The Murder of Adolf Hitler: The Truth About the Bodies in the Berlin Bunker

by W. Hugh Thomas

Since the end of World War II, it has become widely accepted that Adolf Hitler and Eva Braun died together in a suicide pact as Soviet armies entered Berlin. The man whose monstrous ambitions began the war did not sign the German surrender, nor was he brought to justice at the Nuremberg trials. Instead, the Allies were presented with a set of charred remains, mysteriously missing one foot. Next to him was the body, also burned, of a woman wrapped in one of Eva Braun's dresses. Although the woman had died from shrapnel wounds to the chest, a capsule containing cyanide had been placed in her mouth and forcibly broken; her jaw was then closed. It was supposed to look like suicide. It was supposed to be Eva Braun. It was neither. It is now possible to reconstruct the events that led to the horrific scenario in the bunker. Using previously unavailable material from the archives of the Soviet authorities who captured Berlin and first investigated the deaths, and drawing upon a wide range of personal, medical, and forensic testimony, Hugh Thomas reveals exactly what took place as the inevitability of German defeat became apparent and the command structure of the Third Reich collapsed.

Genres: History, Germany, Nazi Party, World War II, Nonfiction, Military Fiction

305 pages, Hardcover

First published April 1, 1996

Reviews

[Amy Sawyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very technical in places; especially regarding forensics. Highly detailed and factual accounting of testimonies, forensic evidence, and theories. I agree with another reviewer that some background knowledge of the subject matter would be helpful. Personally, I found the book highly informative. The author confirmed some of my previous suspicions regarding the reliability of testimonies as well as the practicality of the supposed th scene. At times it was challenging to follow due to the detailed forensics and what seemed to be a bit of back and fort, which is mostly likely caused by the scientific approach to the narrative.

[Thomas Wictor · Rating 5 out of 5]

No idea if it's true, but a great yarn. I stayed with it because of the descriptions of Hitler as a farting, soup-covered zombie. I hope that was how he ended his days. The premise of the book is that Hitler was a shambles by the end, so his actual manner of death was falsified for various reasons Hugh Thomas describes in detail. Mainly, the the Germans didn't want to admit that Hitler was a lunatic carcass, so a story of Wagnerian suicide had to be invented. I'm not persuaded. Still, a wildy entertaining read.

[Dennis Kocik · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good book that was well researched. As mentioned by some other reviewers, some forensic information was technical, however with some additional side research was understandable. what I find perplexing is that while the author was willing to take under consideration other explanations or options for what happened to the people of The Bunker, he failed to consider that the entire scenario regarding Hitler may have been a very elaborate disinformation program. In other words, that Hitler himself was NOT as ill and weak and drugged up as everyone was led to believe in order to automatically assume that he could not have possibly escaped from The Bunker in the first place. See the fascinating television series that recently ran called "Hunting Hitler" with a team of intelligence experts led by former CIA officer Robert Baer. I was frankly very skeptical as well that Hitler could have escaped from The Bunker, having believed the prior information that Hitler was too ill - shuffling his feet, being nearly carried along by his adjutants, etc. However, upon reflection after watching the show and reading some additional information, I came to believe that the bodies discovered just outside the Bunker may very well have been body doubles for Hitler and Eva Braun and that this author adequately demonstrated that forensic fraud was perpetrated on Eva Braun...and if Eva lived and escaped to Argentina or Paraguay, then Hitler could well have as well. And again, of Martin Bormann escaped and lived in Argentina and Paraguay, then I also have to believe that he would never have gone without this leader Hitler. Add this book to your collection and collate the facts with other information out there, and I think the reader will also be a convert, as I am, that Hitler, Eva Braun, Bormann and many other Nazi leaders escaped and lived their lives out without ever being caught and tried - certainly Eichmann nearly made it before the Israelis finally caught him, and nearly missed capturing Dr. Mengele the "Angel of Death" of Auschwitz concentration camp. Highly recommended.

[Jackie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A book you need to be prepared for. Completely interesting and makes you wonder.

[Glen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Original argument ...

[Bernard · Rating 1 out of 5]

Takes implausibility to a whole new level

[Jimmy Head · Rating 1 out of 5]

The butler did it. Goes against every other narrative of Der Fuhrer's suicide.

[Liquidlasagna · Rating 2 out of 5]

a queasy mixture of the plausible and very implausible together

a few good pieces of information and you never know what might be very real, disinformation or a very overactive imagination

slightly useful for the extremely careful

[Abby · Rating 3 out of 5]

I skipped chapter 13.

[LA · Rating 1 out of 5]

revisionist history junk.