What do you think?
Rate this book
Oblicza zła
Himmler
Qui était Heinrich Himmler ? Souvent considéré comme un simple auxiliaire du Führer, ce personnage falot et apparemment effacé fut en réalité l'ordonnateur de l'Holocauste et le concepteur de Dachau, modèle des camps d'extermination. Peter Longerich retrace l'étonnante ascension de ce fonctionnaire du mal, qui devint un des plus grands criminels de l'histoire alors qu'il n'était qu'un type ordinaire, bien loin du mythe aryen qu'il prétendait exalter. Maître absolu de la SS, garde prétorienne du régime, Himmler ne cessa de devancer les attentes d'Hitler jusqu'à devenir l'homme le plus puissant du Troisième Reich après le Führer. À partir d'un vaste éventail de sources, dont le journal intime et la correspondance d'Himmler, et de documents inédits, cette biographie apporte un éclairage nouveau sur celui qui fut l'un des véritables piliers de l'Allemagne nazie, un fanatique impitoyable dans la peau d'un homme insignifiant et frustré.
916 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2008
193 people are currently reading
1714 people want to read
About the author
Peter Longerich
35 books95 followersPeter Longerich is a German professor of history. He is currently director of the Research Centre for the Holocaust and Twentieth-Century History at Royal Holloway, University of London.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 71 reviews
March 6, 2020
“[Heinrich] Himmler’s behavior during his final days is full of contradictions. Unlike other prominent Nazis he had not taken his own life…but rather gone into hiding, although in such an amateurish manner that he and those with him were bound to be caught at some point. When he fell into Allied hands he made sure they knew who he was and yet then evaded responsibility through suicide. The fact that he acted in this way and not in accordance with the virtues of an SS officer he perpetually preached…was to disillusion his men deeply and result in the posthumous reputation of the Reichsführer-SS remaining largely negative even among former adherents. In the post-war years no Himmler legend was waiting to be born…In May 1945 Himmler had simply been absorbed into the flood of millions of refugees and soldiers. His end appears as puzzling as his career in the service of National Socialism. How could such a banal personality attain such a historically unique position of power? How could the son of a prosperous Bavarian Catholic public servant become the organizer of a system of mass murder spanning the whole of Europe?”
- Peter Longerich, Heinrich Himmler
I sort of wished I had taken a picture of my wife’s face when I lifted – using my legs, not my back, because this thing’s heavy – Peter Longerich’s Heinrich Himmler from the box in which it was delivered. It is roughly the size of a toaster and the cover is adorned with a crisp black-and-white picture of a weak-chinned Nazi with rimless specs and a death’s head emblazoned on his cap. I suspect she would’ve been happier to see me haul out back issues of Jugs rather than this monstrous tome devoted to a monstrous twit.
My wife’s furrowed brow asked the silent question that you may ask yourself, when confronted with this book at your local bookseller: Do I really need to read a huge (750 pages of text, 200 pages of endnotes) biography about a hateful little henchman who presided over the deaths of millions of innocent people?
The answer, of course, depends on how invested you are in the history of the Second World War. But even the most ravenous student might hesitate slightly at Longerich’s full-dress treatment of the diminutive toad lurking in Hitler’s shadow.
Heinrich Himmler was the head of the Schutzstaffel, a paramilitary organization best known as the SS. The SS began as a guard unit. Under Himmler, its duties expanded to include military formations, death squads, and concentration camp guards. His name, today, is synonymous with evil. In many ways, he out-Hitlered Hitler.
When you read his life story, however, you also realize how amazingly unremarkable he was. For a man who revered the Teutonic Übermensch, Himmler had a below-average physique and extremely below-average looks. In terms of intellect, he was middling. Longerich’s biography is studded with long passages from his diary, and the themes he develops are strikingly average. It’s quite possible that Himmler never had a truly profound thought in his whole life.
What Himmler lacked in appearance, intelligence, wit, skill, or strength, he made up for with ambition. The man had drive. He also had wild, ridiculous, unrealizable ideas. At any other time in history…well, he would’ve been lost to history. Just one more crackpot scribbling harebrained nonsense into a journal that nobody would ever read.
Unfortunately for humanity, Himmler came of age during the tumultuous years of the Weimar Republic, following World War I. These confused times proved fertile ground for men of inflated self-esteem and grandiose delusions. In 1923, he joined his fate to that of the nascent Nazi Party. He was part of Ernst Rohm’s SA before joining the much smaller SS. Over time, as the SA came into disfavor, Himmler maneuvered the SS to take its place. Eventually, it became one of the most powerful organizations in the Third Reich.
Longerich’s immensely-detailed, cradle-to-arrival-at-hell biography begins with Himmler’s upbringing in a conservative Catholic family. Perhaps the most fascinating parts of the book are Himmler’s early diary entries, as he struggles with religion, girls, and sex. It’s fairly clear that Himmler was an awkward youth, unable to bridge the chasm between female friendships and actual physical intimacy. In response, Himmler resorted to a prudishness and hyper-morality that he would later attempt to install in the SS.
These early sections are the most intimate and human-focused of the book. They are also apt to be controversial, since they are minutely focused on Himmler’s inner-workings. That is, on his psychology.
Historians have a fraught relationship to psychology. They typically focus on what happened, and when they attempt to explain why, they prefer to do so mechanically, by showing how one concrete event led to another. They prefer to avoid the human heart and the human mind as world-historical forces, because it’s hard to quantify objectively.
To Longerich’s credit, he avoids getting anywhere near an argument that Himmler’s early childhood, adolescent formation, or upbringing caused him to become the murderous, sadistic Reichsführer-SS. Instead, Longerich shows us Himmler as the creepy weirdo he was. Certainly, though, his psychological hang-ups – well delineated by his own writings – informed his direction of the SS. The examples of this are numerous, and include the stringent racial criteria to get in; Himmler’s molding of the SS into a “family,” complete with SS swag sent to members every Christmas; and the intrusive requirement that every SS man had to get Himmler’s permission to marry.
At a certain point, Longerich eschews a chronological approach in favor of a thematic structure, where each chapter focuses on a specific topic, ignoring other events that might be occurring simultaneously. For instance, a chapter on Himmler’s leadership style ranges from 1925 (the year he joined the SS) to 1945 (the year he bit down on a cyanide capsule). Other thematic chapters include surveys on Himmler’s insane (and I do mean insane) beliefs in the occult; his grand vision of the SS as avatars of racially pure excellence; and his deadly plans for resettling the East. (Himmler’s plans – most never started – are so deviously detailed as to chill the blood).
Longerich’s method means that readers without a relatively-detailed knowledge of World War II are apt to get lost. He skips about in time more often than Scott Bakula, without ever stopping to provide much context. Furthermore, the spotlight never wavers from Himmler’s receding chin. There is no effort to introduce or breathe life into the peripheral players in Himmler’s twisted world. This is one of those rare books where Adolf Hitler is confined to a role that barely qualifies as a walk across the stage.
Heinrich Himmler has been translated from German into English. The translation is, in a word, toneless. It is as though an extremely proficient (and probably German-engineered) robot took Longerich’s German text and spit back a grammatically perfect but otherwise-lifeless English version. The fault here, however, is probably not with the translators. They cannot add music or rhythm to prose that is already dead. It’s more likely that Longerich’s writing is dry in every language. That makes getting through this doorstop a challenge and a test of intellectual will.
The size of this biography is both a detriment and its allure. It is too long, too complicated, and too tediously written to lend itself to casual readers. Yet at the same time, a huge volume on a pivotal Nazi will prove irresistible for World War II buffs.
