An antidote to those history books that are too long, too technical, over complicated and difficult to follow.The Third A Layman's Guide is a straightforward, short history of the NSDAP / Nazi Party that is more like a chat over a cup of tea than a heavy historical text, making it much more accessible and readable for non-historians.Addington is much more than an author he is a master story teller. DMB - Amazon reviewerI really enjoyed this book for its simplicity and easy to follow telling of events. Great for adults and youngsters who are interested in finding out about this period in history in an easy to understand way. Lee James Richards - Amazon reviewerWant to know about the Third Reich and the Nazis but don't want to wade through thousands of pages? Want to know the facts and discover the why/who/what/when of the Third Reich without being bored rigid? You have come to the right place! This 'Layman's Guide' has been written to educate, engage and entertain readers - especially those who perhaps have not read too much about the Third Reich before. Short sharp chapters are written with a pace and style not normally found in history books (which, let's be honest, can be mightily dull sometimes!)The Third A Layman's Guide has been written specifically for people who have little or no knowledge of the subject and is designed to be the ideal introduction to a subject which can be quite daunting to some readers. More akin to a nice easy chat over a cup of tea rather than a heavy historical text the story flows naturally, albeit without mountains of minutiae. This Layman's Guide provides enough detail to gain a good grounding of knowledge and understanding, without the reader becoming overwhelmed in detail and complexity.
I absolutely loved this great read! There are things about the end of WWI, the feelings of the Germans, how an Austrian was able to take over a country, and so much more that goes into WWII. From beginning to end, you will not want to put this book down until the very end. His "layman's guide" (as Scott Addington describes his take on history) has a very unique writing style that makes history come to life! It is not just dates, names, and so forth. He will make anyone, even those who dislikes history, want to read more books of his! This is a fast read because it is so interesting. However, it also informs the reader what we may not have known about Germans and how Hitler had so many people under his thumb. It is not a holocaust book at all. Mr. Addington focuses on the Third Reich. You will absolutely love this book! I was provided with a free copy of this book so I could give an honest review.
Very short and written in an engaging (and sometimes funny!) style this taught me loads. We all know about the Third Reich, and I have read one history book on the period (Nazi Wives: The Women at the Top of Hitler's Germany), and The Third Reich: A Layman's Guide gave me much needed context, the whats and whys, of the regime. Given that the Third Reich is talked about so much I was surprised by how much I learnt from this very quick read. A fantastic book.
This is a short book, but a very good one. It's obvious that Mr. Addington did a lot of research into the topic, and tried his best to make it accessible to the average reader. However, his writing style was a bit too 'familiar', and he used too many slang phrases that really only a person familiar with British English would know. I was able to figure out what Mr. Addington meant, but it interrupted the flow of the book, and he was therefore docked one star. It's still a very good book, and I recommend it.
Little concept of grammar; ignores punctuation ruled; incomplete sentences; run-on sentences; misuse of words. The poor writing interferes with comprehension and enjoyment.
I enjoyed this book immensely it turned a dry subject and Filled it with interesting information. Definitely a Good Substitute for The lack of Material in American Schools
There are not enough books like this on the market. Scott Addington has produced a book that gives the layman a full guide to the Third Reich, from the start to the final moments at the Nuremberg trials including the sentence that each of the Nazis received. This guide deals with everything that we read in the history books but rather than bore you to death, it gives short accurate accounts of what was going on throughout the 14 years of their tyrannical rule. Full of facts and interesting details that keep the reader captivated.
If you want to know about this subject, but think that you just cannot face the mounds of details and research, then do not worry as Scott has done all the hard work for you. It reads like a friend is educating you and not like a traditional textbook that you get part way through and discard.
Scott has researched the materials very well and presents it to us in easy to swallow parts.
I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book so I could give an honest review.
This is an excellent book for those looking to hear about the rise and fall of the Third Reich. The book delivers as described in the title "A Layman's Guide". I would recommend it to anyone who does not want to go read four or five books on Hitler. The author does a great job describing the historic events that transpired during this time in a story-like manner. I did notice a few spelling and/or grammatical errors in the book but nothing that took away from the content. I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book so I could give an honest review.
I'm only now starting to get interested in history and I really enjoy Scott Addington's style of writing. Learning the basics first really suits me as I think I would give up with an epic tome.
A great introduction to this dark part of human history. After this book, as the author also suggested, read The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich: A History of Nazi Germany by William L. Shirer.