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Göring: A Biography
An excellent biography of an enigmatic man. Annotation copyright Book News, Inc. Portland, Or.
573 pages, Hardcover
Published January 1, 1989
12 people are currently reading
425 people want to read
About the author
David Irving
50 books422 followersDavid John Cawdell Irving is an English author who has written on the military and political history of World War II, especially Nazi Germany. He was found to be a Holocaust denier in a UK court in 2000 as a result of a failed libel case.
Irving's works include The Destruction of Dresden (1963), Hitler's War (1977), Churchill's War (1987) and Goebbels: Mastermind of the Third Reich (1996). In his works, he argued that Adolf Hitler did not know of the extermination of Jews, or, if he did, he opposed it. Though Irving's negationist claims and views of German war crimes in World War II (and Hitler's responsibility for them) were never taken seriously by mainstream historians, he was once recognised for his knowledge of Nazi Germany and his ability to unearth new historical documents, which he held closely but stated were fully supportive of his conclusions. His 1964 book The Mare's Nest about Germany's V-weapons campaign of 1944-45 was praised for its deep research but criticised for minimising Nazi slave labour programmes.
By the late 1980s, Irving had placed himself outside the mainstream of the study of history, and had begun to turn from "'soft-core' to 'hard-core' Holocaust denial", possibly influenced by the 1988 trial of Holocaust denier Ernst Zündel. That trial, and his reading of the pseudoscientific Leuchter report, led him to openly espouse Holocaust denial, specifically denying that Jews were murdered by gassing at the Auschwitz concentration camp.
Irving's reputation as a historian was further discredited in 2000, when, in the course of an unsuccessful libel case he filed against the American historian Deborah Lipstadt and Penguin Books, High Court Judge Charles Gray determined in his ruling that Irving willfully misrepresented historical evidence to promote Holocaust denial and whitewash the Nazis, a view shared by many prominent historians. The English court found that Irving was an active Holocaust denier, antisemite and racist, who "for his own ideological reasons persistently and deliberately misrepresented and manipulated historical evidence". In addition, the court found that Irving's books had distorted the history of Hitler's role in the Holocaust to depict Hitler in a favourable light.
Irving's works include The Destruction of Dresden (1963), Hitler's War (1977), Churchill's War (1987) and Goebbels: Mastermind of the Third Reich (1996). In his works, he argued that Adolf Hitler did not know of the extermination of Jews, or, if he did, he opposed it. Though Irving's negationist claims and views of German war crimes in World War II (and Hitler's responsibility for them) were never taken seriously by mainstream historians, he was once recognised for his knowledge of Nazi Germany and his ability to unearth new historical documents, which he held closely but stated were fully supportive of his conclusions. His 1964 book The Mare's Nest about Germany's V-weapons campaign of 1944-45 was praised for its deep research but criticised for minimising Nazi slave labour programmes.
By the late 1980s, Irving had placed himself outside the mainstream of the study of history, and had begun to turn from "'soft-core' to 'hard-core' Holocaust denial", possibly influenced by the 1988 trial of Holocaust denier Ernst Zündel. That trial, and his reading of the pseudoscientific Leuchter report, led him to openly espouse Holocaust denial, specifically denying that Jews were murdered by gassing at the Auschwitz concentration camp.
Irving's reputation as a historian was further discredited in 2000, when, in the course of an unsuccessful libel case he filed against the American historian Deborah Lipstadt and Penguin Books, High Court Judge Charles Gray determined in his ruling that Irving willfully misrepresented historical evidence to promote Holocaust denial and whitewash the Nazis, a view shared by many prominent historians. The English court found that Irving was an active Holocaust denier, antisemite and racist, who "for his own ideological reasons persistently and deliberately misrepresented and manipulated historical evidence". In addition, the court found that Irving's books had distorted the history of Hitler's role in the Holocaust to depict Hitler in a favourable light.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
December 21, 2014
David Irving's biography of Hitler's head honcho Reichsmarshall Hermann Goering is a book that cannot be ignored. It is vastly superior to Richard Overy's account which comes across as dull and lacking in personal information. Irving's biography delves so deep into the life of Goering that it follows the man from birth, his glittering career as a fighter pilot, his first love, his mental breakdown, his recovery, his ascension to power, his second love, his fall from power, and eventually to the mystery surrounding his death.
