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Hitler: The Memoir of the Nazi Insider Who Turned Against the Fuhrer
Of American and German parentage, Ernst Hanfstaengl graduated from Harvard and ran the family business in New York for a dozen years before returning to Germany in 1921. By chance he heard a then little-known Adolf Hitler speaking in a Munich beer hall and, mesmerized by his extraordinary oratorical power, was convinced the man would some day come to power. As Hitler’s fanatical theories and ideas hardened, however, he surrounded himself with rabid extremists such as Goering, Hess, and Goebbels, and Hanfstaengl became estranged from him.
But with the Nazi’s major unexpected political triumph in 1930, Hitler became a national figure, and he invited Hanfstaengl to be his foreign press secretary. It is from this unique insider’s position that the author provides a vivid, intimate view of Hitler—with his neuroses, repressions, and growing megalomania—over the next several years. In 1937, four years after Hitler came to power, relations between Hanfstaengl and the Nazis had deteriorated to such a degree that he was forced to flee for his life, escaping to Switzerland. Here is a portrait of Hitler as you’ve rarely seen him.
But with the Nazi’s major unexpected political triumph in 1930, Hitler became a national figure, and he invited Hanfstaengl to be his foreign press secretary. It is from this unique insider’s position that the author provides a vivid, intimate view of Hitler—with his neuroses, repressions, and growing megalomania—over the next several years. In 1937, four years after Hitler came to power, relations between Hanfstaengl and the Nazis had deteriorated to such a degree that he was forced to flee for his life, escaping to Switzerland. Here is a portrait of Hitler as you’ve rarely seen him.
316 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 1, 2011
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November 3, 2020
Have you ever asked yourself how it was possible that a civilized nation like Germany, a nation of poets and thinkers (as Germany was called), could follow a megalomaniac, a madman, a monster, who rose to the infamous glory to become the worst mass murderer of the century, if not in all of history?
I had always thought that aside of the aftermath of WWI and the failure of the Weimar Republic, Hitler’s rise had mainly been possible because of a multitude of very determined, power-craving and/or opportunistic henchmen, present in every society, AND, first and foremost, because of the so-called "stupid masses", who, unfortunately, are the majority in the population of every country. I still hold this opinion, but reading Ernst Hanfstaengl’s book made me realize that I had missed a few things.
Harvard-educated, German-American Ernst Hanfstaengl was neither power-craving, nor was he opportunistic, and he definitely wasn’t stupid. So what made him follow Hitler and become one of his closest allies in the early years of Hitler’s rise to power?
The general question is: What could make an intelligent, educated, fairly decent man become a Nazi? And what could keep him from quitting his allegiance and distancing himself from the Nazi movement once he realized that Hitler had become a megalomaniac dictator and that the initial goals of the movement were being abandoned and replaced by insane anti-Semitism and preparations to push Germany into another war.
Why do people hold on to lost causes? Why does someone stay in a relationship that has gone sour? Why does someone stay in a social club that has become annoying? Why does someone stay in a political party that no longer pursues what it initially stood for?
My personal experience in all of the above mentioned cases is as follows:
(1) People are social animals. Once they feel at home in a certain relationship or group, they cling to it and won’t easily let it go.
(2) Any engagement (be it political, religious, personal, or only a hobby) can easily become an obsession. Obsessions rarely get abandoned.
(3) Even when it is not an obsession, abandoning an engagement means admitting that one had made a mistake to get engaged with it in the first place. Most people have a problem with admitting that they had been wrong.
(4) There is always the hope, which quite often is an illusion, that one can influence another person or a group and lead it back onto the right track or, at least, exercise a restraining influence.
Any or even all of these reasons might explain why Hanfstaengl did not abandon ship at a time when it became clear that Hitler and his cronies were up to no good and things were going awry.
Hanfstaengl paid for his grave mistake. He barely escaped being assassinated on Hitler’s orders when he had fallen out of grace for not being a yeah-sayer but being critical of Hitler’s politics. And he ended up being interned for ten years by the Allies, under — at least part of the time — dreadful conditions.
Hanfstaengl’s book is not merely a pleasant-to-read memoir, including gossip and some juicy stories, it is a PRICELESS CONTEMPORARY HISTORICAL DOCUMENT, providing a close-up picture of Hitler, from his paranoid little quirks to his private and public life to his demonic talent as an orator* and seducer of souls to his development as a ruthless, murderous, and monstrous dictator with no conscience and no compassion.
If you want to learn how a rather uneducated, weird character with an almost idiot-savant talent to attract, deceive, and manipulate people could rise to power, turn a democratic country into a police state, and lay the ground for the biggest world-wide catastrophe of the 20th century, READ THIS BOOK.
No matter how many books you have read about this era, DO NOT MISS this book. I consider it an absolute MUST-READ.
* Hanfstaengl concedes that Hitler’s talent as an outstanding orator faded away in later years when he only screamed his tirades. (And this is how I remember the Hitler speeches from the radio [1941-1945], during which I always had to keep my mouth shut, while my annoyed family members listened with disgust.)
This review was written on December 25, 2013. It was edited on July 6, 2016 to add the following P.S.:
P.S. July 6, 2016: I listened to CNN’s broadcast of Donald Trump’s rally speech in Ohio today. It sounded exactly like the Hitler speeches as I remember them from the radio. Scary, isn’t it?—Only difference: This time, I don’t have to keep my mouth shut. (Not yet, anyway. Who knows what will happen after the elections? Or even before. Might there be a “Reichstagsbrand”?)
P.P.S. December 2, 2017: I wish the GOP would consider whether it is worth it to keep following a leader who no longer represents conservative (and even less American) values.
P.P.P.S. November 2, 2020: Almost 4 years have passed since I wrote this review. A lot has happened since. And it, definitely, wasn't for the better of our country. I have kept asking myself how a civilized nation like the United States of America could make the same mistake as the Germans made almost a century ago, when they allowed someone like Hitler come to power. So let's see what will happen tomorrow or rather in the days, weeks, and months ahead. My crystal ball tells me that whatever will be the outcome of the election, it won't be something good. Should Trump win, we'll soon have a bomb-proof totalitarian state. Should he lose, he'll ignite a civil war. I don't know what might be worse. And should the latter not go well for some reason, there is always the possibility to declare State of Emergency and, thus, eradicate the remnants of our democracy or-worse-distract from all failures by starting a little nuclear war. Let's all hope that I am wrong and that by some divine intervention none of my dire prophesies will come true.
I had always thought that aside of the aftermath of WWI and the failure of the Weimar Republic, Hitler’s rise had mainly been possible because of a multitude of very determined, power-craving and/or opportunistic henchmen, present in every society, AND, first and foremost, because of the so-called "stupid masses", who, unfortunately, are the majority in the population of every country. I still hold this opinion, but reading Ernst Hanfstaengl’s book made me realize that I had missed a few things.
Harvard-educated, German-American Ernst Hanfstaengl was neither power-craving, nor was he opportunistic, and he definitely wasn’t stupid. So what made him follow Hitler and become one of his closest allies in the early years of Hitler’s rise to power?
The general question is: What could make an intelligent, educated, fairly decent man become a Nazi? And what could keep him from quitting his allegiance and distancing himself from the Nazi movement once he realized that Hitler had become a megalomaniac dictator and that the initial goals of the movement were being abandoned and replaced by insane anti-Semitism and preparations to push Germany into another war.