Aside from Himmler’s childhood, there is nothing revelatory here, or facts you can’t get elsewhere (the personal side of the adult Himmler is not nearly as well documented as the child). The portrait that’s ultimately revealed is of a wildly-delusional man given a lot of free rein and power to implement his fantasies. One of the more interesting things Longerich showed was Himmler’s detachment from Hitler’s inner circle. Certainly, Himmler used Hitler to exercise power, but you don’t get the feeling that Himmler loved Hitler in the way that Goebbels and others did. Indeed, towards the end of the war, Himmler was chief among those willing to betray the Fuhrer.
Dryness aside, Longerich succeeds in his aims. You get a good sense of the type of person Himmler was, based a lot on his own extensive scrawling. You also get an inkling of what it might have been like to share the room with him, to get entangled in his warped inner universe. It is up to you to decide if you want to spend one page – much less 750 – imagining that experience.
- Peter Longerich, Heinrich Himmler
I sort of wished I had taken a picture of my wife’s face when I lifted – using my legs, not my back, because this thing’s heavy – Peter Longerich’s Heinrich Himmler from the box in which it was delivered. It is roughly the size of a toaster and the cover is adorned with a crisp black-and-white picture of a weak-chinned Nazi with rimless specs and a death’s head emblazoned on his cap. I suspect she would’ve been happier to see me haul out back issues of Jugs rather than this monstrous tome devoted to a monstrous twit.
My wife’s furrowed brow asked the silent question that you may ask yourself, when confronted with this book at your local bookseller: Do I really need to read a huge (750 pages of text, 200 pages of endnotes) biography about a hateful little henchman who presided over the deaths of millions of innocent people?
The answer, of course, depends on how invested you are in the history of the Second World War. But even the most ravenous student might hesitate slightly at Longerich’s full-dress treatment of the diminutive toad lurking in Hitler’s shadow.
Heinrich Himmler was the head of the Schutzstaffel, a paramilitary organization best known as the SS. The SS began as a guard unit. Under Himmler, its duties expanded to include military formations, death squads, and concentration camp guards. His name, today, is synonymous with evil. In many ways, he out-Hitlered Hitler.
When you read his life story, however, you also realize how amazingly unremarkable he was. For a man who revered the Teutonic Übermensch, Himmler had a below-average physique and extremely below-average looks. In terms of intellect, he was middling. Longerich’s biography is studded with long passages from his diary, and the themes he develops are strikingly average. It’s quite possible that Himmler never had a truly profound thought in his whole life.
What Himmler lacked in appearance, intelligence, wit, skill, or strength, he made up for with ambition. The man had drive. He also had wild, ridiculous, unrealizable ideas. At any other time in history…well, he would’ve been lost to history. Just one more crackpot scribbling harebrained nonsense into a journal that nobody would ever read.
Unfortunately for humanity, Himmler came of age during the tumultuous years of the Weimar Republic, following World War I. These confused times proved fertile ground for men of inflated self-esteem and grandiose delusions. In 1923, he joined his fate to that of the nascent Nazi Party. He was part of Ernst Rohm’s SA before joining the much smaller SS. Over time, as the SA came into disfavor, Himmler maneuvered the SS to take its place. Eventually, it became one of the most powerful organizations in the Third Reich.
Longerich’s immensely-detailed, cradle-to-arrival-at-hell biography begins with Himmler’s upbringing in a conservative Catholic family. Perhaps the most fascinating parts of the book are Himmler’s early diary entries, as he struggles with religion, girls, and sex. It’s fairly clear that Himmler was an awkward youth, unable to bridge the chasm between female friendships and actual physical intimacy. In response, Himmler resorted to a prudishness and hyper-morality that he would later attempt to install in the SS.
These early sections are the most intimate and human-focused of the book. They are also apt to be controversial, since they are minutely focused on Himmler’s inner-workings. That is, on his psychology.
Historians have a fraught relationship to psychology. They typically focus on what happened, and when they attempt to explain why, they prefer to do so mechanically, by showing how one concrete event led to another. They prefer to avoid the human heart and the human mind as world-historical forces, because it’s hard to quantify objectively.
To Longerich’s credit, he avoids getting anywhere near an argument that Himmler’s early childhood, adolescent formation, or upbringing caused him to become the murderous, sadistic Reichsführer-SS. Instead, Longerich shows us Himmler as the creepy weirdo he was. Certainly, though, his psychological hang-ups – well delineated by his own writings – informed his direction of the SS. The examples of this are numerous, and include the stringent racial criteria to get in; Himmler’s molding of the SS into a “family,” complete with SS swag sent to members every Christmas; and the intrusive requirement that every SS man had to get Himmler’s permission to marry.
At a certain point, Longerich eschews a chronological approach in favor of a thematic structure, where each chapter focuses on a specific topic, ignoring other events that might be occurring simultaneously. For instance, a chapter on Himmler’s leadership style ranges from 1925 (the year he joined the SS) to 1945 (the year he bit down on a cyanide capsule). Other thematic chapters include surveys on Himmler’s insane (and I do mean insane) beliefs in the occult; his grand vision of the SS as avatars of racially pure excellence; and his deadly plans for resettling the East. (Himmler’s plans – most never started – are so deviously detailed as to chill the blood).
Longerich’s method means that readers without a relatively-detailed knowledge of World War II are apt to get lost. He skips about in time more often than Scott Bakula, without ever stopping to provide much context. Furthermore, the spotlight never wavers from Himmler’s receding chin. There is no effort to introduce or breathe life into the peripheral players in Himmler’s twisted world. This is one of those rare books where Adolf Hitler is confined to a role that barely qualifies as a walk across the stage.
Heinrich Himmler has been translated from German into English. The translation is, in a word, toneless. It is as though an extremely proficient (and probably German-engineered) robot took Longerich’s German text and spit back a grammatically perfect but otherwise-lifeless English version. The fault here, however, is probably not with the translators. They cannot add music or rhythm to prose that is already dead. It’s more likely that Longerich’s writing is dry in every language. That makes getting through this doorstop a challenge and a test of intellectual will.
The size of this biography is both a detriment and its allure. It is too long, too complicated, and too tediously written to lend itself to casual readers. Yet at the same time, a huge volume on a pivotal Nazi will prove irresistible for World War II buffs.
Aside from Himmler’s childhood, there is nothing revelatory here, or facts you can’t get elsewhere (the personal side of the adult Himmler is not nearly as well documented as the child). The portrait that’s ultimately revealed is of a wildly-delusional man given a lot of free rein and power to implement his fantasies. One of the more interesting things Longerich showed was Himmler’s detachment from Hitler’s inner circle. Certainly, Himmler used Hitler to exercise power, but you don’t get the feeling that Himmler loved Hitler in the way that Goebbels and others did. Indeed, towards the end of the war, Himmler was chief among those willing to betray the Fuhrer.
Dryness aside, Longerich succeeds in his aims. You get a good sense of the type of person Himmler was, based a lot on his own extensive scrawling. You also get an inkling of what it might have been like to share the room with him, to get entangled in his warped inner universe. It is up to you to decide if you want to spend one page – much less 750 – imagining that experience.
May 15, 2021
-De la normalidad del monstruo y de su entorno sociopolítico, que no exactamente de su sustrato general.
Género. Biografía.
Lo que nos cuenta. El libro Heinrich Himmler. Biografía (publicación original: Heinrich Himmler. A Life, 2008) es un recorrido por la vida y obra (por llamarla de alguna manera) de Heinrich Himmler, empezando por el 23 de mayo de 1945 y retrocediendo hasta finales del siglo XIX para narrar de manera cronológica una enormidad de vivencias del personaje, de todo tipo, llegando de nuevo a ese día de mayo de 1945.
¿Quiere saber más de este libro, sin spoilers? Visite:
https://librosdeolethros.blogspot.com...
Género. Biografía.
Lo que nos cuenta. El libro Heinrich Himmler. Biografía (publicación original: Heinrich Himmler. A Life, 2008) es un recorrido por la vida y obra (por llamarla de alguna manera) de Heinrich Himmler, empezando por el 23 de mayo de 1945 y retrocediendo hasta finales del siglo XIX para narrar de manera cronológica una enormidad de vivencias del personaje, de todo tipo, llegando de nuevo a ese día de mayo de 1945.
¿Quiere saber más de este libro, sin spoilers? Visite:
https://librosdeolethros.blogspot.com...
Read
February 26, 2019huge book ... well organized and thorough ... I just looked for a few specific things relevant to my novel ... found them
March 12, 2012
Unfortunately we're still waiting for the definitive biography of Himmler, one of the most mysterious figures of the Third Reich. While Longerich fairly ably covers the events of Himmler's life and career, there are vast empty spaces. For example, he never deals with Himmler's relationship to and with Hitler, which simply boggles. Himmler's development into an important figure in the Nazi party more or less simply occurs - at one moment, Himmler is quietly raising chickens and dabbling in right wing politics, at the next he's the head of the SS.
Huge gaps of this sort make this book far less important than it might have been; the way is still open for someone in the future to reveal this bizarre and horrible figure in all his complexity.
The conversion to Kindle is very good; the translation to English is a bit toneless.
Huge gaps of this sort make this book far less important than it might have been; the way is still open for someone in the future to reveal this bizarre and horrible figure in all his complexity.
The conversion to Kindle is very good; the translation to English is a bit toneless.
January 30, 2018
Excepting the description of his youth this is not a normal biography of its subject nor does it give an outline of the war in Europe and Africa--readers are expected to know that. Instead, the focus of this lengthy text is on how Himmler rose through party ranks and accreted power. Much attention is given to the various shufflings and reshufflings of the organizations and institutions under his authority.
A subsidiary theme is the holocaust--or, more properly, of how Nazi race theory was implemented with increasing severity against undesirable populations. Here Himmler played a, if not the, major role. Author Longerich treats this controversial matter carefully, presenting a picture of a reactive, ever-changing set of policies.
Detailed and very well documented, this book is strongly recommended to serious students of the war.
PS Again, the 'date started' field below is not functioning. In fact, the reading of this tome took almost a week.
A subsidiary theme is the holocaust--or, more properly, of how Nazi race theory was implemented with increasing severity against undesirable populations. Here Himmler played a, if not the, major role. Author Longerich treats this controversial matter carefully, presenting a picture of a reactive, ever-changing set of policies.
Detailed and very well documented, this book is strongly recommended to serious students of the war.
PS Again, the 'date started' field below is not functioning. In fact, the reading of this tome took almost a week.
March 17, 2012
Heinrich Himmler. The name itself brings a shudder to one. This man worked to exterminate groups, to enforce a foolish racial theory, and maintain the Nazi society thro0ugh terror. The book has one animating question (Page 3): "How could such a banal personality attain such a historically unique position of power?" The aim of the biography itself is (Page 3) ". . .to penetrate as far as possible the mystery of this man's personality and the motives underlying his monstrous deeds."
The book begins with an examination of his family background and his youth. Certainly, there is not much there to explain how he became one of Hitler's stalwarts later on. The early chapters explore his effort to make a career in the agricultural realm; it also traces his rise in the Nazi Party, becoming an important figure in the SS. Many of the major conflicts of the time swirled around Himmler. At one point, he was friendly toward Rohm, head of the SA; later, he was involved in destroying the SA.
Issues discussed in the book: How Himmler became closer to Hitler and used Hitler's power as a way of increasing his own. How Himmler developed strange and unscientific studies of race and then tried to impose his views on people of many backgrounds. Especially enlightening is his effort to define people in other countries as German; if so, they were to be treated as if they were a part of the master race. Others? To use a phrase showing up in another book, the "worthless eaters" were not to be given sustenance or--as the war dragged on and atrocities mounted--exterminated. The SS devised a network of agents to ensure security in Nazi Germany and in the occupied areas. Over the course of the war, Himmler's forces (not just the SS--but many other organizations and security agencies as well) became more repressive and more willing to inflict punishment.
Of course, central to the story of Himmler is his increasing push toward elimination of Jews, as he worked with Hitler and others to develop a "final solution" to the "Jewish problem." Policy moved from discrimination and violence against Jews to setting up ghettoes, to forced labor to concentration camps and, finally, mass killings. The details of the story, leisurely developed over a series of chapters, is truly chilling.
The book also speaks to the battles Himmler waged with others for the ear of Hitler and for power. He feuded with the Wehrmacht and developed the Waffen-SS as the military arm of the SS. Indeed, he even assumed military command--to little good effect--near the end of the war. His last days and death are recorded.
There is a final brief chapter that tries to pull various threads together to analyze his role in the history of Nazi Germany. To my eye, it is a bit brief, but it does a fine job of trying to make sense of Heinrich Himmler. All in all, an important work.
The book begins with an examination of his family background and his youth. Certainly, there is not much there to explain how he became one of Hitler's stalwarts later on. The early chapters explore his effort to make a career in the agricultural realm; it also traces his rise in the Nazi Party, becoming an important figure in the SS. Many of the major conflicts of the time swirled around Himmler. At one point, he was friendly toward Rohm, head of the SA; later, he was involved in destroying the SA.
Issues discussed in the book: How Himmler became closer to Hitler and used Hitler's power as a way of increasing his own. How Himmler developed strange and unscientific studies of race and then tried to impose his views on people of many backgrounds. Especially enlightening is his effort to define people in other countries as German; if so, they were to be treated as if they were a part of the master race. Others? To use a phrase showing up in another book, the "worthless eaters" were not to be given sustenance or--as the war dragged on and atrocities mounted--exterminated. The SS devised a network of agents to ensure security in Nazi Germany and in the occupied areas. Over the course of the war, Himmler's forces (not just the SS--but many other organizations and security agencies as well) became more repressive and more willing to inflict punishment.
Of course, central to the story of Himmler is his increasing push toward elimination of Jews, as he worked with Hitler and others to develop a "final solution" to the "Jewish problem." Policy moved from discrimination and violence against Jews to setting up ghettoes, to forced labor to concentration camps and, finally, mass killings. The details of the story, leisurely developed over a series of chapters, is truly chilling.
The book also speaks to the battles Himmler waged with others for the ear of Hitler and for power. He feuded with the Wehrmacht and developed the Waffen-SS as the military arm of the SS. Indeed, he even assumed military command--to little good effect--near the end of the war. His last days and death are recorded.
There is a final brief chapter that tries to pull various threads together to analyze his role in the history of Nazi Germany. To my eye, it is a bit brief, but it does a fine job of trying to make sense of Heinrich Himmler. All in all, an important work.
November 15, 2013
I give up! I surrender! I got to page 602 of this 1,050 paqe book and I simply could not proceed onward. It's flat out BORING!!! I expected to learn gripping, intimate details on Himmler, the SS, Himmler and Hitler, and more. Instead, I was deluged with numbers and statistics, with resettlement in towns and provinces too numerous to mention. Oh God, it was so boring. Okay, so Himmler started out as a quiet youth, unable to deal with females, which made him a prude until he was married in his mid-20s, and which later made him legislate morality to his SS troops. He had to approve each SS marriage personally. I learned he got a degree in agriculture and spent some time working in the field before somehow rising to be the head of the SS. I never figured out how that happened. At some point, he's working closely with Hitler (we're never given a good, let alone any, picture of Hitler in this book), yet there are absolutely no details at all as to how they met, when they met, where they met, what lead Hitler to promote this loser to such a vital role. There's nothing there. It boggles the mind. We learn about Himmer's hundreds of associates, underlings, and enemies. The name dropping is so intense, it's a wonder one can remember any names from the book at all. Now, the book does detail Himmler's vaguely anti-Semitic views in college, his vision of a pure German nation, his grand visions of resettling Europe and eventually ridding Europe and Russia of all Jews. However, it's hard to connect the dots. How does he go to looking down his nose at Jews to wanting to exterminate all of them, and how does he get tens of thousands of men under his command to murder them? I still don't know. Apparently, the goal was to relocate the Jews, first to Madagascar, and then later to Poland and Russia. How did that turn into mass murders? Also, Himmler was apparently as opposed to the Christian church as he was to the Jews, particularly the Catholics, of which he was raised. But he felt like he couldn't act on that because Hitler didn't want to persecute the Christians. That's never explained either. The book throws tons of numbers at you -- how many Jews from this town, from that ghetto, from this province, from that city are carted away monthly, first for forced labor, later for extermination. The numbers are overwhelming and become so commonplace that the horror of the situation is actually lessened by the deadening weight of giving numbers to the reader. Also, I wanted to read about the attack on Russia, but that was never really addressed. One day there's an attack, another day Himmler is touring the front lines. How did this happen? I could go on and on, but I'm boring myself now and that pretty much sums up my experience with this book. It could have been and should have been so much more -- some life could have been written into it -- but instead it reads like an electrical engineering textbook, which would put most people to sleep. Sadly, not recommended.
October 25, 2014
A book that, for me, was a disappointment. Probably on me for having the wrong expectations of what the author was trying to accomplish. Some interesting biographical information on Himmler the youth, but as the book progressed there was not a whole bunch on his interaction with Hitler, even in the pre-power days. I learned that Himmler was originally from the Gregor Strasser wing of the Party, and that both Strasser and Rohm were considered "mentors" to Himmler. That did not do either much good as the Himmler SS settled old scores for the Nazi party by executing both, amongst others,on the Night of the Long Knives. The author delved quite deeply into the structure of the SS that Himmler created, and how he managed to incrementally assume a greater control over the "police" functions of the Nazi state, but tended to gloss over the personal interactions that certainly played a large role in the Himmler grab for power. Relationship with Goring dealt with? Yes, but for me in a superficial way. The SS originally being a part of the SA, and his relationship with Rohm? Hardly dealt with at all. Lots of mention of Heydrich, but again no real feel for how that relationship impacted the human disaster that both men had such a large role in creating. Wannsee Conference? Hardly touched. Eichmann? Hardly mentioned. And of course the relationship of Himmler and Hitler should be central to any discussion of Himmler. The author posits that Himmler was indeed afraid of Hitler, and makes realistic assumptions about instructions that Himmler received from Hitler on the vast crimes that Himmler committed against humanity. Even the Holocaust created by Himmler and his henchmen, for me, just was not dealt with in a way that shed any light or new facts on Himmler's role.Himmler's attempt to escape the responsibilities for his action by reaching out to the western powers and to Jewish leaders is given, in my opinion, short shrift. If you want to study the hierarchical structure of the SS and the Nazi police state this book will be helpful. For those looking for a "political" book about the Himmler life look elsewhere.
March 12, 2014
I have been interested in the Third Reich for many years, and whilst we all know who Heinrich Himmler was, I have long thought that he deserved much more serious study than he still seems to receive. In this book, Peter Longerich confidently rises to the challenge. We see Himmler as the young man, the outsider; Himmler as the man haunted by the fact that he missed out on being able to fight in the Great War, and eager to make an impact of his own, in whatever way, on the future. We see Himmler as what could, and often is, described as the "effecient bureaucrat", restructuring government offices. We see Himmler as Reichsführer-SS, in charge of the Reich's police, and later as Reich Minister of the Interior, with which, by the end of the war, he literally had a finger in every pie.
Perhaps most importantly, we see Himmler as a prime example of how an individual can act once he or she is put in a position of Power. Himmler experienced early adulthood in that curious time-frame located between the end of WWI and the Great Depression of the 1930s when strong opinions about political, economic, and social reordoring abounded, and not just in Germany. A member of the Nazi Party from the very beginning, Himmler progressively found himself in a position to make his own thoughts of how Europe should look a reality, and he was willing to use any means at his disposal to complete his mission. Hence, in his position as Reichsführer-SS, and later also as Reich Minister of the Interior, Himmler was able to implement many of his actions.
Always conscious that he needed to obtain permission from "his Führer", he seems to have been able, in some ways, to manipulate Hitler, the very man who was capable of demoting him, by outlining his plans and obtaining approval, only to then act in a different or more direct way. He had the power to do so, and so he was going to use that power. It did not matter to him how many people would fall victim to his crucial reordering of society. He had been put in charge of it and, in his view, it simply had to be done.
This is an in-depth, comprehensive biography of a man with a very complex character. Far from stupid and certainly not unintelligent, he seems to have been a very opinionated individual with a multi-layered personality. An extremely organised person, he was able to adapt and even change his actions according to what he felt was needed or demanded by Hitler, without ever losing view of his New Europe ideal and final objective.
This is, in many ways, a double biography: that of Heinrich Himmler on the one hand, and that of the SS on the other. For the more Himmler reorganised his elite police force and the state which it patrolled, the more he needed to be in constant touch with it as an entity. Himmler himself was the SS: the very embodiment of Terror itself. The SS, in its turn, was Himmler: the physical representation of his darkest, most ambitious, thoughts.
Within the ever changing boudaries of Himmler's ever changing thoughts, we are also introduced to the diverse aspects and origins of the "Final Solution": where it came from, how it took form, and how it evolved.
An excellent read for anyone interested in the inner-workings of Hitler's Germany and the individuals who made the wheels go round, and of course, anyone who is interested in Holocaust topics or the SS as the terror machine that it was. There are plenty of opportunities for further reading from this book, and it includes an extensive bibliography and notes section. The biography and History presented in this book is, however, as complex as Himmler himself, and therefore I would not advise this to newcomers of Third Reich history.
Perhaps most importantly, we see Himmler as a prime example of how an individual can act once he or she is put in a position of Power. Himmler experienced early adulthood in that curious time-frame located between the end of WWI and the Great Depression of the 1930s when strong opinions about political, economic, and social reordoring abounded, and not just in Germany. A member of the Nazi Party from the very beginning, Himmler progressively found himself in a position to make his own thoughts of how Europe should look a reality, and he was willing to use any means at his disposal to complete his mission. Hence, in his position as Reichsführer-SS, and later also as Reich Minister of the Interior, Himmler was able to implement many of his actions.
Always conscious that he needed to obtain permission from "his Führer", he seems to have been able, in some ways, to manipulate Hitler, the very man who was capable of demoting him, by outlining his plans and obtaining approval, only to then act in a different or more direct way. He had the power to do so, and so he was going to use that power. It did not matter to him how many people would fall victim to his crucial reordering of society. He had been put in charge of it and, in his view, it simply had to be done.
