Hitler: A Pictorial Biography

by Peter Schwartz

Edited by Peter Schwartz, this illustrated book contains an extraordinary collection of contemporary photographs of Adolf Hitler, dictator of Nazi Germany from 1934 to 1945. Hitler, although born in Austria, always considered himself German. He was obsessively nationalistic believing that the Aryan German race to be superior to all others. Essentially, an opportunist, he used his oratory skills and propaganda techniques to gain power at a very unsettled time for Germany. Temporarily convincing the nation that Nazism, which was the product of his own beliefs, would solve the country's problems, he was duly elected as the supreme leader with absolute power. His hatred of minorities, in particular the Jews, but also anyone considered non Aryan, resulted in industrialised mass murder on an unimaginable scale. Desiring an empire, his actions resulted in worldwide conflict and the deaths of more than 50 million people. His fall ended Nazism, and consequences following the aftermath of the War changed the political landscape of the world. Even today, some 70 years after his death, his legacy still casts a shadow.

Genres: History, Nonfiction

128 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 2001

About the author

Peter is the author of Inevitable Surprises (2003), a provocative look at the dynamic forces at play in the world today and their implications for business and society. His first book, The Art of the Long View(1991), is considered a seminal publication on scenario planning and was recently voted the No. 1 futures book by the Association of Professional Futurists. He also co-authored The Long Boom (1999), a vision for the world characterized by global openness, prosperity, and discovery; When Good Companies Do Bad Things (1999), an examination of and argument for corporate social responsibility; and China’s Futures (2001), which describes very different scenarios for China. He publishes and lectures widely and served as a script consultant on the films "The Minority Report," "Deep Impact," "Sneakers," and "War Games." Peter received a B.S. in aeronautical engineering and astronautics as well as an honorary doctorate from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

Reviews

[Ravi Prakash · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some very rare photos of Hitler's childhood and youth. Crisp but knowledgeful descriptions.

[Julian · Rating 2 out of 5]

Terrible book. I don't know what the editors where thinking. The info is super basic, but that's OK, as it is more about the pictures than anything else. It is a book for those of us not experts in the topic. Fair enough.

The problem is that the basic organization and timeline is a mess. We have a section called The Early Years, where we see Hitler as a boy, talk about this family, etc. That is all good, but when talking about his family, the author jumps decades ahead and gets into the war timeline. Same with the pre-War section, 1933-1939. We learn a bit about Hess, but again, the author jumps to 1941 and, why not, to the 80s, when Hess died.

So we go in circles, back and forth and with no structure. This is more like a casual conversation with friends, than a published book. The book's last page is about Hess, of all people, in the Nuremberg trial.

[Sérgio · Rating 2 out of 5]

Fotobiografia de Hitler. Vale quase exclusivamente pelas fotos, várias delas pouco conhecidas. Quanto ao texto, apresenta vários erros de ortografia e sintaxe. As fontes nunca são referidas, o que afecta seriamente a credibilidade da informação apresentada, sendo mesmo de carácter duvidoso em diversas ocasiões.

[Devin · Rating 1 out of 5]

Terrible. There are grammar issues, no bibliography or recommended readings, the pictures don't come with captions, the chronology is all over the place, and certain people or concepts are introduced with no explanation (would be hard to follow if you had no prior knowledge of Hitler).

[Indah Threez Lestari · Rating 3 out of 5]

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