Why do people hold on to lost causes? Why does someone stay in a relationship that has gone sour? Why does someone stay in a social club that has become annoying? Why does someone stay in a political party that no longer pursues what it initially stood for?
My personal experience in all of the above mentioned cases is as follows:
(1) People are social animals. Once they feel at home in a certain relationship or group, they cling to it and won’t easily let it go.
(2) Any engagement (be it political, religious, personal, or only a hobby) can easily become an obsession. Obsessions rarely get abandoned.
(3) Even when it is not an obsession, abandoning an engagement means admitting that one had made a mistake to get engaged with it in the first place. Most people have a problem with admitting that they had been wrong.
(4) There is always the hope, which quite often is an illusion, that one can influence another person or a group and lead it back onto the right track or, at least, exercise a restraining influence.
Any or even all of these reasons might explain why Hanfstaengl did not abandon ship at a time when it became clear that Hitler and his cronies were up to no good and things were going awry.
Hanfstaengl paid for his grave mistake. He barely escaped being assassinated on Hitler’s orders when he had fallen out of grace for not being a yeah-sayer but being critical of Hitler’s politics. And he ended up being interned for ten years by the Allies, under — at least part of the time — dreadful conditions.
Hanfstaengl’s book is not merely a pleasant-to-read memoir, including gossip and some juicy stories, it is a PRICELESS CONTEMPORARY HISTORICAL DOCUMENT, providing a close-up picture of Hitler, from his paranoid little quirks to his private and public life to his demonic talent as an orator* and seducer of souls to his development as a ruthless, murderous, and monstrous dictator with no conscience and no compassion.
If you want to learn how a rather uneducated, weird character with an almost idiot-savant talent to attract, deceive, and manipulate people could rise to power, turn a democratic country into a police state, and lay the ground for the biggest world-wide catastrophe of the 20th century, READ THIS BOOK.
No matter how many books you have read about this era, DO NOT MISS this book. I consider it an absolute MUST-READ.
* Hanfstaengl concedes that Hitler’s talent as an outstanding orator faded away in later years when he only screamed his tirades. (And this is how I remember the Hitler speeches from the radio [1941-1945], during which I always had to keep my mouth shut, while my annoyed family members listened with disgust.)
This review was written on December 25, 2013. It was edited on July 6, 2016 to add the following P.S.:
P.S. July 6, 2016: I listened to CNN’s broadcast of Donald Trump’s rally speech in Ohio today. It sounded exactly like the Hitler speeches as I remember them from the radio. Scary, isn’t it?—Only difference: This time, I don’t have to keep my mouth shut. (Not yet, anyway. Who knows what will happen after the elections? Or even before. Might there be a “Reichstagsbrand”?)
P.P.S. December 2, 2017: I wish the GOP would consider whether it is worth it to keep following a leader who no longer represents conservative (and even less American) values.
P.P.P.S. November 2, 2020: Almost 4 years have passed since I wrote this review. A lot has happened since. And it, definitely, wasn't for the better of our country. I have kept asking myself how a civilized nation like the United States of America could make the same mistake as the Germans made almost a century ago, when they allowed someone like Hitler come to power. So let's see what will happen tomorrow or rather in the days, weeks, and months ahead. My crystal ball tells me that whatever will be the outcome of the election, it won't be something good. Should Trump win, we'll soon have a bomb-proof totalitarian state. Should he lose, he'll ignite a civil war. I don't know what might be worse. And should the latter not go well for some reason, there is always the possibility to declare State of Emergency and, thus, eradicate the remnants of our democracy or-worse-distract from all failures by starting a little nuclear war. Let's all hope that I am wrong and that by some divine intervention none of my dire prophesies will come true.
March 7, 2017
UPDATE 3/7/17 ...
I recently read the chapter about Putzi's incredible "escape" from Hitler's clutches during the Spanish Civil War in 1937. It's an exciting account, into which I introduced my fictional character Berthold Becker as my story moves along in the sequel to my recently published novel A Flood of Evil.
I always wonder if Putzi is totally honest, but this story, even allowing for exaggeration, is just too good to pass up.
Here's an excerpt in Putzi's words ... We can hardly have been in the air for ten minutes when Jaworsky came aft and said: “The pilot wants to talk to you.” … “Herr Hanfstaengl, I have no orders to take you to Salamanca. My instructions are to drop you over the Red lines between Barcelona and Madrid.” ... “They were given me in a sealed envelope two minutes before I got into the plane. They are signed by Goering in person. There is nothing I can do. Orders are orders.”
UPDATE 7/12/16 ...
I read the sections about Putzi's trip to America in 1934 to attend the 25th anniversary of his graduation from Harvard. His account is fascinating, although as always, is it totally true? My current plan is to use this trip in several scenes in Book 2 of A FLOOD OF EVIL.
***
"Putzi" Hanfstaengl, born in Munich, educated at Harvard, friend of FDR, spent the years from 1923 to 1934 in closed contact with Hitler and the other major Nazi figures. His memoirs are a series of fascinating, one-of-a-kind observations. I haven't finished the book - only read through the years next up for me in my novel-in-progress.
Here are a few of Putsi's observations ...
... Hitler was a man who thought everything could be accomplished by speeches and that underlings could be left to look after the paper work.
... there were still years to go before Hitler became the unteachable, unreasonable and unapproachable fanatic whom the world knows from his days of power.
... I felt Hitler was a case of a man who was neither fish, flesh nor fowl, neither fully homosexual nor fully heterosexual. … From watching Hitler and talking to those near him, I had formed the firm conviction that he was impotent, the repressed, masturbating type ... From the time I knew him, I do not suppose he had orthodox sexual relations with any woman.
... the telephone rang at my home and there was Rudolf Hess on the line: “Herr Hanfstaengl, the Führer is very anxious to talk to you. When would it be convenient for us to call on you?” … In half an hour they were knocking at the door … “Herr Hanfstaengl, I have come to ask you to take over the post of foreign press chief of the Party. You have all the connexions and could render us a great service.” … Munich was being flooded with foreign correspondents who had come down to interview this renascent phenomenon and he simply did not know how to deal with them or talk to them.
... (In Hitler's election campaigns of 1932) it was just like accompanying a musical artist on a concert tour … We were reduced to the status of boxers’ seconds, sponging him off between rounds, while he gasped for air and gathered his wits.
... “Herr Hitler,” I said, “Mr. Churchill is in Munich and wants to meet you. This is a tremendous opportunity. They want me to bring you along to dinner at the Hotel Continental tonight.” Hitler produced a thousand excuses, as he always did when he was afraid of meeting someone. [NOTE: They did not meet]
I recently read the chapter about Putzi's incredible "escape" from Hitler's clutches during the Spanish Civil War in 1937. It's an exciting account, into which I introduced my fictional character Berthold Becker as my story moves along in the sequel to my recently published novel A Flood of Evil.
I always wonder if Putzi is totally honest, but this story, even allowing for exaggeration, is just too good to pass up.
Here's an excerpt in Putzi's words ... We can hardly have been in the air for ten minutes when Jaworsky came aft and said: “The pilot wants to talk to you.” … “Herr Hanfstaengl, I have no orders to take you to Salamanca. My instructions are to drop you over the Red lines between Barcelona and Madrid.” ... “They were given me in a sealed envelope two minutes before I got into the plane. They are signed by Goering in person. There is nothing I can do. Orders are orders.”