Irving has a reputation for his sympathy for Hitler and the Nazis, and is known to make various excuses for them. However, in this book Irving pulls no punches in his treatment of this figure, referring to him as a "bully", and (this made me laugh) a "manicured mountain of perfumed flab." It is only during the Nuremberg trials when he has nothing left to lose that Goering proves his valor. However, it is doubtful that Irving believes this excuses him for his ruthlessness as chief of Prussian secret police, or that it excuses him for his pursuit of expensive treasures while neglectful of his military responsibilities. What Irving does successfully document is the very human side to Goering. At times, Goering appears maximally loyal to his Fuhrer, particularly after surviving his assassination attempt in 1944, at other times Goering is indignant at his abuse for the failures in his leadership of the Luftwaffe, and later on in Allied captivity prior to the Nuremberg Trials, Goering appears happy to drop dirt on Hitler and blame the Allied victory on Hitler's poor judgement, particularly in regards to the airforce. Irving also shows the correspondance between Hermann and his wife and daughter while in captivity. The letters are so touching that if they were instead attributed to a more respected historical figure such as Winston Churchill, nobody would be at all shocked.
The book is not is without drawbacks however. Irving's greatest flaw in the book is also his greatest asset. In a later edition of the book, Irving writes a dedication to Tom Congdon who taught him how to write in such a readable way. Indeed, the book very enjoyable, far harder to put down than the adjective-lacking prose of Raul Hilberg or the course academic language of Peter Longerich. However, there are times when it seems as though Irving is making guesses far beyond the source material provided. Many times throughout the book we are told what Goering must have been thinking, or the aromas and sights he would have taken in. Perhaps this information is provided by the source material, but if so, it is impossible to tell. This brings me to my second criticism. Irving has a peculiar referencing style that appears to be used in all of his books. Rather than the harvard or chicago style (which I loosely and alternatively use in this blog myself), Irving provides citations for specific page numbers, and various different claims within those pages. For instance, Irving might claim that one particular character was highly flatulent on page 134. In the notes section, the reader might find "134, flatulence" in the notes. However, in many cases, such references are not provided. For example, between pages 437 and 442, not a single note is given despite the various claims made. It is thus up to the reader to guess what material was cited to make the claim. For all of his pride in only using primary sources, Irving does use considerably less of them, and the ones he uses are often so obscure that it is hard for the layman to locate them and verify them himself. However, rather than criticising Irving for using sources that are inaccessible to the layman, perhaps mainstream academics should be criticised for not having made the effort to uncover those sources and reproduce them themselves. Fortunately, Irving, a self-made historian has made much of his material available in the Irving Collection at archives such as the public record office in Kew. For that he should be commended.
To return however to the high points. Irving has uncovered so many new sources of information that it has allowed him to pepper the book with humorous anecdotes. For example, we find out that Goering named a yacht after his first wife Carin and gave it as a gift to his second wife Emmy; and that while Emmy was waiting for her husband to be released by the Allies, she was visited by a trickster sergeant, who brought her the wonderful but false news that he would soon be freed, to which she responded by rewarding him with a diamond ring! Irving also goes into intricate detail over the nature of Goering's suicide, and the questions of where he received the cyanide capsule, dispelling such myths as the claim that it was smuggled in his anus. These small touches make all the difference, because despite at first seeming unimportant to the narrative, ultimately there is no narrative to a human life. Those little things are what life is comprised entirely of.
Despite occasional relishes and liberties which are typical of Irving, this remains an important book. Indeed, despite his reputation being tarnished, notable historians such as Hans Mommsen are not afraid to cite his books. In short, this book is essential reading for an understanding of the exploits of one of Hitler's most notorious henchmen.
Irving has a reputation for his sympathy for Hitler and the Nazis, and is known to make various excuses for them. However, in this book Irving pulls no punches in his treatment of this figure, referring to him as a "bully", and (this made me laugh) a "manicured mountain of perfumed flab." It is only during the Nuremberg trials when he has nothing left to lose that Goering proves his valor. However, it is doubtful that Irving believes this excuses him for his ruthlessness as chief of Prussian secret police, or that it excuses him for his pursuit of expensive treasures while neglectful of his military responsibilities. What Irving does successfully document is the very human side to Goering. At times, Goering appears maximally loyal to his Fuhrer, particularly after surviving his assassination attempt in 1944, at other times Goering is indignant at his abuse for the failures in his leadership of the Luftwaffe, and later on in Allied captivity prior to the Nuremberg Trials, Goering appears happy to drop dirt on Hitler and blame the Allied victory on Hitler's poor judgement, particularly in regards to the airforce. Irving also shows the correspondance between Hermann and his wife and daughter while in captivity. The letters are so touching that if they were instead attributed to a more respected historical figure such as Winston Churchill, nobody would be at all shocked.