This is an in-depth, comprehensive biography of a man with a very complex character. Far from stupid and certainly not unintelligent, he seems to have been a very opinionated individual with a multi-layered personality. An extremely organised person, he was able to adapt and even change his actions according to what he felt was needed or demanded by Hitler, without ever losing view of his New Europe ideal and final objective.
This is, in many ways, a double biography: that of Heinrich Himmler on the one hand, and that of the SS on the other. For the more Himmler reorganised his elite police force and the state which it patrolled, the more he needed to be in constant touch with it as an entity. Himmler himself was the SS: the very embodiment of Terror itself. The SS, in its turn, was Himmler: the physical representation of his darkest, most ambitious, thoughts.
Within the ever changing boudaries of Himmler's ever changing thoughts, we are also introduced to the diverse aspects and origins of the "Final Solution": where it came from, how it took form, and how it evolved.
An excellent read for anyone interested in the inner-workings of Hitler's Germany and the individuals who made the wheels go round, and of course, anyone who is interested in Holocaust topics or the SS as the terror machine that it was. There are plenty of opportunities for further reading from this book, and it includes an extensive bibliography and notes section. The biography and History presented in this book is, however, as complex as Himmler himself, and therefore I would not advise this to newcomers of Third Reich history.
September 10, 2016
As a student of Nazi Germany this book is a very detailed account of the rise of one of the leading Nazi Party members during the 1920s and 1930s. I enjoyed the chapters so far on Himmler's childhood and how he became involved in the Nazi Party. And ultimately his rise to become Reichsfuher-SS after overcoming political opposition from Frick and Goring when he took control of the police in both Germany and Prussia in which Goring originally had control but Himmler managed to gradually take over affairs in Prussia. And Frick had his own ambitions of creating a state police force as well. This book is not a book one can pick up and read in one sitting. It is a book that will need to be read a few times for all the detailed information to be fully absorbed.
So far I have learnt that Himmler was a complex man with many hidden layers but also a very effective administrator who cleverly used his network of contacts to gain control of the reigns of security and police apparatus in Germany.
I am now starting to read all about Protective Custody. Having successfully gained the approval and authority from Hitler who appointed Himmler as Reichsfuher-SS in June 1936 I will be eager to learn how Himmler went about implementing his Protective Custody policies and how Himmler goes on to consolidate his grip on power.
With a few days off work I will definitely be reading more of this fascinating and very detailed book.
So far I have learnt that Himmler was a complex man with many hidden layers but also a very effective administrator who cleverly used his network of contacts to gain control of the reigns of security and police apparatus in Germany.
I am now starting to read all about Protective Custody. Having successfully gained the approval and authority from Hitler who appointed Himmler as Reichsfuher-SS in June 1936 I will be eager to learn how Himmler went about implementing his Protective Custody policies and how Himmler goes on to consolidate his grip on power.
With a few days off work I will definitely be reading more of this fascinating and very detailed book.
January 22, 2022
This is one of those books whose existence itself is important. It is minutely researched, putting decades of published material together into one place. Probably most readers don't need to read every page, but the EXISTENCE of the pages is important. As a historical record, it succeeds perfectly.
I also think this book will be useful for anyone who has survived abuse by a narcissist or sociopath, and has been left thinking "why is that person like that?" Because this book breaks that "why?" down to thousands of individual experiences. No one thing made Himmler a monster, which to me is really comforting for two reasons. 1 is that it's harder to recreate, and suggests hope for people who exhibit minor antisocial characteristics. 2 is that it shows Himmler had agency, that he was, despite mundane hardship, a coherent adult who chose to be inhuman.
The "Conclusion" section is the length of a short novel and functions as a very readable synopsis, so if the page length of this intimidates you, I recommend starting with the Conclusion.
I also think this book will be useful for anyone who has survived abuse by a narcissist or sociopath, and has been left thinking "why is that person like that?" Because this book breaks that "why?" down to thousands of individual experiences. No one thing made Himmler a monster, which to me is really comforting for two reasons. 1 is that it's harder to recreate, and suggests hope for people who exhibit minor antisocial characteristics. 2 is that it shows Himmler had agency, that he was, despite mundane hardship, a coherent adult who chose to be inhuman.
The "Conclusion" section is the length of a short novel and functions as a very readable synopsis, so if the page length of this intimidates you, I recommend starting with the Conclusion.
November 12, 2020
The book is essential reading in several respects. First, it illustrates the absolute incoherence of the concept of race. Second, it illustrates the dangers of allowing power and authority to develop outside the rule of law, which was in a nutshell what the SS was. Thirdly, it illustrates the inhumanity and unfeasibility of social engineering projects (e.g. large scale shifts in populations and borders). Fourthly, it conveys in minute detail the decision-making involved in the unfolding of the Holocaust, with no vagueness or hyperbole. Lastly, it provides a compelling portrait of how evil, both individual and collective, can evolve from mediocrity and ambition. I could see this book being included in a number of different history, political science, and sociology courses.
February 4, 2012
This book tries to show combined picture of Himmler as a person and Himmler as Reichsführer-SS. Longerich shows how each aspect influenced the other and how toward alter years they became one.
In fact combining different aspects is what this book is about, not only regarding Himmler himself but also how entire aparatus under his command worked together. Longerich argues that each organisation played an important role toward ultimate goal of reshaping Europe as envisioned by Nazi outlook. If SS and police were used to find and combat enemies of the state (however they were defined) concentration camps were used to isolate them from German society. If Einsatzgruppen were to clear newly conqured areas then settlement agency would populate it with German settlers. If Waffen-SS were to give SS right to act against enemies and forge a bond between various Germanic people then forced labour was to supply them.
Longerich shows how this was put in practise and this is book's main strong point. It's a good overview of how Himmler's empire operated and how key players in it acted (and why).
However book suffers from 3 main flaws. One is lack of detailed description of Himmler-Heydrich dynamics and their alledged rivalry. Second is that Wansee conference in given only passing mention, altough radicalisation of genocidal policy in late 1941-43 is described in great detail. Third is that we get to see little how Himmler interacted with other key Nazi plazers, even with Hitler. It is mentioned how his ambitions bumped into what others considered their turf and how this was resolved.
Overall a good book for anybody interested in this period.
In fact combining different aspects is what this book is about, not only regarding Himmler himself but also how entire aparatus under his command worked together. Longerich argues that each organisation played an important role toward ultimate goal of reshaping Europe as envisioned by Nazi outlook. If SS and police were used to find and combat enemies of the state (however they were defined) concentration camps were used to isolate them from German society. If Einsatzgruppen were to clear newly conqured areas then settlement agency would populate it with German settlers. If Waffen-SS were to give SS right to act against enemies and forge a bond between various Germanic people then forced labour was to supply them.
Longerich shows how this was put in practise and this is book's main strong point. It's a good overview of how Himmler's empire operated and how key players in it acted (and why).
However book suffers from 3 main flaws. One is lack of detailed description of Himmler-Heydrich dynamics and their alledged rivalry. Second is that Wansee conference in given only passing mention, altough radicalisation of genocidal policy in late 1941-43 is described in great detail. Third is that we get to see little how Himmler interacted with other key Nazi plazers, even with Hitler. It is mentioned how his ambitions bumped into what others considered their turf and how this was resolved.
Overall a good book for anybody interested in this period.