UPDATE 7/12/16 ...
I read the sections about Putzi's trip to America in 1934 to attend the 25th anniversary of his graduation from Harvard. His account is fascinating, although as always, is it totally true? My current plan is to use this trip in several scenes in Book 2 of A FLOOD OF EVIL.
***
"Putzi" Hanfstaengl, born in Munich, educated at Harvard, friend of FDR, spent the years from 1923 to 1934 in closed contact with Hitler and the other major Nazi figures. His memoirs are a series of fascinating, one-of-a-kind observations. I haven't finished the book - only read through the years next up for me in my novel-in-progress.
Here are a few of Putsi's observations ...
... Hitler was a man who thought everything could be accomplished by speeches and that underlings could be left to look after the paper work.
... there were still years to go before Hitler became the unteachable, unreasonable and unapproachable fanatic whom the world knows from his days of power.
... I felt Hitler was a case of a man who was neither fish, flesh nor fowl, neither fully homosexual nor fully heterosexual. … From watching Hitler and talking to those near him, I had formed the firm conviction that he was impotent, the repressed, masturbating type ... From the time I knew him, I do not suppose he had orthodox sexual relations with any woman.
... the telephone rang at my home and there was Rudolf Hess on the line: “Herr Hanfstaengl, the Führer is very anxious to talk to you. When would it be convenient for us to call on you?” … In half an hour they were knocking at the door … “Herr Hanfstaengl, I have come to ask you to take over the post of foreign press chief of the Party. You have all the connexions and could render us a great service.” … Munich was being flooded with foreign correspondents who had come down to interview this renascent phenomenon and he simply did not know how to deal with them or talk to them.
... (In Hitler's election campaigns of 1932) it was just like accompanying a musical artist on a concert tour … We were reduced to the status of boxers’ seconds, sponging him off between rounds, while he gasped for air and gathered his wits.
... “Herr Hitler,” I said, “Mr. Churchill is in Munich and wants to meet you. This is a tremendous opportunity. They want me to bring you along to dinner at the Hotel Continental tonight.” Hitler produced a thousand excuses, as he always did when he was afraid of meeting someone. [NOTE: They did not meet]
August 7, 2013
This book was ripped right out of the pages of an overly dramatic teenaged girl's diary, so I will present most of my review in the voice of said teen.
Dear diary, this year is going to be like the best year of school ever! I met this girl Aldophina in homeroom, she's kinda of poor and fat but she had this awesome folder with all the boys from One Direction on it, and the coolest thing was, it wasn't one of those massed produced folders either. She like made the One Direction collage on it herself, and of course Harry was the main focus. OMG I just ❤❤❤❤❤ Harry too, he's too cute. Thank god he doesn't hang with that Taylor Swift slut anymore, I still can't believe he dated her. Anyway she offered to make one for me too. So excited to have found a new friend even if she's kinda poor and fat but I'm so much more open minded than my other friends so I'll hang with her too. Gotta run now, Heinrich is on his way to pick me up for our first official date. 7th Grade is so gonna be the best now that daddy has allowed me to date. Love Ernestine.
Dear diary, so Aldophina is really interesting, she is like an artist and can do funny voices and stuff, she can sound like Harry Styles which OMG is like the coolset. Gotta finish getting my room ready for the slumber party, tonight I officially introduce Adolphina to my other cool friends. I just know that me and my friends are gonna to be the coolest group in the school and will hang with only the cutest boys, we will own the school! Love Ernestine
Dear diary, sorry I haven't written in a while but I've been soooo busy helping Aldolphina run for 7th grade class president. I think this is the wrong move for her because she's not that smart and even though she's like this artist and can do funny voices and she's lost some weight she's still what mom calls slovenly, fancy word for messy (see how sophisticated I'm getting? Thats from mom allowing me to sit in her women's club meetings, cool I know) and she's not really that nice to ummm how should I say it? to the slow kids? I mean she's smarter than them but still she's not like me smart. Well, gotta run, Love Ernestine.
Dear diary, I'm so sad, like OMG like I think I need depression medication sad. Aldolphina won, which I mean like, yay!, but she doesn't really hang with me or talk to me that much anymore. Ever since she's won she's been hanging with these really mean girls and I mean MEAN girls like Greta Goering. They started this campaign against the slow kids, like they shouldn't be allowed in the same classes as us because they are a distraction and hold the smarter kids back with their stupidness. The worst is that she never listens to me anymore and whenever I come over to say hi to her and her clique of 7th grade officers they always shut up and freeze me out. I'm so thankful that I still have some really great friends but it's just so mean and wrong since I helped her become less of a loser. But she's still a big fat mean loser. Later, love Ernestine.
Dear diary, That's it, I officially hate that big mean fat pig Aldophina, she spread this lie around school that I slept with Heinrich and that I give the 9th grade boys free handies behind the bleachers after school. At least my true friends are still behind me. I can't stop crying over what a fat lying bitch she turned out to be. Daddy is transferring me to another school as soon as he can. I can't attend VonWurstenberg High anymore with the daily harassment, oh god I just want to DIE, I'm so seriously thinking about killing myself. Sadly yours, Ernestine.
That's the tone of this horrible horribly written book. It was so terrible I had to read this book in small doses and even then I still couldn't finish it. If Hanfstanengl was an insider, he wasn't that deeply in and he's a lie teller to some degree. How do I know this? He claims that he's the one who introduced Hitler to the Mitford sisters, well he didn't. Hitler had an already established friendship with Unity Mitford before the big victory rally at Nuremberg, bitch was still carrying a grudge that Unity was the one that almost got him killed by ratting him out.
This book offers no enlightenment whatsoever on the mind of one of the sickest monsters in history of the human race.
Dear diary, this year is going to be like the best year of school ever! I met this girl Aldophina in homeroom, she's kinda of poor and fat but she had this awesome folder with all the boys from One Direction on it, and the coolest thing was, it wasn't one of those massed produced folders either. She like made the One Direction collage on it herself, and of course Harry was the main focus. OMG I just ❤❤❤❤❤ Harry too, he's too cute. Thank god he doesn't hang with that Taylor Swift slut anymore, I still can't believe he dated her. Anyway she offered to make one for me too. So excited to have found a new friend even if she's kinda poor and fat but I'm so much more open minded than my other friends so I'll hang with her too. Gotta run now, Heinrich is on his way to pick me up for our first official date. 7th Grade is so gonna be the best now that daddy has allowed me to date. Love Ernestine.
Dear diary, so Aldophina is really interesting, she is like an artist and can do funny voices and stuff, she can sound like Harry Styles which OMG is like the coolset. Gotta finish getting my room ready for the slumber party, tonight I officially introduce Adolphina to my other cool friends. I just know that me and my friends are gonna to be the coolest group in the school and will hang with only the cutest boys, we will own the school! Love Ernestine
Dear diary, sorry I haven't written in a while but I've been soooo busy helping Aldolphina run for 7th grade class president. I think this is the wrong move for her because she's not that smart and even though she's like this artist and can do funny voices and she's lost some weight she's still what mom calls slovenly, fancy word for messy (see how sophisticated I'm getting? Thats from mom allowing me to sit in her women's club meetings, cool I know) and she's not really that nice to ummm how should I say it? to the slow kids? I mean she's smarter than them but still she's not like me smart. Well, gotta run, Love Ernestine.
