The Wolf's Lair: Inside Hitler's Germany

by Roger Moorhouse

What happened inside the infamous 'Wolf's Lair', one of Hitler's headquarters?

Who was the Nazi serial killer?

And who was the man who 'started' World War Two?

These are just some of the questions explored in Roger Moorhouse's collection of essays 'The Wolf's Inside Hitler's Germany'.

Adolf Hitler and the Third Reich continue to fascinate the world. But there are still many stories to be uncovered, and new angles on the conflict to be explored.

In this brilliant collection of articles and essays, Roger Moorhouse examines some of the more obscure aspects of the history of Hitler’s Germany, whilst also using personal stories to expertly illustrate the great themes of World War Two.

In one essay Moorhouse wrestles with the question of how much Berliners knew about the ongoing Holocaust. In another, he investigates the fascinating story of ‘Germania’; the planned rebuilding of Berlin, asking what the plan tells us about Nazi Germany.

Roger Moorhouse is a best-selling historian. A specialist in modern German, he is author of “Killing Hitler” (2006), an account of the many plots on Hitler’s life, and of the critically acclaimed “Berlin at War” (2010), which used first-hand accounts to illuminate the little-told story of the civilian experience of wartime Berlin. He has also been a regular contributor to both the ‘BBC History Magazine’ and ‘History Today’ for over a decade.

Praise for Roger

'Roger Moorhouse has built a formidable and justified reputation as one of our leading authorities on all aspects of the Third Reich. In addition to his sound scholarship and original thinking his writing is clear and wonderfully accessible. The Wolf's Lair shows him at the height of his powers' (Nigel Jones, Author of 'Countdown to Valkyrie'; 'Hitler's Heralds and The War Walk)

‘As a leading historian of modern Germany, Moorhouse has chronicled a largely unknown story with scholarship, narrative verve and an awful, harrowing immediacy.' (Sunday Telegraph)

‘Moorhouse is particularly good on the small-arms fire of history, those illuminating details or unknown life-stories’ (Andrew Roberts, Financial Times)

‘[Moorhouse] produces something a popular history account that will satisfy both general readers and professional historians.’ (Irish Times)

‘Moorhouse’s meticulous and painstaking research is matched by his narrative verve, wide-ranging sympathy and eye for the telling detail.’ (The Independent)

‘Roger Moorhouse tells this awe-inducing modern morality tale movingly, skilfully and fluently. (Frederick Taylor, Literary Review)

Endeavour Press is the UK's leading publisher of digital books.

Genres: History, World War II, Germany, Nonfiction, War, Military History, Holocaust

56 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 28, 2012

About the author

Living the Dream. Historian and author of an international bestseller - "Berlin at War" was #1 in Lithuania :-) - as well as a few other books, such as "Killing Hitler", "The Devils' Alliance" and "First to Fight" - the last of which won the Polish Foreign Ministry History Prize in 2020.

I write mainly about Nazi Germany and wartime Poland, but I fear that might scare some people off, so I'll just call myself a writer of history books.

My current book (published in the UK in August 2023) is "The Forgers", which is the fascinating story of the Ładoś Group - a ring of Polish diplomats and Jewish activists operating out of wartime Switzerland - who were forging Latin American passports to help Jews escape the Holocaust. It is a VERY interesting subject - so I would urge you to get a copy!

I hope you enjoy my books. Any questions or queries or just wholesome praise, do let me know...

Reviews

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Wolf’s Lair: Inside Hitler’s Germany is not really what I’d call a book, but more a series of seven magazine-type articles on various aspects of Nazi Germany. They’re wildly divergent, with one detailing a serial killer of the era (the “S-Bahn murderer”), for instance. I most enjoyed the chapter on Hitler’s Wolfsschanze, or Wolf’s Lair. It was Hitler’s headquarters in Eastern Prussia. I somehow was picturing all of Hitler’s bunkers being totally underground, but not this one. It was kind of like a village, although some of the buildings had grass and landscaping on the roofs to camouflage them from planes.

Another interesting chapter told of Germania, or Hitler’s planned dream version of Berlin. If it had ever been constructed, it would have been massive and over-the-top, as you might expect from the leader of the Third Reich. Congress Hall was actually built in Nuremberg, and was modeled on the Roman Colosseum. It was to hold 50,000 and be 560′ high (although it was only built half that high).

Short, stand-alone reads on the Hitler era which would be nice to read when you have 5- or 10-minutes here and there.

[David Lowther · Rating 4 out of 5]

Roger Moorhouse is a very well-known WWII historian. The Wolf's Lair is a small collection of short essays about such interesting topics as Hitler's plans to build Germania, the Wannsee Conference, a re-appraisal (but not a character assassination) of Claus von Stauffenberg, the S Bahn Murderer, the Wolf's Lair and so on.

Each essay either introduces the reader to a familiar theme dealt with by Moorhouse in an original way or else something which readers might not have previously heard. All share one thing; they're brilliantly written and utterly fascinating

David Lowther. Author of The Blue Pencil (theblue.pencil.co.uk)
davidlowtherblog.wordpress.com

[Anglotopia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an interesting book that looks at a few specific issues related to Nazi Germany. I was particularly fascinated by the chapter about the SS Bahn Serial Killer - the idea of a serial killer at loose in wartime Nazi Berlin is just so interesting. The book is a short and easy read. It's basically a collection of articles the author wrote for several magazines. My only wish is that it had been longer - would love to see more articles on subjects like this during the Nazi era.

[Pandit · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a collection of short essays - hence my slightly low rating.
'Collections' are usually recycled blogs, and not real books.

However the essays are short and snappy, and interesting. At only 50 pages long total though, this can't really be considered a proper book.

[Bruce K. Beyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Updated History

This book is comprised of a series of short articles that investigate and clarify aspects of Nazi Germany. I found the history lessons to be enlightening and entertaining, although one must always remember the horrors unleashed by the Nazis before and during WWII. The author repeatedly reminds the reader of this.

[Anil Singh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good new material

[Garth · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't realise this was not going to be a classic Moorhouse history, and didn't enjoy the short format as much as I had hoped.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mostly Introduction

This book is a quick read collection of essays/articles that were featured in the BBC history magazine. Multiple subject matter. Going over many of the aspects of Nazi Germany I have already known. But some of it on more depth. Definitely more info than what has been learned in a typical American HS history studies.

[Chrissy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a series of articles written by the author and published in various magazines. They were on different topics about the Nazi regime. I found the article about a serial killer in Berlin during the war the most interesting. I just wish it had been a little longer.

[Vikas Datta · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thoughtful essays on various aspects of Nazi Germany with some incisive analysis on issues we thought we already knew

[Mark Malcampo · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fun, insightful quick read. Looks at the Nazi regime with a different lens. Worth my time.

[Jodi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting and full of historical truths.

[Jeff · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would have liked this book to be much longer (not normal for a historiography).

[Eric Dear · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting articles/essays on the Third Reich.

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting read of Hitler and his wolf's Lair where much of the Final Solution was planned.

[Martinxo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Got this cheap on Kindle and would have happily paid the full price.