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The War Path
From February 1933, when he told his generals in secret of his ambition to conquer the East, to September 3, 1939, when he left the Berlin Chancellery for the Polish front, Adolf Hitler had one obsessive goal - to wage war and achieve German revenge and hegemony. As he did in his controversial Hitler’s War, David Irving sets forth the events from behind Hitler’s desk, as it were, in order to things through his eyes. His use of original and unpublished firsthand material has led him across Europe in search of documents and correspondence.
521 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 1, 1978
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409 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by mainstream historians, he was once recognised for his knowledge of Nazi Germany and his ability to unearth new historical documents, which he held closely but stated were fully supportive of his conclusions.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 - 12 of 12 reviews
August 10, 2013
Finally a book that is close to the facts.
Its not a free criticism to Hitler. It puts the right guilty in him, and torn apart what wasnt his mistake.
Its not a free criticism to Hitler. It puts the right guilty in him, and torn apart what wasnt his mistake.
April 22, 2025
History belongs to the victors, but David Irving’s "The War Path" is a rare attempt to wrestle it back from them—an unflinching, fearless plunge into the decisions, miscalculations and cold political calculus that propelled Nazi Germany toward war, written by a man who would later be crucified himself for daring to tell history as he saw it. Irving’s approach—grounded in exhaustive archival work, including private diaries, military records, and diplomatic correspondence—challenges the standard "demonization" narrative by presenting Hitler as a shrewd political operator rather than a psychotic tyrant.
Stylistically, Irving’s prose are gripping, almost cinematic in their pacing, yet never seem to lack in scholarly depth. Irving’s portrayal of figures like Göring, Ribbentrop, and Goebbels avoids cartoonish villainy, instead rendering them as flawed, ambitious men navigating (and exploiting) a fractured political landscape. His focus on the mechanics of power politics—rather than moral grandstanding—makes the book a refreshing departure from orthodox historiography.
What makes "The War Path" especially significant is how it marked the beginning of Irving’s ostracization from mainstream academia. Even before his later legal battles, Irving was targeted not for factual errors (which all historians commit) but for daring to deviate from the approved narrative. The book’s nuanced treatment of Hitler enraged critics who preferred a simplistic, moralistic framework—leading to smear campaigns rather than substantive rebuttals.
Irving’s eventual pariah status says more about historical orthodoxy’s intolerance than about his scholarship. The 2000 libel trial, often misrepresented as a "Holocaust denial" case, was actually about whether he was maliciously dishonest—a charge that remains hotly debated. What’s undeniable is that the trial was weaponized to destroy his credibility, ensuring that even his legitimate early work would be dismissed through guilt-by-association.
Nonetheless, this book is a masterclass in archival-driven history. The real tragedy is that Irving’s later controversies have been used to retroactively taint this book, discouraging fair engagement. It deserves to be read—if not as gospel, then as a provocative counterpoint to establishment historiography.
Absolutely fantastic. Couldn't recommend this book more.
Stylistically, Irving’s prose are gripping, almost cinematic in their pacing, yet never seem to lack in scholarly depth. Irving’s portrayal of figures like Göring, Ribbentrop, and Goebbels avoids cartoonish villainy, instead rendering them as flawed, ambitious men navigating (and exploiting) a fractured political landscape. His focus on the mechanics of power politics—rather than moral grandstanding—makes the book a refreshing departure from orthodox historiography.
What makes "The War Path" especially significant is how it marked the beginning of Irving’s ostracization from mainstream academia. Even before his later legal battles, Irving was targeted not for factual errors (which all historians commit) but for daring to deviate from the approved narrative. The book’s nuanced treatment of Hitler enraged critics who preferred a simplistic, moralistic framework—leading to smear campaigns rather than substantive rebuttals.
Irving’s eventual pariah status says more about historical orthodoxy’s intolerance than about his scholarship. The 2000 libel trial, often misrepresented as a "Holocaust denial" case, was actually about whether he was maliciously dishonest—a charge that remains hotly debated. What’s undeniable is that the trial was weaponized to destroy his credibility, ensuring that even his legitimate early work would be dismissed through guilt-by-association.
Nonetheless, this book is a masterclass in archival-driven history. The real tragedy is that Irving’s later controversies have been used to retroactively taint this book, discouraging fair engagement. It deserves to be read—if not as gospel, then as a provocative counterpoint to establishment historiography.
Absolutely fantastic. Couldn't recommend this book more.
June 10, 2018
This is an account of the years of Hitler's power and the build up to the Second World War. The author explores Hitler's achievements in rebuilding the economy and the armed forces, with the concurrent growth of racism and nationalism. This is the first of a 3-volume work on the subject. The companion volumes are "Hitler's War 1939-1942" and "Hitler's War 1942-1945". David Irving has also written "The Death of General Sikorski", "The Rise and Fall of the Luftwaffe" and "The Trail of the Fox - The Life of Field Marshall Erwin Rommel".