Dear diary, I'm so sad, like OMG like I think I need depression medication sad. Aldolphina won, which I mean like, yay!, but she doesn't really hang with me or talk to me that much anymore. Ever since she's won she's been hanging with these really mean girls and I mean MEAN girls like Greta Goering. They started this campaign against the slow kids, like they shouldn't be allowed in the same classes as us because they are a distraction and hold the smarter kids back with their stupidness. The worst is that she never listens to me anymore and whenever I come over to say hi to her and her clique of 7th grade officers they always shut up and freeze me out. I'm so thankful that I still have some really great friends but it's just so mean and wrong since I helped her become less of a loser. But she's still a big fat mean loser. Later, love Ernestine.
Dear diary, That's it, I officially hate that big mean fat pig Aldophina, she spread this lie around school that I slept with Heinrich and that I give the 9th grade boys free handies behind the bleachers after school. At least my true friends are still behind me. I can't stop crying over what a fat lying bitch she turned out to be. Daddy is transferring me to another school as soon as he can. I can't attend VonWurstenberg High anymore with the daily harassment, oh god I just want to DIE, I'm so seriously thinking about killing myself. Sadly yours, Ernestine.
That's the tone of this horrible horribly written book. It was so terrible I had to read this book in small doses and even then I still couldn't finish it. If Hanfstanengl was an insider, he wasn't that deeply in and he's a lie teller to some degree. How do I know this? He claims that he's the one who introduced Hitler to the Mitford sisters, well he didn't. Hitler had an already established friendship with Unity Mitford before the big victory rally at Nuremberg, bitch was still carrying a grudge that Unity was the one that almost got him killed by ratting him out.
This book offers no enlightenment whatsoever on the mind of one of the sickest monsters in history of the human race.
October 24, 2013
Reading this book is worth three stars, but the story between the lines is what brings it up to four. The author was a Nazi, and for all time he will be remembered as one, even if he became a turncoat at the last possible minute. And because he was a Nazi, we will always distrust his account of events--and revel at the insights that distrust can bring.
Ernst Hanfstaengl embodies the arrogance and the myopia of German conservatives and monarchists who were instrumental in getting Hitler into power, yet he writes about himself as a good man who wanted only the best for his country. He loans Hitler money, introduces the future Fuehrer to his rich Munich friends, all the while looking down on this peasant-rube from Austria, all the while thinking that Hanfstaengl's piano-playing and art criticism and tales about America will alter Hitler's course and expand his mind, all the while thinking that he (Hanfstaengl) is pulling the strings and not Hitler...
...until it's too late. They all fell into Hitler's trap. Germany wasn't a nation of right-wing, racist crazies in 1923, the time when Hanfstaengl's and Hitler's lives intersect, but it was a nation of conservatives deeply frustrated by five years of rule by Socialists and action by Communist gangs. Like the Republican Party of 2013, the conservatives fueled the rise of the extremist parties with the goal of co-opting power before things got out of hand. Instead they were co-opted.
Hanfstaengl has some interesting insights. He alleges that Hitler's mania was in part due to his sexual impotence--Hanfstaengl doesn't relate the rumor that Hitler had lost a testicle in the war, but he maintains time and time again that Hitler was impotent--that his liaisons with a line of immature, blonde beauties led only to voyeurism and twisted acts. He inspects Hitler's bookshelves, both in Munich and in Vienna to get an idea of his intellectual background. Gossip aside, though, Hitler's intentions are opaque to him. At the last, he is trying to show Hitler as one who aspired to be Pericles. Wrong.
In the penultimate chapter, "The Last Chord," Hanfstaengl allows himself some honest reflection on the Fuehrer. "When I talk to people," he quotes Hitler as saying, "I always talk as if the fate of the nation was bound up in their decision.... Certainly it means appealing to their vanity and ambition, but once I have got them to that point, the rest is easy." It certainly was in Hanfstaengl's case.
In another line of thought, Hanfstaengl writes, "Hitler was not so much a distiller as a bar-tender of genius. He took all the ingredients the German people offered him and mixed them through his private alchemy into a cocktail they wanted to drink." Again, this shows Hitler playing Germany's conservatives for all he was worth. By the time Hindenberg had passed away and he had gained dictatorial powers, he didn't rely on them at all, he ditched them utterly.
I put off reading this book because, as a person with intense interest in German history, I am quite "Hitlered out" when it comes to that man. But Hanfstaengl's Hitler is not WW2's mad genius. It is a look at the politician, beginning just a year before the Beer Hall Putsch through to the months prior to "the Polish crisis" as Hanfstaengl puts it (most of us call it the first action of the war). It is well worth the read.
Ernst Hanfstaengl embodies the arrogance and the myopia of German conservatives and monarchists who were instrumental in getting Hitler into power, yet he writes about himself as a good man who wanted only the best for his country. He loans Hitler money, introduces the future Fuehrer to his rich Munich friends, all the while looking down on this peasant-rube from Austria, all the while thinking that Hanfstaengl's piano-playing and art criticism and tales about America will alter Hitler's course and expand his mind, all the while thinking that he (Hanfstaengl) is pulling the strings and not Hitler...
...until it's too late. They all fell into Hitler's trap. Germany wasn't a nation of right-wing, racist crazies in 1923, the time when Hanfstaengl's and Hitler's lives intersect, but it was a nation of conservatives deeply frustrated by five years of rule by Socialists and action by Communist gangs. Like the Republican Party of 2013, the conservatives fueled the rise of the extremist parties with the goal of co-opting power before things got out of hand. Instead they were co-opted.
Hanfstaengl has some interesting insights. He alleges that Hitler's mania was in part due to his sexual impotence--Hanfstaengl doesn't relate the rumor that Hitler had lost a testicle in the war, but he maintains time and time again that Hitler was impotent--that his liaisons with a line of immature, blonde beauties led only to voyeurism and twisted acts. He inspects Hitler's bookshelves, both in Munich and in Vienna to get an idea of his intellectual background. Gossip aside, though, Hitler's intentions are opaque to him. At the last, he is trying to show Hitler as one who aspired to be Pericles. Wrong.
In the penultimate chapter, "The Last Chord," Hanfstaengl allows himself some honest reflection on the Fuehrer. "When I talk to people," he quotes Hitler as saying, "I always talk as if the fate of the nation was bound up in their decision.... Certainly it means appealing to their vanity and ambition, but once I have got them to that point, the rest is easy." It certainly was in Hanfstaengl's case.
In another line of thought, Hanfstaengl writes, "Hitler was not so much a distiller as a bar-tender of genius. He took all the ingredients the German people offered him and mixed them through his private alchemy into a cocktail they wanted to drink." Again, this shows Hitler playing Germany's conservatives for all he was worth. By the time Hindenberg had passed away and he had gained dictatorial powers, he didn't rely on them at all, he ditched them utterly.
I put off reading this book because, as a person with intense interest in German history, I am quite "Hitlered out" when it comes to that man. But Hanfstaengl's Hitler is not WW2's mad genius. It is a look at the politician, beginning just a year before the Beer Hall Putsch through to the months prior to "the Polish crisis" as Hanfstaengl puts it (most of us call it the first action of the war). It is well worth the read.
May 6, 2016
Good book! Had me interested all the way. If you have an interest in WWII read this one. You get a less formal look at the Nazi hierarchy, a glimpse at their personalities. Hanfstaengl, a man educated at Harvard, thought them an ignorant, loutish, treacherous lot, with no knowledge of the world outside of Germany, with the exception of Goering, who he dismissed as a "soldier of fortune" and in it for the personal gain. The blurb will give you the general outline of what occurred.
July 28, 2022
If you'd like to get inside the mind of Donald Trump, read this book. It's fabulous. Articulately and insightfully written, it enables you to see how Hitler changed from a impotent loner with brilliant oratorical skills to an unhinged madman who would take advice from no one.
February 16, 2025
Ernst Hanfstaengl, an early friend and supporter, gradually turned against Hitler, ending as a refugee in various internment camps in Britain, Canada and the United States while serving as an intelligence source for the Allies. This memoir describes his life and contacts with the Nazi leadership during the period the early twenties to mid-forties. The focus, of course, is on Hitler himself and on his evolution during this period. Filled with detailed, usually first-person, reminiscence, this book is a fascinating read.
August 27, 2018
Written by Hitler’s former foreign press chief Ernst Hanfstaengl, this riveting memoir offers a glimpse into a psyche of Adolf Hitler, a man responsible for dragging half of the world into the most blood-shedding war in history. Part German, part American, Hanfstaengl never seemed to overcome this problem of self-identification: throughout the whole narration he appears to struggle between his devotion to both countries, which eventually led to his downfall in Hitler’s hierarchy. The two men met each other when Hitler was still a nobody, a gifted, even though somewhat shabby public speaker working the sympathetic crowds in the beer halls of München. Initially attracted to Hitler’s enigmatic persona, Hansftaengl soon becomes one of his closest friends and associates. Hanfstaengl introduces Hitler to the influential social circle in the hope to not only restrain his manner but make him into someone more cultural, more open to new ideas, ready for the dialogue and compromise - in short, into someone whom Hitler would never become. As more and more radical characters start surrounding the unstable future chancellor, the more Hansftaengl tries to persuade himself that his presence is even more essential now as he’s virtually the only person who can still sway the future dictator into a correct direction. But as Hitler officially becomes the leader of the state and purges began gaining force, the feebler Hanfstaengl’s hopes become, until he finally realizes that from a close friend he became one of the “undesirables,” someone who needs to be rid of as well. I’ve hardly ever come across such a detailed, intimate historical account. I’d definitely recommend this memoir for all serious history buffs.
July 27, 2013
What can I say? The guy is an inveterate name dropper that is way too impressed with his father's near royal Bavarian lineage and his mother's Civil War lineage. A totally self-absorbed Socialist who turned Nazi and then turned Socialist again and finally turned deserter to save his own ass. Interesting in parts but not an enjoyable read. Once is quite enough, thank you.
August 5, 2022
Revealing account from a Nazi insider who, too late, sees the danger in Hitler. Just riveting! Could not put it down.
December 10, 2024
This memoir is unlike the others of the inner circle I've read in that Putzi, being a defector and in opposition, as well as having gotten out of the Reich before the war, could let loose and spill the beans about everything he witnessed without fear of landing in a courtroom. And wow does he dish out heaping bowls full of gossip and tidbits and personal gripes and juicy revelations about the Reich up until he had to run for his life. If you're interested in the dirt, look no further, you have arrived at your destination. Putzi's observations are all about the early period of the Nazi movement so Himmler and Heydrich are not players and Ribbentrop only at the end, while Speer has not walked on stage yet. His portrait of a young, somewhat still uncertain Hitler is riveting and Putzi's impossible attempts to turn him into a somewhat cultured buffoon who ties his shoes and straightens his tie is a laugh riot. He really is suffering from the delusion, despite being punched in the face again and again, that he can do a makeover on Hitler and turn him into a civilized, educated human being.
You can't fault him for trying, I suppose, but it begs the question, over and over, why Putzi was really attracted to the Nazi movement at all. Was it really just Hitler's early speeches, as he claims, and his self delusion that Hitler really wanted to restore the monarchy? How could he come to think that was remotely possible? This sets the stage early on for Putzi's stunning lack of self awareness, despite his education and travels abroad and all his high society connections. This story really could be the German version of The Great Gatsby, with Putzi in the lead role suffering from the unrequited love of a messianic narcissistic sociopath.
I laughed my way, sometimes nearly breathelss, through this tome.
Does he deliver the goods on Hitler's troubled sexuality, you ask? Absolutely. As he saw it, of course, and without any real tangible evidence, the same as everybody else who surrounded him at this time. He goes whole hog for the Vienna syphilis explanation of Hitler's apparent impotence along with the dual desire of latent homosexuality. Putzi is, by the way, no broad minded modern man when it comes to sexual views; he is strictly a man of his times and isn't shy about sounding off on his views on the matter. His take on the Geli Rabaul episode is more nuanced than other writers indicate and I got something completely different out of it than I ever have before. I'll just tease it -- you'll have to read it for yourself to reach your own answers.
His flight from the regime and his time in detention in England/Canada/America form the last chapters of the memoir and there is the characteristic let down in tension and amusement you'd expect. Remove Hitler from the screen and the movie starts to suck a little bit. Not much, though, not much. It runs to a quick ending thereafter and you are left with a eye watering assortment of impressions of how crazy this early period of the Nazi movement must have been to see firsthand and up close. 5 stars all the way!
You can't fault him for trying, I suppose, but it begs the question, over and over, why Putzi was really attracted to the Nazi movement at all. Was it really just Hitler's early speeches, as he claims, and his self delusion that Hitler really wanted to restore the monarchy? How could he come to think that was remotely possible? This sets the stage early on for Putzi's stunning lack of self awareness, despite his education and travels abroad and all his high society connections. This story really could be the German version of The Great Gatsby, with Putzi in the lead role suffering from the unrequited love of a messianic narcissistic sociopath.
I laughed my way, sometimes nearly breathelss, through this tome.
Does he deliver the goods on Hitler's troubled sexuality, you ask? Absolutely. As he saw it, of course, and without any real tangible evidence, the same as everybody else who surrounded him at this time. He goes whole hog for the Vienna syphilis explanation of Hitler's apparent impotence along with the dual desire of latent homosexuality. Putzi is, by the way, no broad minded modern man when it comes to sexual views; he is strictly a man of his times and isn't shy about sounding off on his views on the matter. His take on the Geli Rabaul episode is more nuanced than other writers indicate and I got something completely different out of it than I ever have before. I'll just tease it -- you'll have to read it for yourself to reach your own answers.
His flight from the regime and his time in detention in England/Canada/America form the last chapters of the memoir and there is the characteristic let down in tension and amusement you'd expect. Remove Hitler from the screen and the movie starts to suck a little bit. Not much, though, not much. It runs to a quick ending thereafter and you are left with a eye watering assortment of impressions of how crazy this early period of the Nazi movement must have been to see firsthand and up close. 5 stars all the way!
February 5, 2017
Recollections
I was a high school boy while all this was going on, and in my immature naivety, understood little of the political activity that was behind the surface. At age 88, I can now look with some judgement as well as trepidation at the political intrigues that are presently affecting our nation and our world.
I would recommend this book to people who were alive during WW 2, and to students of politics and/or history.
I was a high school boy while all this was going on, and in my immature naivety, understood little of the political activity that was behind the surface. At age 88, I can now look with some judgement as well as trepidation at the political intrigues that are presently affecting our nation and our world.
I would recommend this book to people who were alive during WW 2, and to students of politics and/or history.
February 17, 2025
This book is oft-cited in biographies of Hitler and histories of the Nazi Party, so I was somewhat familiar with its contents long before actually reading it. However, it did manage to surprise me in some ways, so was worth reading at least once.
Ernst Hanfstaengl, the author, was a German American who sat out the First World War in New York, where he was treated with suspicion as an “enemy alien” (though never incarcerated or prosecuted as such). When he returned to Germany, he saw Adolf Hitler speak in the very early days of the NSDAP at a brew hall, and, so he says, realized then and there that he would some day be the leader of Germany, so went up and introduced himself. He became, therefore, one of the first members of “high society” to give Hitler entrée to potential backers and influential supporters. When he first played Wagner on the piano for Hitler, he discovered that he was valued for this more than anything else, but it remained a way for him to have frequent personal access to the Führer, even after his politics had put him more or less out of favor with the rest of his personal entourage.
Writing after the fall of Germany, Hanstaengl is eager to portray himself as a “good” person, who rejected Hitler’s growing anti-Semitism and racism, tried to convince Hitler to broaden his mind and experiences, and who could have, if listened to, prevented the Second World War from ever having to happen. It’s a familiar enough story among ex-Nazis, but unlike, say, Albert Speer, whose work from 1942 on really made continuing the War the only option, and his fantasies are reserved to supposed attempts to assassinate Hitler that never amounted to anything. Hanfstaengl, having connections to the United States (and also writing a book intended for that market) claims to have been the one person telling Hitler that avoiding war with the USA at all costs, and refusing cooperation with the Japanese would be in the best interests of Germany, but as he claims, the “chauffereska” (the group of uncouth servant-types who hung around the Chancellery) assured that it would go the other way.
Moreover, to a modern reader, Hanfstaengl’s claims to be a “nice” Nazi, or someone with better/more refined tastes than the rest of NSDAP leadership often looks a bit dubious. This is particularly true when he frequently refers to Rosenberg, or others in the inner circle as “Jewish types” or quite possibly part Jewish in ancestry. Yes, it would be ironic were this true, but it comes across from Hanfstaengl as if he really would himself view this as inferior, as when he calls someone “a Slavic type,” “a Balt” or, in the case of Benito Mussolini, of “Moorish” descent. He may not have been among the most virulent of the Nazis, but he hardly seems like someone who was uncomfortable joining a group with lots of racists. Similarly, his judgments are often skewed by a kind of class-snobbishness – the problem with Hitler is that his tastes were “bourgeois” and he never came to appreciate refinement and elegance, one sometimes finds him saying.
It is ironic, given this, that much of the “evidence” Hanfstaengl supplies in this book amounts to little more than scurrilous gossip. He repeats a claim which apparently originated in the barracks in World War One that Hitler’s genitals were “underdeveloped.” He claims that Hitler’s interests in women were “perverse” and that he was “impotent” (although how this concept aligns with frequent masturbation and the consumption of pornography is unclear. Apparently all celibate men, whether voluntary or involuntary, are “impotent” according to Ernst). He speaks out of school regarding any character flaw he detected among rival Nazis – Funk, apparently, frequently showed up to work with a “scandalous hangover,” for example, and typically for authors of the time, Roehm’s homosexual interests are described as “perversions.”
None of which is to say that this isn’t an interesting book for anyone interested in the subject. It gives much more detail than most sources can of the 1920s, before the party came to power (or really had any electoral success to speak of) and gives colorful descriptions of long-dead people and their interactions. It was written for a mass audience, and thus it is engaging and accessible, in ways that more serious academic history (usually) is not. As I said, it is frequently cited, and I think for good reason, but I would be suspicious of anyone who used it uncritically, given the author’s obvious biases.
Ernst Hanfstaengl, the author, was a German American who sat out the First World War in New York, where he was treated with suspicion as an “enemy alien” (though never incarcerated or prosecuted as such). When he returned to Germany, he saw Adolf Hitler speak in the very early days of the NSDAP at a brew hall, and, so he says, realized then and there that he would some day be the leader of Germany, so went up and introduced himself. He became, therefore, one of the first members of “high society” to give Hitler entrée to potential backers and influential supporters. When he first played Wagner on the piano for Hitler, he discovered that he was valued for this more than anything else, but it remained a way for him to have frequent personal access to the Führer, even after his politics had put him more or less out of favor with the rest of his personal entourage.
Writing after the fall of Germany, Hanstaengl is eager to portray himself as a “good” person, who rejected Hitler’s growing anti-Semitism and racism, tried to convince Hitler to broaden his mind and experiences, and who could have, if listened to, prevented the Second World War from ever having to happen. It’s a familiar enough story among ex-Nazis, but unlike, say, Albert Speer, whose work from 1942 on really made continuing the War the only option, and his fantasies are reserved to supposed attempts to assassinate Hitler that never amounted to anything. Hanfstaengl, having connections to the United States (and also writing a book intended for that market) claims to have been the one person telling Hitler that avoiding war with the USA at all costs, and refusing cooperation with the Japanese would be in the best interests of Germany, but as he claims, the “chauffereska” (the group of uncouth servant-types who hung around the Chancellery) assured that it would go the other way.
Moreover, to a modern reader, Hanfstaengl’s claims to be a “nice” Nazi, or someone with better/more refined tastes than the rest of NSDAP leadership often looks a bit dubious. This is particularly true when he frequently refers to Rosenberg, or others in the inner circle as “Jewish types” or quite possibly part Jewish in ancestry. Yes, it would be ironic were this true, but it comes across from Hanfstaengl as if he really would himself view this as inferior, as when he calls someone “a Slavic type,” “a Balt” or, in the case of Benito Mussolini, of “Moorish” descent. He may not have been among the most virulent of the Nazis, but he hardly seems like someone who was uncomfortable joining a group with lots of racists. Similarly, his judgments are often skewed by a kind of class-snobbishness – the problem with Hitler is that his tastes were “bourgeois” and he never came to appreciate refinement and elegance, one sometimes finds him saying.
It is ironic, given this, that much of the “evidence” Hanfstaengl supplies in this book amounts to little more than scurrilous gossip. He repeats a claim which apparently originated in the barracks in World War One that Hitler’s genitals were “underdeveloped.” He claims that Hitler’s interests in women were “perverse” and that he was “impotent” (although how this concept aligns with frequent masturbation and the consumption of pornography is unclear. Apparently all celibate men, whether voluntary or involuntary, are “impotent” according to Ernst). He speaks out of school regarding any character flaw he detected among rival Nazis – Funk, apparently, frequently showed up to work with a “scandalous hangover,” for example, and typically for authors of the time, Roehm’s homosexual interests are described as “perversions.”
None of which is to say that this isn’t an interesting book for anyone interested in the subject. It gives much more detail than most sources can of the 1920s, before the party came to power (or really had any electoral success to speak of) and gives colorful descriptions of long-dead people and their interactions. It was written for a mass audience, and thus it is engaging and accessible, in ways that more serious academic history (usually) is not. As I said, it is frequently cited, and I think for good reason, but I would be suspicious of anyone who used it uncritically, given the author’s obvious biases.