The book is not is without drawbacks however. Irving's greatest flaw in the book is also his greatest asset. In a later edition of the book, Irving writes a dedication to Tom Congdon who taught him how to write in such a readable way. Indeed, the book very enjoyable, far harder to put down than the adjective-lacking prose of Raul Hilberg or the course academic language of Peter Longerich. However, there are times when it seems as though Irving is making guesses far beyond the source material provided. Many times throughout the book we are told what Goering must have been thinking, or the aromas and sights he would have taken in. Perhaps this information is provided by the source material, but if so, it is impossible to tell. This brings me to my second criticism. Irving has a peculiar referencing style that appears to be used in all of his books. Rather than the harvard or chicago style (which I loosely and alternatively use in this blog myself), Irving provides citations for specific page numbers, and various different claims within those pages. For instance, Irving might claim that one particular character was highly flatulent on page 134. In the notes section, the reader might find "134, flatulence" in the notes. However, in many cases, such references are not provided. For example, between pages 437 and 442, not a single note is given despite the various claims made. It is thus up to the reader to guess what material was cited to make the claim. For all of his pride in only using primary sources, Irving does use considerably less of them, and the ones he uses are often so obscure that it is hard for the layman to locate them and verify them himself. However, rather than criticising Irving for using sources that are inaccessible to the layman, perhaps mainstream academics should be criticised for not having made the effort to uncover those sources and reproduce them themselves. Fortunately, Irving, a self-made historian has made much of his material available in the Irving Collection at archives such as the public record office in Kew. For that he should be commended.
To return however to the high points. Irving has uncovered so many new sources of information that it has allowed him to pepper the book with humorous anecdotes. For example, we find out that Goering named a yacht after his first wife Carin and gave it as a gift to his second wife Emmy; and that while Emmy was waiting for her husband to be released by the Allies, she was visited by a trickster sergeant, who brought her the wonderful but false news that he would soon be freed, to which she responded by rewarding him with a diamond ring! Irving also goes into intricate detail over the nature of Goering's suicide, and the questions of where he received the cyanide capsule, dispelling such myths as the claim that it was smuggled in his anus. These small touches make all the difference, because despite at first seeming unimportant to the narrative, ultimately there is no narrative to a human life. Those little things are what life is comprised entirely of.
Despite occasional relishes and liberties which are typical of Irving, this remains an important book. Indeed, despite his reputation being tarnished, notable historians such as Hans Mommsen are not afraid to cite his books. In short, this book is essential reading for an understanding of the exploits of one of Hitler's most notorious henchmen.
January 24, 2023
Excellent biography of Goering by Irving, Easily the best biography I had read that year. Goering's return to form during the Nuremberg trial and final exit were inspiring in a way as he preserved the dignity to depart on his own terms. Perhaps if he had not buried that part of himself during the war he would of never been captured.
June 21, 2017
This is a book will totally amaze you. I found myself saying "no way!...I wasn't taught that!" This is a book that will change ur view on Goring & WW2 overall. A lot of things in WW2 happened will never be in school books. Goring did what he could to prevent it, thats not to say he wasn't a crook, or a bad person to a certain extent. But he wasn't the person I was taught about. The truth about Germany will always be suppressed and the victors write history not the truth.
September 28, 2021
When it's about Nazi Germany, no one is parallel to Mr.David Irving in knowledge. Even his critics admit this. Hermann Göring, the creator of German Luftwaffe and Hitler's no-2 man in Nazi Germany is always portrayed -and rightly so- as an art thief and most corrupted man in Germany at his time. What David Irving brings out in this book is his early life, his childhood, his heroism of the First world war, his days of struggle after Burger beer hall putsch, and answers to the mysteries of his death. ( also covered the subject in this author's "Nuremberg- The last battle"
One thing is cleared to me after reading this book that Göring was no warmonger but he was loyal to his Fuhrer.
One thing is cleared to me after reading this book that Göring was no warmonger but he was loyal to his Fuhrer.