March 17, 2016
Like the old Alka-Seltzer ad (https://youtu.be/EZKg-GYsvtg), “I can’t believe I read the whole thing!” Is this for you? The fact that this book is 1,032 pages long should give you an idea. I have to admit that I didn’t really read the whole thing; I skipped over the 200 pages of endnotes (I read it on a Kindle so you reach them via hyperlink in situ, but after ten ibids even that became a real trial) and the 50 page bibliography. Unless you need something as a resource for a master’s thesis or doctorate dissertation then this is probably a bit much. There’s enough detail that I now know the movement of every prisoner (most of them were in “protective or preventative custody”) including their source, destination, and number of trains required to move them (usually one train per 1,000 prisoner). In the end, the horrible truth is that everything I saw in the movies and read about the SS and Himmler was true. This book makes this point numbingly over and over.
August 20, 2015
Very interesting read on the high priest of Nazism and madness. The author did a good job of showing how Himmler's demented racial ideals became national policy - as crazy as that sounds. I echo the criticism of a fellow reviewer in that the author didn't delve into the relationship between Hitler and Himmler much, if at all. The book gets bogged down in somewhat irrelevant details, like crop yields from Himmler's wacky SS agricultural enterpises in occupied Europe, rather than filling him out with personal anectdotes from people that knew him, or his aforementioned relationship with Hitler. I was also looking for a more thorough analysis of Himmler in the last days of the Third Reich, his ridiculous attempt to take over the Nazi government while it was on its funeral pyre, and his even more ridiculous attempt to "negotiate" surrender with the Allies (from the Allies' perspective).
November 8, 2021
I looked forward to learning new things about the Nazi regime and WW2 through the biography of Heinrich Himmler. This book is not for everyone. It is academic in nature and therefore heavy on facts and dates; not very anecdotal. I would have enjoyed it more had it been so. Longerich is a recognized scholar/expert on WW2/Nazi Germany and this book reads as such. Much of the information can be found in other, less academic accounts.
I did learn a few interesting things, most notably the origin of the phrase 'iron curtain'. Unless you really want to thoroughly study the life of Himmler, and I found I really didn't, I'd skip this. I can't malign the scholarship or the writing, however, as it is well done, Just not for everyone.
I did learn a few interesting things, most notably the origin of the phrase 'iron curtain'. Unless you really want to thoroughly study the life of Himmler, and I found I really didn't, I'd skip this. I can't malign the scholarship or the writing, however, as it is well done, Just not for everyone.
May 16, 2012
This book is absurdly long, covers familiar ground (at great length), psychologizes (with a straight face), and could have been immeasurably shorter. Experts will appreciate the full coverage, perhaps -
March 28, 2013
As far as gathering up solid history, this book did greatly. As far as drawing new readers to the subject and enticing them, this boon failed epically.
January 12, 2017
Heinrich Himler był dzieckiem i młodzieńcem uzależnionym od kontaktów z bliskimi I rodziną, co idealnie pokazują jego listy z 1917 r., gdy był w 11 Regimencie Piechoty. Domagał się, aby rodzice żywo uczestniczyli w jego codziennym życiu, co nie mogło zostać w pełni zaspokojone. Mimo wszystko Henrich był normalny chłopakiem, u którego trudno było szukać jakichkolwiek oznak przyszłego szaleństwa. Chodził na zabawy, spędzał czas z przyjaciółmi i przeżywał pierwsze doznania miłosne (nie chodzi tu o uprawianie seksu, ale o próby zapanowania nad swoim pożądaniem) – jednak niezależnie jak się starał i tak nigdy nie zdobył popularności, której pragnął i o którą uparcie zabiegał. Jednak cały czas towarzyszył mu niesłabnący pociąg do wojska i armii, – co w książce tłumaczone jest potrzebą życie w określonym i stałym rytmie, który pomógłby zatuszować problemy z samy sobą. Dopiero na ostatnim semestrze studiów Himmlera szerzej zainteresowała kwestia żydowska i zaczął czytać antysemickie dzieła, w których znalazł potwierdzenie swojej antyżydowskiej postawy. Dodatkowo w całych Niemczech zaczęły rosnąć poglądy o „kłamstwie o winie za wojnę”, ludzie byli coraz bardziej zdenerwowani sankcjami i zakazami, jakie narzucił na nie świat z powodu I wojny światowej. Oczywiście nie wszyscy myśleli tak radykalnie i nacjonalistycznie jak Himmler.
Fundamentem, który doprowadził go do decyzji o uczynieniu z polityki swojej profesji był udział w próbie puczu, która przeprowadzona była w listopadzie 1923 r. Gdy już zaczął działać w partii (oszczędzę Wam szczegółów jej struktury) dało się zauważyć u niego obsesyjną konieczność kontrolowania wszystkiego co podlegało pod niego. Himmler był człowiekiem, który dążył do jasno stawianych przez siebie celów i poprzez swoją ogromną cierpliwość udało mu się scentralizować i zunifikować system obozów koncentracyjnych w Niemczech oraz zostać szefem Gestapo. Na dodatek to jak potrafił manipulować swoimi przełożonymi należy uznać za coś niezwykłego. Poprzez budowanie poczucia strachu w społeczeństwie (głównie poprzez aresztowania zapobiegawcze) umacniał swoją władzę i zyskiwał uznanie ludzi postawionych wyżej od niego.
Od pewnego momentu życiu Himmlera daje się zauważyć jego wręcz obsesyjną myśl dotyczącą idealnego pochodzenia ludzi, którymi dowodził. Dowodem tego może być założenie w 1935 r. towarzystwa Niemieckie Dziedzictwo Przodków (Deutsches Ahnenerbe), któremu zalecił badania nad „emblematami klanowymi” oraz „godłami rodzinnymi” esesmanów. Mania na punkcie odrodzenia starej i szlachetnej oraz germańskiej rasy – to wszystko było dla mnie tak bardzo okrutne, że gdy o tym czytałam miałam ciarki na plecach.
Co mnie trochę denerwowało, że w pewnych momentach autor zbyt mocno skupiał się na innych postaciach zamiast na głównej. Z pewnością miało to pewne znaczenie dla całości, ale mnie okropnie nużyło i z niecierpliwością czekałam, aż wrócimy do głównego bohatera.
Jestem zawiedziona, że autor tak słabo skoncentrował się na relacjach rodzinnych Himmlera. Mamy sporo zmianek, że to wymagania i surowość ojca zrobiła z niego potwora, a ja z wyjątkiem wzmianki o tym, że koniecznie miał pilnować prowadzenia dzienników, gdy był dzieciakiem nie zauważyłam nic, co mogłoby o tym świadczyć. Również małżeństwo Himmlera nie zajmuje w książce zbyt wielkiego miejsca, co mnie rozczarowało. Nic nie wiemy o tym jak układało się jego małżeństwo do czasów II wojny światowej oraz podczas jej trwania. Nie ma nawet najmniejszej wzmianki o tym, co działo się z jego rodziną, gdy on podróżował po Europie tworząc terror, o jakim nikomu się nie śniło.
Im dalej szłam w treść tym częściej przechodziła mi przez głowę myśl, że Himmler był po prostu szalony, chory psychicznie lub coś takiego.
Minusy książki to: wplatanie wątków, które jak dla mnie nie były kompletnie powiązane ze sobą i z książką, brak koncepcji, co chciałby przekazać autor w tej książce. Miałam wrażenie, że autor po prostu pisze o historii SS by coś napisać. Zbyt mało o życiu prywatnym, gdy Himmler został już w końcu mężem. I największa wada to mała czcionka! Zabójcza dla moich oczu, które i tak musza patrzeć na ten świat przez okulary!
Ogólnie książka jest ciężka i trudna, ale warta przeczytania, jeśli ktoś się czymś takim interesuje. Polecam jednak zaopatrzyć się w spory zapas czasu oraz nawet i lupę.
Fundamentem, który doprowadził go do decyzji o uczynieniu z polityki swojej profesji był udział w próbie puczu, która przeprowadzona była w listopadzie 1923 r. Gdy już zaczął działać w partii (oszczędzę Wam szczegółów jej struktury) dało się zauważyć u niego obsesyjną konieczność kontrolowania wszystkiego co podlegało pod niego. Himmler był człowiekiem, który dążył do jasno stawianych przez siebie celów i poprzez swoją ogromną cierpliwość udało mu się scentralizować i zunifikować system obozów koncentracyjnych w Niemczech oraz zostać szefem Gestapo. Na dodatek to jak potrafił manipulować swoimi przełożonymi należy uznać za coś niezwykłego. Poprzez budowanie poczucia strachu w społeczeństwie (głównie poprzez aresztowania zapobiegawcze) umacniał swoją władzę i zyskiwał uznanie ludzi postawionych wyżej od niego.
Od pewnego momentu życiu Himmlera daje się zauważyć jego wręcz obsesyjną myśl dotyczącą idealnego pochodzenia ludzi, którymi dowodził. Dowodem tego może być założenie w 1935 r. towarzystwa Niemieckie Dziedzictwo Przodków (Deutsches Ahnenerbe), któremu zalecił badania nad „emblematami klanowymi” oraz „godłami rodzinnymi” esesmanów. Mania na punkcie odrodzenia starej i szlachetnej oraz germańskiej rasy – to wszystko było dla mnie tak bardzo okrutne, że gdy o tym czytałam miałam ciarki na plecach.
Co mnie trochę denerwowało, że w pewnych momentach autor zbyt mocno skupiał się na innych postaciach zamiast na głównej. Z pewnością miało to pewne znaczenie dla całości, ale mnie okropnie nużyło i z niecierpliwością czekałam, aż wrócimy do głównego bohatera.
Jestem zawiedziona, że autor tak słabo skoncentrował się na relacjach rodzinnych Himmlera. Mamy sporo zmianek, że to wymagania i surowość ojca zrobiła z niego potwora, a ja z wyjątkiem wzmianki o tym, że koniecznie miał pilnować prowadzenia dzienników, gdy był dzieciakiem nie zauważyłam nic, co mogłoby o tym świadczyć. Również małżeństwo Himmlera nie zajmuje w książce zbyt wielkiego miejsca, co mnie rozczarowało. Nic nie wiemy o tym jak układało się jego małżeństwo do czasów II wojny światowej oraz podczas jej trwania. Nie ma nawet najmniejszej wzmianki o tym, co działo się z jego rodziną, gdy on podróżował po Europie tworząc terror, o jakim nikomu się nie śniło.
Im dalej szłam w treść tym częściej przechodziła mi przez głowę myśl, że Himmler był po prostu szalony, chory psychicznie lub coś takiego.
Minusy książki to: wplatanie wątków, które jak dla mnie nie były kompletnie powiązane ze sobą i z książką, brak koncepcji, co chciałby przekazać autor w tej książce. Miałam wrażenie, że autor po prostu pisze o historii SS by coś napisać. Zbyt mało o życiu prywatnym, gdy Himmler został już w końcu mężem. I największa wada to mała czcionka! Zabójcza dla moich oczu, które i tak musza patrzeć na ten świat przez okulary!
Ogólnie książka jest ciężka i trudna, ale warta przeczytania, jeśli ktoś się czymś takim interesuje. Polecam jednak zaopatrzyć się w spory zapas czasu oraz nawet i lupę.
March 11, 2020
I couldn't imagine a better biography of Himmler and once reading it can only see this as the go to source of information on this historic character.
It is actually only 648 pages long but even this, for me was a commitment. You have to have a keen interest in history, WW2 and the 3rd Reich to achieve all you can from this book.
Longerich showed in meticulous detail (when possible) the rise of Himmler through the Nazi power structure and later in the regime. Effectively becoming the 2nd most powerful Nazi, in practice if not on paper.
And what was surprising to me is how very normal he appeared to be. How some of the morals he held are very benign and i think similar to our own. In many glamorised documentaries he is often shown as a Monster, crazy and bent on the destruction of those he saw as enemies or unfit, but i was surprised at how normal and boring he was as a person. Still capable of initiating terrible acts in the name of power. Although he did have some crack-pot ideas, but these like everything else in his life was easily modified when the need required.
I really can't express enough how much of a non-entity Himmler would have been if the events of the 20th century had not unfolded like they had. A relatively normal childhood, strict but fair. Reasonably intelligent, middle-class, but as part of the war generation, open to radicalisation.
We often also, think of Himmler as a victorious monster consuming offices and power, but this book shows that he suffered quite a few defeats and was not always as secure as we have come to think of him.
I learned a few things, i did not know before and i have forgotten quite a bit of information, because it does come in bucket loads.
I guess its a terrible testament that he was successful in keeping Germany secure up until the dying day of the regime. The Nazi regime, did not implode in on itself, but was only obliterated with the Russians in the east and the British, Americans and so forth in the West.
It is actually only 648 pages long but even this, for me was a commitment. You have to have a keen interest in history, WW2 and the 3rd Reich to achieve all you can from this book.
Longerich showed in meticulous detail (when possible) the rise of Himmler through the Nazi power structure and later in the regime. Effectively becoming the 2nd most powerful Nazi, in practice if not on paper.
And what was surprising to me is how very normal he appeared to be. How some of the morals he held are very benign and i think similar to our own. In many glamorised documentaries he is often shown as a Monster, crazy and bent on the destruction of those he saw as enemies or unfit, but i was surprised at how normal and boring he was as a person. Still capable of initiating terrible acts in the name of power. Although he did have some crack-pot ideas, but these like everything else in his life was easily modified when the need required.
I really can't express enough how much of a non-entity Himmler would have been if the events of the 20th century had not unfolded like they had. A relatively normal childhood, strict but fair. Reasonably intelligent, middle-class, but as part of the war generation, open to radicalisation.
We often also, think of Himmler as a victorious monster consuming offices and power, but this book shows that he suffered quite a few defeats and was not always as secure as we have come to think of him.
I learned a few things, i did not know before and i have forgotten quite a bit of information, because it does come in bucket loads.
I guess its a terrible testament that he was successful in keeping Germany secure up until the dying day of the regime. The Nazi regime, did not implode in on itself, but was only obliterated with the Russians in the east and the British, Americans and so forth in the West.
February 23, 2019
“Himmiler transferiu, de um modo assombroso, os axiomas pessoais para a organização que dirigia; para ele, a direção da SS não era simplesmente um cargo político, mas uma parte dele mesmo.”
Assim como a biografia de Himmler esse livro é também a historia detalhada da SS. O texto é de leitura clara e tem a contribuição do diário pessoal de Himmler principalmente no período de sua infância e juventude.
A partir da entrada de Himmler na SS e sua ascensão à Reichsführer-SS o livro fica bem mais detalhado, destacando: requisitos raciais para a adesão na SS, o controle sobre cada aspecto da vida dos soldados da SS (da disciplina militar à “qualidade racial” de suas mulheres e quantidades de filhos) , o recrutamento de estrangeiros germânicos e não-germanicos durante a guerra, a perseguição aos judeus, migrações forçadas, os trabalhos forçados, evolução dos primeiros campos de concentração( para “inimigos” e “associas”) até os campos de extermínio , “Solução Final”. Paralelamente dá uma boa visão geral da Gestapo, SD, RSHA,Ahnenerbe, Lebensborn, Einsatzgruppen entre outras organizações.
Capa dura, folhas amareladas, preço relativamente bom, recomendado pra quem se interessa pelo assunto.
Assim como a biografia de Himmler esse livro é também a historia detalhada da SS. O texto é de leitura clara e tem a contribuição do diário pessoal de Himmler principalmente no período de sua infância e juventude.
A partir da entrada de Himmler na SS e sua ascensão à Reichsführer-SS o livro fica bem mais detalhado, destacando: requisitos raciais para a adesão na SS, o controle sobre cada aspecto da vida dos soldados da SS (da disciplina militar à “qualidade racial” de suas mulheres e quantidades de filhos) , o recrutamento de estrangeiros germânicos e não-germanicos durante a guerra, a perseguição aos judeus, migrações forçadas, os trabalhos forçados, evolução dos primeiros campos de concentração( para “inimigos” e “associas”) até os campos de extermínio , “Solução Final”. Paralelamente dá uma boa visão geral da Gestapo, SD, RSHA,Ahnenerbe, Lebensborn, Einsatzgruppen entre outras organizações.
Capa dura, folhas amareladas, preço relativamente bom, recomendado pra quem se interessa pelo assunto.
November 4, 2017
Extremely interesting read I can recommend to everybody interested in understanding WW2. It is true that the book could have been (much) shorter. A lot of the details are not necessary to understand the story, on the contrary. However, except if you are preparing for a test or quiz, nobody obliges you to memorise the hundreds of names, dates and places in the book. Somehow the details give the book credibility and forces you to think and to make up your own mind.
The ideal history book comes from a collaboration between the subject matter specialist (the professor) and a team of other people to challenge him and to help him with lay-out, graphs, time-lines, boxes, ... This is clearly not what has been done here, and I understand why: it's expensive! However, I read the book on my tablet and with two clicks I was on the internet where I could find more than enough information to help me understand the story.
I read the book in english but I think, if you master the language, it's worthwile reading the book in German. The nazis developped their own terminologie which must have been difficult to translate. (The translation in itself seems to be OK)
The ideal history book comes from a collaboration between the subject matter specialist (the professor) and a team of other people to challenge him and to help him with lay-out, graphs, time-lines, boxes, ... This is clearly not what has been done here, and I understand why: it's expensive! However, I read the book on my tablet and with two clicks I was on the internet where I could find more than enough information to help me understand the story.
I read the book in english but I think, if you master the language, it's worthwile reading the book in German. The nazis developped their own terminologie which must have been difficult to translate. (The translation in itself seems to be OK)
May 14, 2022
This is a detailed, ponderous read, as complex as the numerous organizational and linguistic characteristics of the stereotypical German psyche. Himmler’s early life is addressed in some detail, with the help of diary entries. But these evaporate as a source as he develops into a Nazi leader. The author indirectly traces his ongoing evolution of extreme ideas and interests through the notes, diaries, and letters of others in his orbit, replete with the departments, hierarchies and historical events that are part of the historical fabric of Nazi Germany. We lose Himmler in the middle of the sprawling detail and can only infer aspects of his personality after a certain point in his later 20s-early 30s.
It is as accurate and scholarly a summary of a man in the context of his participation of historical events as can be written. There are alone 100 pages of endnotes in this 900 page tome. I started this work in 2012 and stopped at around page 250. I re-started it last winter with the intent of finishing, which I can finally claim to have achieved. Not light reading, certainly.
It is as accurate and scholarly a summary of a man in the context of his participation of historical events as can be written. There are alone 100 pages of endnotes in this 900 page tome. I started this work in 2012 and stopped at around page 250. I re-started it last winter with the intent of finishing, which I can finally claim to have achieved. Not light reading, certainly.
May 22, 2018
This is the most well-researched biography you will find on Heinrich Himmler. It extensively covers his youth and young adulthood, and also provides details of his marriage and his relationship with his mistress.
However, while it does provide an impressive amount of information in relation to his many roles throughout the Second World War (most notably as Reichsführer-SS), Longerich breaks from typical chronology and divvies up the various aspects of Himmler's war career - the concentration camps, prisoners as labour force, his role as Minister of the Interior, etc. While this approach allows Longerich to expand on each topic, it also necessitates some chronological overlapping and looping back, and this can become not only confusing but exasperating.
Overall this is a thorough look at one of the most infamous Nazis and worth the slog.
However, while it does provide an impressive amount of information in relation to his many roles throughout the Second World War (most notably as Reichsführer-SS), Longerich breaks from typical chronology and divvies up the various aspects of Himmler's war career - the concentration camps, prisoners as labour force, his role as Minister of the Interior, etc. While this approach allows Longerich to expand on each topic, it also necessitates some chronological overlapping and looping back, and this can become not only confusing but exasperating.
Overall this is a thorough look at one of the most infamous Nazis and worth the slog.
September 6, 2024
It is important to understand Himmler in order to understand the Nazis, and in particular the Holocaust. His obsession and overzealousness with efficiency and effectiveness made the Gestapo and the SS one of the most feared systems of repression ever created, the true picture of totalitarian fascist rule.
While this book is vital since it is one of the few available English language sources on Himmler, it is unfortunately not well written. Maybe it is because it is an English translation and tone or meaning wasn't conveyed, but it reads very much like a rote line by line reporting of the basic events in Himmler's life and very little information about his actual relationships with various Nazis, including Hitler.
While this book is vital since it is one of the few available English language sources on Himmler, it is unfortunately not well written. Maybe it is because it is an English translation and tone or meaning wasn't conveyed, but it reads very much like a rote line by line reporting of the basic events in Himmler's life and very little information about his actual relationships with various Nazis, including Hitler.
October 18, 2020
Książka pełna szczegółów, dat, nazwisk i przypisów. Trudna w odbiorze, pełna dygresji, a jednocześnie wydaje się pomijać ciekawe szczegóły. Między właściwymi rozdziałami są również "tematyczne" (a nie biograficzne) sekcje, które spowalniają "tempo".
Niewątpliwie włożono tu dużo rzetelnej pracy, ale nie czyta się tego najlepiej.
Niewątpliwie włożono tu dużo rzetelnej pracy, ale nie czyta się tego najlepiej.
July 1, 2017
Terrible personnage
Ne se pose aucune question sur le bien fondé de ses théories
Il faut à tout prix favoriser le développement de la race aryenne, tout le reste ce sont des sous-hommes sans valeur
Sinistre personnage
Une véritable horreur
Ne se pose aucune question sur le bien fondé de ses théories
Il faut à tout prix favoriser le développement de la race aryenne, tout le reste ce sont des sous-hommes sans valeur
Sinistre personnage
Une véritable horreur
November 14, 2021
It's less of a biography and more a psychological analysis of Himmler and his despicable policies. The book is heavily researched, and despite its length - 748 pages - it gives terrific insight into one of the most evil human who ever lived.
August 20, 2023
A remarkable, albeit devastating, work by Longerich that examines how Himmler ascended through Nazi power politics, turned his eccentricities and antisemitism into a unique SS mythos, and ultimately used that power and ideology to systematically slaughter millions.
November 7, 2025
A comprehensive masterpiece weaving the private and political life of this monster that was essential to Hitler's plans. I would venture to say the Holocaust would never have happened without the man who was the best at being a Nazi, and failed at every other endeavor
Displaying 1 - 30 of 71 reviews