February 5, 2021
I'm torn between two and three stars here. A number of reviewers have commented that the author seems to be full of himself; I agree, but to a lesser degree. The book starts in the days when there was still an aristocracy and they behaved like it. The author is a member of the aristocracy (or at least the upper class) and so acts that way. Which is not to say that the book is not self-serving; it most certainly is. But no more so than a number of other auto-biographies I have read where the author consistently paints the best picture possible of themselves and their motives.
What the book does do is provide an insight into how the relationship between Hitler and those around him developed and how, at least in the author's opinion, those individuals influenced Hitler.
The author does dwell overmuch on some psycho-sexual theories about Hitler, which I doubt have much basis in fact.
What the book does do is provide an insight into how the relationship between Hitler and those around him developed and how, at least in the author's opinion, those individuals influenced Hitler.
The author does dwell overmuch on some psycho-sexual theories about Hitler, which I doubt have much basis in fact.
August 9, 2018
An Unique Perspective
This book offers the unique perspective if one of Hitler's close companions during his rise to power. Being that it is a first person account, it has the advantage of offering the reader deeper insights into the life and times of the ascension of the Nazi regime. Unfortunately, it has the disadvantage of being filtered through the cultural and personal biases of the author. I get the impression that this book revealed to me much more about the character of Ernst Hanfstaengl than it did Hitler, the Nazi party, or early twentieth century Germany,
All in all, it was a worthwhile read. I would, however, think twice about accepting it as an accurate historical account.
This book offers the unique perspective if one of Hitler's close companions during his rise to power. Being that it is a first person account, it has the advantage of offering the reader deeper insights into the life and times of the ascension of the Nazi regime. Unfortunately, it has the disadvantage of being filtered through the cultural and personal biases of the author. I get the impression that this book revealed to me much more about the character of Ernst Hanfstaengl than it did Hitler, the Nazi party, or early twentieth century Germany,
All in all, it was a worthwhile read. I would, however, think twice about accepting it as an accurate historical account.
February 17, 2022
I found this book fascinating. I had a hard time putting it down. A lot of insights, and commentary, from a real renaissance man who was involved in the early inner-workings of the Nazi Party, and Hitler's rise to power. The author being a personal friend of Hitler (and his personal pianist) gave him unique stories I had never heard before. What I'd give to walk the streets of Munich with the author and hear his stories.
September 4, 2017
This is not particularly well written and I have the impression the author had a vaunted opinion of himself and his abilities, and his importance to Hitler, but it is interesting as an "insider view" of the Nazi rise to power . It is a fairly quick read. The author was apparently "upper class" and a monarchist and badly misjudged what the Nazis were (though he says they "changed" as their power increased). One has to wonder how long he would have "hung in there" in Hitler's "outer court" if he hadn't gotten wind of being on a Nazi hit list and run for his life. The Nazis were a cauldron of intrigue and backstabbing. But he spent a lot of time trying to "help" or "teach"or "steer" Hitler and his cronies, which was not only a thankless task but got him on their hit list. (He speaks a lot about Hitler's quetionable sexuality and how that played a role but that is the least interesting and most suspect part of the book I think.) He was disillusioned and ended up thinking "treason" was the only way to help Germany.
I also couldn't help but think of today's Govt, in the guise of "those who don't know history repeat its mistakes" referring both to the Admin and the voters. For instance:
Among other insightful "transferable" quotes is: "abrupt reversal of policy is possible only under authoritarian regimes," which has to make one think of Executive Orders and explains why some in Congress think we now have an "imperial presidency" which should be reined in.
But my favorite quote may partly explain the 2016 "outsiders" election: "Every individual, whether rich or poor, has in his inner being a feeling of unfulfilment. Life is full of depressing disappointments, which people cannot master. Slumbering somewhere is the readiness to risk some final sacrifice, some adventure, in order to give a new shape to their lives. They will spend their last money on a lottery ticket."
I think it's worth reading for its quotable gems ("[I thought] there was every possibility of this poacher becoming a reliable gamekeeper") but also for some insight from someone who was there, and close, in Hitler's rise to power and descent into madness. And while I'm not one who equates Trump and Hitler, I do see some lessons for us today, on how to recognize authoritarians and demagogues BEFORE giving them absolute power, in how the Nazis rose and won and then destroyed themselves, their country, and nearly the world. Germans of all classes were fooled. Then it was too late. And if any Nazi had any desire to "do good" or "save their country" as opposed to simply becoming murderous dictators, those desires were totally corrupted by the power they managed to acquire. We all know the results.
This book is both an insider take on German history between the two world wars and some insight into that Germany and how it led to the Nazis and Hitler.
I also couldn't help but think of today's Govt, in the guise of "those who don't know history repeat its mistakes" referring both to the Admin and the voters. For instance:
He wanted power, supreme and complete, and was convinced that if he talked often enough and aroused the masses sufficiently he must, in due course, be swept into office.The author also said "the gift of all great demagogues [is] that of reducing complicated issues to fiery catch-phrases" but "Like most basically ignorant people, he had this complex about not needing to learn anything."
Among other insightful "transferable" quotes is: "abrupt reversal of policy is possible only under authoritarian regimes," which has to make one think of Executive Orders and explains why some in Congress think we now have an "imperial presidency" which should be reined in.
But my favorite quote may partly explain the 2016 "outsiders" election: "Every individual, whether rich or poor, has in his inner being a feeling of unfulfilment. Life is full of depressing disappointments, which people cannot master. Slumbering somewhere is the readiness to risk some final sacrifice, some adventure, in order to give a new shape to their lives. They will spend their last money on a lottery ticket."
I think it's worth reading for its quotable gems ("[I thought] there was every possibility of this poacher becoming a reliable gamekeeper") but also for some insight from someone who was there, and close, in Hitler's rise to power and descent into madness. And while I'm not one who equates Trump and Hitler, I do see some lessons for us today, on how to recognize authoritarians and demagogues BEFORE giving them absolute power, in how the Nazis rose and won and then destroyed themselves, their country, and nearly the world. Germans of all classes were fooled. Then it was too late. And if any Nazi had any desire to "do good" or "save their country" as opposed to simply becoming murderous dictators, those desires were totally corrupted by the power they managed to acquire. We all know the results.
This book is both an insider take on German history between the two world wars and some insight into that Germany and how it led to the Nazis and Hitler.
April 13, 2020
I first heard about Ernst Hanfstaengl from Andrew Nagorski's book, Hitlerland. "Putzi" as he was known, met Adolf Hitler in 1922 at one of his political speeches. Impressed, Ernst introduced himself and over time became quite friendly with Hitler, and was for several years his foreign press secretary.
Hanfstaengl had some notion that Hitler could be reasoned with, and that he, Hanfstaengl, could offer him a wider view of European trends, and present a more positive view of the United States. He initially hoped that the Nazi Party might really be able to restore Germany to a prominent position in Europe. He did not anticipate the radical turn that the Party took, nor Hitler's own megalomania, and claims to have been continually frustrated in his efforts to modify the goals and plans of the Party and of Hitler. The term self-justification comes to mind.