April 24, 2016
An entirely optional book, taken together with 'Hitler's War' but a nice warm-up to the latter nonetheless. Although quite a few passages overlap, to which The War Path- given its overall narrower source material- dedicates the most time to .
Read this, preferrably, in addition to Hitler's War, to see how Hitler's relationships with his personal staff came to fruition.
Read this, preferrably, in addition to Hitler's War, to see how Hitler's relationships with his personal staff came to fruition.
May 20, 2022
The War Path is a prequel to the excellent Hitler's War with plenty of detail on the pre-war years as Hitler rebuilds the Germany economy whilst at the same time re-arming and preparing to expand the German Reich for its 'living space'. Where this book ends (September 1939) Hitler's War begins. David Irving is an accomplished writer but where he really excels is in the depth of his research and The War Path is very well researched and based upon interviews, German documents, intelligence reports, diaries, and other primary sources. The War Path is not essential but it is very readable and sets the scene for the events of 1939-1945.
January 1, 2018
Great book on the situations before the start of WW2. I read a lot of Irvings books, but this one could have used more details on the events occurring. Not as thick I thought it would be. Nonetheless still great read. I also do not base my thoughts & opinions about WW2 on just one reading of an authors/ historians discovery but to read different views to get a better feeling on the 3rd Reich. Mainly, Irvings writings on the German Gov at the time isn’t very far off compared to other authors or Historians. But I tend to put more emphasis on his work simply bc his research is unparalleled.
May 21, 2023
Read as part of "Hitlers War".
February 9, 2025
What a book! Very different to other mainstream historical accounts of this period, Irving prefers to avoid merely quoting other books and instead starts from scratch, going back to visit the sources to see for himself. This is what makes it special. He's not trying to please anyone. He is totally committed to telling it like it was as accurately as possible. He interviews every possible surviving family member still alive at the time, scours every diary, delves into every state archive, listens to every speech, reads every Forschungsampt transcript, it's breathtaking to imagine the time and effort put into this book.
In Hitler we find a man deeply committed to Germany and it's people. Taking opportunities whenever they cross his path, he aims to undo the territorial concessions of the Versailles Treaty, and prioritise the German people, wherever they may be.
I didn't feel that Irving painted a picture of Hitler that was "not evil enough", it wasn't his job to appease prevailing narratives. In the end Hitlers greed at wanting all of Poland instead of just Danzig and the Polish corridor were probably his undoing, along with Churchills Hell-bent obsession with going to war (after Poland was defeated).
A great read from an unwavering commitment to the truth.
In Hitler we find a man deeply committed to Germany and it's people. Taking opportunities whenever they cross his path, he aims to undo the territorial concessions of the Versailles Treaty, and prioritise the German people, wherever they may be.
I didn't feel that Irving painted a picture of Hitler that was "not evil enough", it wasn't his job to appease prevailing narratives. In the end Hitlers greed at wanting all of Poland instead of just Danzig and the Polish corridor were probably his undoing, along with Churchills Hell-bent obsession with going to war (after Poland was defeated).
A great read from an unwavering commitment to the truth.
November 25, 2021
Fotografía de un dictador que se prepara minuciosamente para una guerra que siempre quiso. Detallado camino de sus objetivos, decisiones y acciones, rodeado de sus colaboradores, dibujados con una tinta de sumisión e idolatría.
Un prólogo controversia que trata discretamente de restarle culpa a Führer, ya sea por ignorar todo lo que aconteció o por decisiones de sus subalternos, al margen de su conocimiento.
Curioso encontrar rasgos que se dirían, son molde de cualquier megalómano con oportunidad al poder.
Un prólogo controversia que trata discretamente de restarle culpa a Führer, ya sea por ignorar todo lo que aconteció o por decisiones de sus subalternos, al margen de su conocimiento.
Curioso encontrar rasgos que se dirían, son molde de cualquier megalómano con oportunidad al poder.
October 5, 2025
The author has been lambasted with the reputation of 'a partisan revisionist idealizing Hitler' when the labours of his research show an incredibly human figure, magnificent but certainly not perfect - even when he attempts to appease the powers that be by muddling the objectivity of a history with emotionally-leading adjectives like 'dark'/'sinister'/etc, it was apparently quite frightening how he recorded Hitler in history not even as perfect but as human (Hitler's rant about unsafe drivers is a particularly sympathetic moment).
October 19, 2024
Real History. Fact.
November 7, 2024
Must read!
"The War Path" covers the lead up to World War 2 viewed from the German camp.
Phenomenally researched and eloquently phrased throughout.
"The War Path" covers the lead up to World War 2 viewed from the German camp.
Phenomenally researched and eloquently phrased throughout.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews