staff (a WWII "must read"), and has a dream job at the U.S. Holocaust Museum. He is a top-notch military historian in the prime of his career, which is the reason I was so very disappointed with the book's bibliography. His book brings to mind scores of questions, and needs a good bibliography to lead the reader to appropriate literature. Instead, all we get is some lame "bibliographic essay". A definite flaw in the book.

An Outstanding Introduction to the War with Russia
For far too long historians of the Russo German war focused on either the military operations or the abuses of the civilian population in Soviet Russia.The most notably of these were obviously the Jews, although the Slavs and others suffered terribly.Although, in some instances Wehrmachtrear service units and the general staff have been identified as contributing to the escalation of brutality, for the most part the work of murder and starvation has been attributed to the various civil administration authorities and most notably, the SS.It is to this lack of connection between the occupation policies in Soviet Russia and the actual prosecution of the war that Geoffrey P. Megargee addresses in his book.Before I get any further however, let me be clear as to what this book is and is not.As the author informs the reader in the introduction, this book is not a comprehensive history of the Russo German war told from both sides of the story.It is primarily told from the perspective of the German plans and actions.This book is also not a shocking piece of new scholarship.What it is though, is a refreshingly new look at all of the pieces of evidence that have been laid down by other researchers and not previously seen for their interconnected nature.This book is a concise history of both the Nazi war against the USSR and the occupation policies and how the two inevitably led to the defeat of the Germany.
A quick introduction to the Eastern Front
This book is both for the layman and for those who want a better understanding of why the Eastern Front was such a struggle for life and death on the part of civilians and POW's not even speaking of soldiers on the front lines.The author goes through the history of Nazi ideology and the role it played in the creation of the Third Reich as well as the history of the German Army and why in the end it proved an essential tool in the genocidal campaign Germany would launch when it attacked the Soviet Union (although keeping in mind the Polish campaign showed signs of what was to come on a smaller scale).Although military movements are described, they are done so in a general sense simply to show the success the German Armed forces were enjoying and the amount of territory that was falling under their supervision.Then come the explanations for how involved the Army was in the genocide of Jews, Communists, and various other groups throughout the Soviet Union.Mainly the Armed forces helped the SS, Einzatsgruppen, Order Police, and other various units in their mass murders throughout the rear areas that they had just occupied.As well as making it possible for POW's to starve on a massive scale without a second thought to their fates.Without the Army's cooperation millions of Soviet POW's would have lived to see 1942 and perhaps tens of thousands of Jews and Communists would have lived to see the end of the war.The Army's complication in these crimes is now being shown for what it was, although the book is small, around 150 pages of text, the revelations it makes are very important for understanding what went on on the Eastern Front and how it evolved into outright genocide.Well worth the money. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Atrocities    2. Campaigns    3. Eastern Front    4. Europe - Germany    5. Europe - Russia & the Former Soviet Union    6. Europe, Eastern    7. Germany - History - Third Reich (1933-1945)    8. History    9. History - Military / War    10. Military    11. Military - World War II    12. World War II - Europe    13. World War, 1939-1945    14. European history: Second World War    15. Germany    16. History / General    17. History / Germany    18. Second World War, 1939-1945    19. War & defence operations   

Reviews (11)

Awesome
I know so many people have complimented this book, but I have too also.The insights that Haffner puts forth explain much of the confusion of Hitler's moves during World War II.
Refreshing Perspective
Haffner offers a fresh perspective on Hitler, about whom most of us WWII buffs think we know a great deal. His major point--that Hitler was, in effect, a self-hating guy who turned his hatred in the end against the country he professed to love--is a very interesting viewpoint and one that can be argued and discussed forever. I'm encouraged to read more by this insightful writer!

Pretty brilliant
It's really odd how Haffner has managed to cram so many valuable and unique insights into such a small book. Others have done a good job of reviewing this book already, so I'll just mention that I was particularly impressed with how Haffner explained, without excusing anything, how *rationally* one could have come to support Hitler.
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Subjects:  1. 1889-1945    2. Biography    3. Biography/Autobiography    4. General    5. Germany    6. Germany - History - Third Reich (1933-1945)    7. Heads of state    8. History - General History    9. Hitler, Adolf    10. Hitler, Adolf,    11. Political Science    12. Politics/International Relations    13. European history (ie other than Britain & Ireland)    14. Fascism & Nazism    15. Political Science / General   

Subjects:  1. Aviation - History    2. Europe - Germany    3. Germany - History - Third Reich (1933-1945)    4. History - Military / War    5. Military - Aviation    6. Military - World War II    7. Military Aircraft - World War II    8. Transportation    9. Air forces & warfare    10. Aircraft: general interest    11. European history: Second World War    12. Germany    13. Second World War, 1939-1945    14. Transportation / Aviation / General    15. Uniforms & insignia   

Reviews (5)

The best bio on Göring
One wonders what would have happened if someone other than G�ring, a drug addict, slacker, looter and idiot, commanded the Luftwaffe?All in all, a gem of a book and as ususal, in Irving;s meticulously high standards. Read it togther with Irving's biography of Milch, and you get a feel of the real Luftwaffe.

Good Biography Silhouetted Against the Backdrop of History
It is precisely because of the "idiosyncracities" of the subject that jazzes this excellently written volume and sets it apart from the more generalized biographies of Hitler's henchmen authored by Peter Padfield and others. It is of course impossible to separate these men from the events of World War II, and most historians do not attempt it. Thus,the spate of biographies of Goebbels, Himmler, et. al., appearing in recent years are more generalized histories of World War II; tactics, politics, etc; than a close exploration into the inner workings of self, and environmental factors that drove these individuals into Hitler's orbit.Mr. Irving does a better job of unmasking the man that was Hermann Goring than most, and manages to capture the essence of the man against the larger themes of war, the Holocaust, and the mad delusions of the Third Reich.

Interesting viewpoint
I dont think any historian is perfect. And when an Historian has an unpopular view, he tends to be more scrutinized. David Irving is perhaps an apologist for Hitler (ie. It wasnt Hitler it was the bad men around him that brought him down), and therefore controversial. But he does present a fresh viewpoint and that helps the self intellectual decide for themselves what happened during those tempestuous times. I myself found the book interesting but too full of superficial idiosyncracies about Goering. I would have preferred more of a psychological evaluation and analysis of the man. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 1893-1946    2. Biography    3. Biography / Autobiography    4. Biography/Autobiography    5. General    6. Germany    7. Germany - History - Third Reich (1933-1945)    8. Goring, Hermann,    9. Nazis    10. Statesmen    11. Göring, Hermann   

Reviews (7)

How The Germans Accepted Nazism And Hitler
Robert Gellately's "Backing Hitler" may be the most thought provoking, extensive study as to how and why the German people ultimately embraced both Nazism and Adolf Hitler during the course of the Great Depression and World War II. Gellately makes the startling claim that most Germans were aware of Nazi atrocities - though not necessarily the worst - and yet found them tolerable as a means to combat crime. Indeed, he notes how Germans embraced Nazism as a succesful antidote to the financial and cultural corruption they'd seen in the 1920's and early 1930's during the Weimar Republic. With the notable exception of the Holocaust, Nazi goverment officials and agencies such as the Gestapo and the SS did not hide the existence of concentration camps and torture from the general public, but instead, allowed them to be published both in Nazi popular journals and daily newspapers (And the Holocaust itself was not hidden, except for its most virulent, deadly phases, in which Jews were dealt with via "special handling", the Nazi euphemism for genocide.). Only towards the end, during the final months and weeks of the war, did the German public see the most brutal aspects of the Nazi regime. Yet surprisingly, many Germans continued to support the regime until the very end. Gellately's premise may seem unoriginal in light of Daniel Goldhagen's popular book indicting the entire German nation for the Holocaust, yet unlike Goldhagen, Gellately offers substantially more persuasive evidence to demonstrate how a social consensus was reached within German society in support of the Nazi regime. Gellately's book may be the seminal work looking at how the Nazis successfully used the media in disseminating their philosophy to Germany.

Interesting and Thought Provoking
Backing Hitler: Consent and Coercion in Nazi Germany by Robert Gellately is a interesting and thought provoking study of what the German people knew and when they know it.Gellately does a fine job delving through the historical achieves, especially old newspapers, to give the reader an insight into what information was available to the German public. Interesting Mess
I looked forward to reading this volume with great anticipation.Unfortunately, I was disappointed.While the subject matter is certainly interesting, the editing (or lack thereof) is so unacceptable as to make several lengthy passages almost completely unintelligible.For my money, "Hitler's Willing Executioners", which covers the same topic, is much more well-constructed, if a bit dry at times. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 1933-1945    2. Concentration camps    3. Europe - Germany    4. Germany    5. Germany - History - Third Reich (1933-1945)    6. History    7. History - Military / War    8. History: World    9. Holocaust    10. Jewish Holocaust    11. Military - World War II    12. National socialism    13. Psychological aspects    14. Race relations    15. European history: Second World War    16. History / Germany    17. History, World | European | Germany    18. Hitler, Adolf    19. Political structures: totalitarianism & dictatorship    20. The Holocaust    21. World history: Second World War