The book is primarily of interest to those who research the history of Germany and the road to World War II. Hanfstaengl certainly played a significant role, and his detailed account of the Beer Hall Putsch, in one example, is of interest, but the book really is largely a gossip-fest, offering, among other things, speculation about Hitler's sexuality (the memoir was published in 1957, under the influence of Freudian psychology), and his relations with women.
Hanfstaengl's bizarre departure from Germany, his stay in Switzerland awaiting the departure of his 15-year-old son Egon from his school, their stay in England (where he was arrested as an enemy alien once the war began), and his return to the United States is recounted. Because of his inside knowledge of Nazi Party members and Hitler himself, Hanfstaengl was considered an intelligent asset. Technically he was under arrest and eventually had to return to England, but while in the United States, he provided daily reports and analysis of German radio broadcasts. In another strange matter, while he was working with the Roosevelt administration, his own son (then serving in the U.S. Army) was his guard. One rather assumes this odd situation came about because Ernst Hanfstaengl knew Pres. Roosevelt as a member of the Harvard Club.
I found the book rather plodding and didn't care for its name-dropping and gossip. If you want the basic story of this interesting German-American, I would recommend Nagorski's Hitlerland instead.
Hanfstaengl had some notion that Hitler could be reasoned with, and that he, Hanfstaengl, could offer him a wider view of European trends, and present a more positive view of the United States. He initially hoped that the Nazi Party might really be able to restore Germany to a prominent position in Europe. He did not anticipate the radical turn that the Party took, nor Hitler's own megalomania, and claims to have been continually frustrated in his efforts to modify the goals and plans of the Party and of Hitler. The term self-justification comes to mind.
The book is primarily of interest to those who research the history of Germany and the road to World War II. Hanfstaengl certainly played a significant role, and his detailed account of the Beer Hall Putsch, in one example, is of interest, but the book really is largely a gossip-fest, offering, among other things, speculation about Hitler's sexuality (the memoir was published in 1957, under the influence of Freudian psychology), and his relations with women.
Hanfstaengl's bizarre departure from Germany, his stay in Switzerland awaiting the departure of his 15-year-old son Egon from his school, their stay in England (where he was arrested as an enemy alien once the war began), and his return to the United States is recounted. Because of his inside knowledge of Nazi Party members and Hitler himself, Hanfstaengl was considered an intelligent asset. Technically he was under arrest and eventually had to return to England, but while in the United States, he provided daily reports and analysis of German radio broadcasts. In another strange matter, while he was working with the Roosevelt administration, his own son (then serving in the U.S. Army) was his guard. One rather assumes this odd situation came about because Ernst Hanfstaengl knew Pres. Roosevelt as a member of the Harvard Club.
I found the book rather plodding and didn't care for its name-dropping and gossip. If you want the basic story of this interesting German-American, I would recommend Nagorski's Hitlerland instead.
September 5, 2019
Beware
While I had insecurity about this book before reading my mind was completely changed as I saw what a warning it is today especially in present day politics. The book shows us how one man and his hatred can convince millions to abandon what was right and follow a political agenda as it destroyed millions. Beware how hate, greed, and power can magnetize decent and un-knowable people to follow anyone who promises “free” things. Beware!
While I had insecurity about this book before reading my mind was completely changed as I saw what a warning it is today especially in present day politics. The book shows us how one man and his hatred can convince millions to abandon what was right and follow a political agenda as it destroyed millions. Beware how hate, greed, and power can magnetize decent and un-knowable people to follow anyone who promises “free” things. Beware!
June 7, 2020
The writing was awkward but I did find the book interesting. I had a peek on how a madman like Hitler rose to power. I did however question the author's ability to remember the tiniest details and direct quotes from individuals, especially when the memoir was written many years after the events occurred. Also, the author had such a grandiose opinion of himself, that he actually believed he would change a madman's behaviour. The author's obsession with Hitler's sexuality was over the top; it didn't help explain Hitler's rise to power. Nevertheless, the book was worth a read.
August 13, 2017
Valuable Insider View
This memoir provides a view inside the rise of the Nazi Party from its beginning to its achievement of total power. It is less of an apology than Speer's books. It also adds to my appreciation of Larson's Beast in the Garden. I found many passages reflective of how fragile a democratic political system can be. While there is a lot of self-serving here, there is also substantial general value (may I suggest reading the Afterword first, for context?).
This memoir provides a view inside the rise of the Nazi Party from its beginning to its achievement of total power. It is less of an apology than Speer's books. It also adds to my appreciation of Larson's Beast in the Garden. I found many passages reflective of how fragile a democratic political system can be. While there is a lot of self-serving here, there is also substantial general value (may I suggest reading the Afterword first, for context?).
August 26, 2018
They should have listened to Putzi
The memoir of an insider and someone who was as close to a friend as Hitler had. His advise and warnings to both Hitler and later the Allies could have changed history. Although some self aggrandizement is obvious, this is a great look at the part played by man who was a friend of both Hitler and Roosevelt.
The memoir of an insider and someone who was as close to a friend as Hitler had. His advise and warnings to both Hitler and later the Allies could have changed history. Although some self aggrandizement is obvious, this is a great look at the part played by man who was a friend of both Hitler and Roosevelt.
September 6, 2018
Hitler
Very well written and such an interesting tale of that horrible war. So interesting to know about the beginnings of Hitler and how he came into power. Frightening how similar things are in today's world and how history is trying to imitate it's self over and over again.Highly recommend this powerful book.Couldn't put it down.
Very well written and such an interesting tale of that horrible war. So interesting to know about the beginnings of Hitler and how he came into power. Frightening how similar things are in today's world and how history is trying to imitate it's self over and over again.Highly recommend this powerful book.Couldn't put it down.
July 29, 2018
Putzi speaks
Ernst Hanfstangel met Hitler in the early 1920’s and was a close associate for many years. His view from the inside of Hitler’s circle and his growing recognition of what can only be described as Hitler’s megalomania makes for a great read.
Ernst Hanfstangel met Hitler in the early 1920’s and was a close associate for many years. His view from the inside of Hitler’s circle and his growing recognition of what can only be described as Hitler’s megalomania makes for a great read.
May 23, 2019
A great look into the workings of the nazi regime from the inside.
Most convincing look at the workings of the Nazi regime from the inside. Dr. Hanfstaeng goal was to restore Germany as a member of the free world, not as a a world ruler
Most convincing look at the workings of the Nazi regime from the inside. Dr. Hanfstaeng goal was to restore Germany as a member of the free world, not as a a world ruler
June 5, 2019
Very revealing
The development of the Nazi organization took a long time and many true believers. This story is revealing in detail and character development. Many bad people took advantage of a raising star and created a disaster
The development of the Nazi organization took a long time and many true believers. This story is revealing in detail and character development. Many bad people took advantage of a raising star and created a disaster
December 26, 2015
Another side of Hitler
A great view of Hitler from the inside. The running of Germany and all the men that controlled Hitler. Great read
A great view of Hitler from the inside. The running of Germany and all the men that controlled Hitler. Great read
December 28, 2015
An interesting read but I was looking for more inside information on Hitler's inner mindset. It was nice to know that he escaped before the end of the war.
August 22, 2016
Very interesting take on pre-WWII Hitler from a man with whom he was close. Hanfstaengl gets a bit too full of himself, but as it is his memoir, I suppose that is to be expected.
October 24, 2017
Most nonfiction takes longer to read than fiction, at least for me. It was very interesting and insightful at times. It drag in spots however.
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