October 10, 2018
I had read several of Irving's books before I learned more about his controversial views and it's true that in light of this revelation I realised how much he sympathises with top Nazi figures. Despite that, this is again immensely interesting and captivating biography, which goes into extreme details about the extraordinary life of one of the most powerful men in the Third Reich. Definitely worth reading!
September 12, 2024
Promethazine habit, lean habit, codeine habit
Big stag yeah, hunter, yeah, yeah, I'm leanin'
I chop the top off the plane, this ain't no Lamborghini
I rock that stick like it's a purse, yeah, my chopper swinging
I got designer habits, I got designer habits, I can't stop
I was [Redactin]' on your [Redacted] in my Richthofen socks
My Richthofen socks, my Rick Owens socks, yeah
Big stag yeah, hunter, yeah, yeah, I'm leanin'
I chop the top off the plane, this ain't no Lamborghini
I rock that stick like it's a purse, yeah, my chopper swinging
I got designer habits, I got designer habits, I can't stop
I was [Redactin]' on your [Redacted] in my Richthofen socks
My Richthofen socks, my Rick Owens socks, yeah
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 21, 2020
This is a very good and comprehensive look at the Third Reich's most colorful personality. David Irving covers everything from birth to death in the life of the great Reichsjaegermeister. I appreciate that Irving has taken strides to truly show the man as he was, neither hiding the bad, nor concealing the good. I would highly recommend this book to anyone seeking to get a clearer picture of Germany's number two man during the Third Reich. My one qualm with this book is that I wish there would have been more footnotes, similar to one of Irving's other books: Nuremberg.
August 18, 2021
Most Nazi and WW2 related books are quite explicitly biased to the point of "nazis are the worst people who ever walked the earth". This, can of course, make it hard to gather facts about the era.
Irving, contrary to what they say, is quite good at laying out the facts of the tantalizing life of Herman Goring; He even makes a number of comments about the 'oppressive' German regime.
Irving is far from what they make him out to be, and the fact that he was able to dig up obscure letters from pre-ww2 from different persons related to Goring is both studious and praise worthy. Good book.
Irving, contrary to what they say, is quite good at laying out the facts of the tantalizing life of Herman Goring; He even makes a number of comments about the 'oppressive' German regime.
Irving is far from what they make him out to be, and the fact that he was able to dig up obscure letters from pre-ww2 from different persons related to Goring is both studious and praise worthy. Good book.
November 1, 2011
According to Englishman David Irving's biography, Churchill started the war even though Goering did everything possible to avoid it. Hitler and Goering knew nothing about the holocaust; in fact, Goering wasn't even an anti-Semite; in fact, the holocaust probably didn't even happen. And Goering went to the grave having committed only the crime of losing the war (the Nuremberg trials were merely show politics for the victors).
Not my favorite biography--I won't be reading Irving again.
Not my favorite biography--I won't be reading Irving again.
February 28, 2021
After reading a book about Churchill in the years leading up to World War II, I had to look up information on Hermann Goring.
I must admit that even his photographs are chilling to me. Irving has done an incredible amount of research, and his writing skills are very good. I was especially interested in Goring's first wife, Carin, and I found much I didn't know here.
Good biography about a truly horrible man.
I must admit that even his photographs are chilling to me. Irving has done an incredible amount of research, and his writing skills are very good. I was especially interested in Goring's first wife, Carin, and I found much I didn't know here.
Good biography about a truly horrible man.
July 24, 2024
A solid biography! Irving's colloquial, witty tone is much appreciated after reading lots of weighty stuff, and there were plenty of amusing anecdotes in this to keep me entertained. A test of a good biography, at least in my mind, is that it gets you to understand the central figure *and* learn something new about them, and that much was true here.
June 1, 2013
Learn a lot about a complex man who has become a parody
June 9, 2023
David Irving is a superb writer. Don't believe the propaganda.
January 24, 2024
Very well written and researched. The author was more than a little too keen on his subject.
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January 5, 2020Written by the a totally dethroned "historian", but well written when it comes to the prose. But some of the parts in the book rised my eyebrows when i first read it. Further reading and study of history, in addition to Irvings continued move down the slippery slope of sympathies to Neonazis as well as the traditional breed. Topped by a court case he himself instigated and lost big time, puts it on the list of suspect Biography's.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews