53 Days: How Hitler Dismantled a Democracy

by Timothy W. Ryback

In a court appearance in September 1930, Adolf Hitler declared we would never again try to overthrow the Weimar Republic by violent means. Rather, he informed the packed courtroom, once he had achieved power legally, he intended to destroy the country's democratic systems by moulding the government as he saw fit. 'So, through constitutional means?' the presiding judge asked. 'Jawohl!' Hitler replied.

It took just 53 days - one month, three weeks, two days, eight hours and forty minutes - from the moment Hitler became Chancellor on January 31, 1933 for him to transform the Weimar Republic into the Third Reich. And the minutes mattered. In a short, compelling book, and in our era of astonishing far-right political gains, historian Timothy Ryback chillingly evokes the playbook by which the democratic German constitutional republic was torn down.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Politics, World War II, Audiobook, Historical, Germany

256 pages, Hardcover

First published September 3, 2026

About the author

Timothy W. Ryback is an American historian and director of the Institute for Historical Justice and Reconciliation in The Hague. He previously served as the Deputy-Secretary General of the Académie Diplomatique Internationale in Paris, and Director and Vice President of the Salzburg Global Seminar. Prior to this, he was a lecturer in the Concentration of History and Literature at Harvard University.

Ryback has written on European history, politics and culture for numerous publications, including The Atlantic Monthly, The New Yorker and The New York Times. He is the author of The Last Survivor: Legacies of Dachau, published in 2000. He also wrote Hitler's Private Library: The Books That Shaped His Life, published in 2008. Ryback is also author of Rock Around the Bloc: A History of Rock Music in Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union, published in 1989.

Reviews

[Jeff · Rating 3 out of 5]

For a professionally published book, the many typos in this slim volume are a real detriment, as some of them make the author's intended meaning in individual sentences difficult to decipher. If copy editing was done at all on 53 Days, it was done poorly.

OK, now that's out of the way, I can say that 53 Days is a pointed examination of the rapid campaign that enabled the Nazis, using valid constitutional processes, to seize control of the German state and put it under authoritarian rule. As the author emphasizes and repeats, Hitler and his top deputies had a plan, and they were remarkably effective in working together to implement it. Many elements of that plan had been articulated beforehand in Hitler's Mein Kampf. The Nazis made no attempt to obscure what they were up to, making their quick success all the more astonishing.

It is of course tempting to extrapolate some of those strategies forward into our own time, when the Orange Menace in the Oval Office is attempting many of the same things, apparently following a very similar playbook. But there are key differences between Hitler's circumstances and those which Trump finds himself in. Those differences (somewhat surprisingly) reinforce the notion that America's constitutional government is faring better than the Weimar Republic did almost a hundred years ago.

Not least among those differences is Trump's lack of clear vision and personal discipline, alongside his habit of hiring third-rate toadies to fill key positions in his administration. Hitler and his top aides, particularly Hermann Göring, had been working together for almost a decade before they made their power grab. The Führer’s lieutenants were remarkably effective and loyal, and managed to smooth over the many feathers that Hitler was constantly ruffling. It's frightening to think that if Trump could get his act together, he might really be able to achieve his authoritarian dreams, but it's also clear that his use of chaos as an organizing principle is his very greatest weakness.

[ThatBookish_deviant · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.0/5
Disturbingly evocative, in many ways, of actions being taken by the current United States administration.

[Mshelton50 · Rating 4 out of 5]

As chilling and depressing as this tale is, it needs to be told, again and again. Tim Ryback does it briefly and brilliantly here. Highly recommend.

I’m always left wondering why, when faced with the thuggish, upstart Hitler and his NSDAP, the aristocratic Prussians — Hindenburg, Papen, Schleicher, et al. — adopted the stereotypically Austrian “muddle through” attitude. After all, they possessed even more constitutional tools to stop the Nazis than Hitler would later use to end the Weimar Republic. Was it contempt? Classism? I recently posed this question to Dr. Ryback at a book talk and signing, and he eventually settled on contempt as the answer, pointing out that Hindenburg stated Hitler would burn himself out after six weeks as Chancellor.

[John McDonald · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ryback offers a guidepost specifically to show how Adolph Hitler asserted, obtained, and maintained a fascist dictatorship, but if the reader looks at how Hitler went about radically changing German democracy to a dictatorship, he will see identical forces at work, today, in the United States.

These are some of the undertakings and measures which allowed Hitler to succeed in maintaining absolute contol over German government and the military, and eventually destroying just about everything Germany held dear about its governance and society:

HITLER TRUMP
"How do you legalize a coup d'etat?
Eliminate Political opposition Federalize elections run by States
Restructure Government DOGE/Mass civil service firings
Rewrite Laws Executive Orders instead of legislation
Concentration Camps Concentration/Detention camps for
immigrants rounded up by ICE
War on the Press--Shut down opposition Banned individual press members from WH
newspapers FCC crackdown on TV/radio that oppose
Trump policies or editorialize against him
Thrives on grievances/initiates lawbreaking January 6, 2025 Capitol Hill riots and later
(beer hall putsch) and seeks retribution when convictions. Trump pardons
Brownshirts are convicted/jailed Comey and Russian involvement in
elections. Trump forces US DOJ to indict
Comey, later dismissed by US Judge.
Joseph Goebbels known as the "poison dwarf" Steven Miller, Trump's "poison dwarf" who
railing against Hitler opponents. Stage continuously condemns immigrants
managing actions that give Hitler the chance without evidence, constantly lies,
to have his Gestapo arrest and his judges convict. and directs immigration policy which
violates due process rights of deportees.
Hitler was the first politician in Germany to charge Trump sponsored a 2026 GOP midterm
admission to his rallies. election rally where candidates who
appeared were charged $25K and
attendees paid $88K to have photo with
Trump.
Hitler sought and received corporate investment META, AMZN, Elon Musk made heavy
contributions to Trump before and after
his election
Hitler outlines plans for reconstruction of historic Tears down East Wing of WH
buildings in Berlin, Bavaria, and throughout Erects Ballroom
Germany Recreates Reflecting Pool on the Mall with
no-bid contracts, big overruns, and failure
Releases plans to build a "triumphal arch"
Appoints himself Chair of the Arts Comm
which oversees the John F. Kennedy Center
for Performing Arts, puts his name on the
wall before JFK, and says he wants to
renovate, then shuts it down when no one
attends and artists withdraw.
Economic "Dummheiten", or economic studpidity Trump tariffs/war with the Fed Reserve over
interest rates/initiates war which shuts off
the flow of Mideast oil, raising the price of
gas/depleting inventories of oil and gas
around the world. Closes Stait of Hormuz.
Imports beef which causes US ranchers to
accept lower prices on its US beef stock/
Trump Dummheit too numerous for this
space
Waved off economic advise against imposing tariffs, Imposed tariffs despite virtually uniform
firingcivil service workers, engaging in conduct that advice by economists not to. Fired Civil
would be inflationary. Service workers resulting in $Billions
in compensation. Imposed tariffs which
slowed domestic manufacturing.
Hitler: stated that he hoped to defeat his political Threatens to have US Postal Service create list
and economic opponents through constitutional of eligible voters. Sends military into cities.
means and lawful means but if that failed stated Sends ICE agents to Cities where some are killed
he was willing to seek "greater sacrifices" of by the ICE thugs, many unlawfully detained or
alternative solutions. arrested, and threatens, with the support of
Trump's own "poison dwarf" Steven Miller
to impose National Emergency and defy lawful
Orders issued by Courts.
Maintained that if given unitary authority to act Trump threatens that if the SAVE Act is not
without the Parliament or Courts, there would be enacted, there will never be a Republican Party
no need for an election in Germany for 100 years or a Republican Government ever.

After Hitler Storm Troopers kicked to death a Trump sends wishes to those about to storm US
Polish national at the Border, Hitler sent a Capitol on Jan 6 2025. Later pardons all those
message to those charged with murder, convicted of crimes, including battery, property
"My Comrades! In the face of this monstrous destruction, theft, civil rights violations, and
blood sentence, I feel bound to you in others.

"Hitler exercised his executive power with Trump has signed more than 500 Exec Orders
ruthlessness as well as beneficence (by through 9/18/26 over his 2 terms of office,
giving blanket amnesty to individuals 183 Proclamations, 88 Presidential Memoranda.
convicted of crimes committed "the battle 284 of the E.O.s were signed in the 16 1/2 months
for the national salvation of the German of his second Presidency.
people, in preparation for it, or in the Trump has pardoned people convicted of crypto
fight for the German soil" basically any fraud, medical fraud, and all those convicted of
National Socialist, Brownshirt, SS, Gestapo crimes committed on January 6, 2021 storming the
or other provocateur for Hitler. Capitol.

The list is too long to continue here, so I've chosen to stop. The comparisons to the actions taken by Hitler in his first 53 days of rule to those of Donald Trump are just uncanny and were hard to ignore after reading the first 30 or so pages of this fine book. Trump has engaged in actions which many believe constitute self-dealing, conflicts of interest, and even outright corruption.
While there are no known instances of gasing detainees held in the immigration camps, the detention centers themselves look like and are operated very much like Hitler's concentration camps with little or no legal oversight.

If you don't believe what I intuited, read this book. It won't take to complete and if you've ever doubted that Donald Trump, at least, walks in the shoes of Adolph Hitler, the book and its facts will go a great distance to remove that doubt.

[Cherish · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this one. There were plenty of moments where I thought “oh, our leader has tried to do that” which was scary to say the least. But this author is great at writing very technical and specific times, dates and events into a compelling narrative. This does give some insight into Hitler. But it also highlights his right-hand men who were just as determined to spread the Nazi ideology. Check it out this fall!

[Richard Jaffe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley and Grove Atlantic | Atlantic Monthly Press for this advance ARC in return for an honest review.

In 53 Days: How Hitler Dismantled a Democracy, Author Timothy Rybeck examines how an Austrian Corporal, who apparently was not even a German Citizen, was able to take over the National Socialist Party ( Nazis ) in the late 1920's after his incarceration for the Beer Hall Putsch (where he authored Mein Kampf) and ultimately win the election for Chancellor in 1933. Wasting no time, Hitler took numerous steps to solidify his power, including but not limited to, attacking and banning the Free Press that reported "Fake News", eliminating Civil Service members such as the Police, reforming the Judicial System ( by dismissing the Jewish Judges ), Suspending Civil Liberties, dismantling the Reichstag, imprisoning his political enemies, suing his political enemies, creating the Brown Shirt/Storm Troopers to enact his revenge on Communists, Jews and other political enemies, enacting Tarrifs that no one else wanted etc. ( Sound Familiar? ).

In a manner of calculated steps, Hitler ultimately kept his promise to Germany's Supreme Court that he would not try to overthrow the Weimar Republic by violent means, but rather by Constitutional Means. Although I must point out the Storm Troopers and the overall attack on Jews and Communists may not have been in keeping with the "non-violent" promise, somehow Hitler, on the 53rd day after his victory, was able to convince the Reichstag to vote in his favor to pass his "Enabling Act" with an overwhelming 80 percent mandate 444-94 ( of course there were about 109 delegates that opposed Hitler in jail at the time of the vote). Much like Susan Collins, several "opposition" leaders expressed "concerns" and yet voted in favor of Hitler's bold maneuver. By Approving Hitler's "Enabling Act" the Reichstag effectively voted in favor of a Dictator rather than to continue the Democratic Weimar Republic's Government. All in the space of 53 days!

When reading this book, I found myself substituting Trump for Hitler, Musk for Hermann Göring, Stephen Miller for just about anyone else. The similarities between Hitler's plan to destabilize the Weimar Republic, as outlined in Mein Kampf, and Project 2025's dismantling of American Democracy, are not only uncanny but mortifyingly terrifying.

“Those Who Do Not Learn History Are Doomed To Repeat It.” For anyone mortified by the direction Trump and the Spineless Republican Congress has take our country must read this book and see how easy it would be for Trump to continue his efforts to turn this County in a Fascist Authoritarian Regime if the Democrats don't sweep the Mid-Term Elections and take back both Houses to reinstate the Constitutional Guardrails installed by the Founding Fathers.

Highly recommend this well researched book and hope we never see a book titled How Donald Trump Dismantled a Democracy.

#53Days #NetGalley

[Robert Alexander Johnson · Rating 3 out of 5]

⭐⭐⭐ A Detailed and Sobering Study of Democracy’s Collapse

Few periods in modern history remain as unsettling to study as the collapse of democracy in Germany and the rise of Adolf Hitler, and 53 Days: How Hitler Dismantled Democracy by Timothy W. Ryback makes it very clear how quickly institutions can erode when political extremism is allowed to thrive. As someone with a strong interest in political history and World War II, I found the subject matter compelling from the beginning. The book carefully traces the events of those crucial fifty-three days and shows how focused Hitler and the Nazi leadership were in manipulating political systems, public fear, and existing institutions to consolidate power. The research throughout the book is impressive, and the level of detail demonstrates the amount of work that clearly went into reconstructing this period.

One of the strongest aspects of the book is how effectively it captures the tension and uncertainty of the moment. The inclusion of figures such as Hermann Göring and Joseph Goebbels helps show that Hitler’s rise was not the work of one individual alone, but part of a broader political machine supported by opportunism, propaganda, and institutional weakness. I also appreciated the attention given to opposition figures and political maneuvering during this period, which helped make the narrative feel more complete and grounded in the complexity of the time.

At the same time, this is a very dense and heavily academic work. The focus remains largely on documenting events and political developments rather than synthesizing them into a broader interpretive argument, which can make parts of the book feel overwhelming. Readers looking for a lighter or more narrative-driven history may struggle with the amount of detail presented. Even so, this remains an important and worthwhile study, particularly for readers interested in political history, authoritarianism, and the fragility of democratic institutions.

Thank you to NetGalley, author Timothy W. Ryback, Atlantic Grove/Atlantic Monthly Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
#53Days #NetGalley

[Chelsea Knowles · Rating 4 out of 5]

*Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.*

53 Days explains Adolf Hitler’s rise to power and what he got done in his first 53 days. Hitler told Germany’s Supreme Court in 1930 of his plans to use democratic means to destroy the Weimar Republic. Hitler was then appointed the fifteenth chancellor of the Weimar Republic in 1933. In 53 days of his chancellorship, Hitler made Germany into an authoritarian State. Hitler used ideas from his book, Mein Kampf, to create a State he wanted such as implementing tariffs, controlling the print press, purging the civil service, placed party loyalists in positions of power, imprisoned or forcing political opponents into exile and compelling the Reichstag to pass an Enabling Act which would be catastrophic as it gave Hitler dictatorial power.

I found this book to be a quick, informative read on Hitler’s first 53 days in power. This book has never been more timely and I enjoyed reading this. Despite what I’ve read about Hitler, the majority of this information was new to me and I think most readers will get a lot out of this. There was a lot of parallels to today’s politics regarding how certain politicians have risen to power. What I found really interesting was the way Hitler was antisemitic before he rose to power (showing people what he believed) but then he stopped with the antisemitism as he tried to gain power and then started being antisemitic again once he had the ultimate control of the government. This book is written well and it held my attention so I will be recommending this for anyone with an interest in this topic. Ultimately, Hitler showed people what he believed in before he gained power and we should be listening to what politicians say today before they become elected leaders of a country.

[Rhonda Rubalcaba · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sometimes I like to wander away from my usual fantasy and sci-fi picks to broaden my horizons and learn something new. I wouldn’t call myself a novice when it comes to nonfiction, but I also don’t typically gravitate toward dense, in-depth analysis purely for entertainment 😅

This book is incredibly thorough, packed with information, and very concise. That said, for me, it also felt quite dry. I recognize that this is largely a matter of personal preference—I tend to enjoy nonfiction that has a bit more narrative flair or personality. Based on this work (and the author’s other books), it’s clear they are extremely knowledgeable about the subject matter.

At times, though, I felt like I didn’t quite have the background knowledge needed to fully grasp the situations and people being discussed. I found myself wishing the book had been written in a way that felt a bit more inviting to readers who don’t usually pick up nonfiction. Not simplified, necessarily, but presented in a more engaging and accessible way so the information could reach a broader audience.

I think during this particular time in history it's important for everyone to remember that: "Democracy is never guaranteed. Each generation must defend it, protect it and stand up for it." - Joe Biden

That said, this really does come down to personal taste. The book is clearly well-researched and thoughtfully put together, and I did learn a lot while reading it. I just wish the learning experience had felt a bit more immersive and less like, “Let me jot this down so I can look it up later.”

On the plus side, it definitely expanded my vocabulary, which I appreciated! 😅

Thank you to the author for the opportunity to learn more about this subject and to read this book early. Thank you as well to the publisher and to NetGalley—this review is given voluntarily.

[Eliza's Reading · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I saw the description of this book, I was so interested and couldn’t wait to get into it. I soon found the historical contents felt terrifyingly timely to the situation we find ourselves in now in the United States. At only took Hitler 53 days to take down and destroy the Weimar Republic. It was amazing to see how every step that Hitler took has a comparable step that Trump has taken. Calling the press fake news and limiting free speech in the name of national security, purged the civil services saying it was to get rid of corruption and incompetency, formed his own police giving them lethal weapons, worked to get national dignity back and schools to teach kids only to have pride in their country. Hitler went after and rounded up hundreds of communists putting them in detention centers without the use of due process. He released thousands of National Socialists that had been accused of crimes such as murder and made them out as heroes.

Hitler even had the Reichs Chancellor Square renamed “Adolf Hitler Square.” He wanted a pledge of loyalty, integrity and dedication to the Hitler government not the Weimar Constitution. Believed the Universities and technical school were indoctrinating students in liberalism. Even the assassination attempts were comparable to the believability of Trump’s attempts on his life. It is truly amazing how the historical playbook is being played again even down to the feeling of being the most persecuted.

When you think that every guardrail is in place so something like what happened in Germany could not happen here, think again. Timothy W. Rybeck’s writing style is very accessible and easy to understand. I hope everyone reads this book and recognizes what dangerous times we are living.

Thank you, Grove Atlantic and Timothy W. Ryback for providing this e-ARC via NetGalley for review.

[Jackie Bonenfant]

The playbook that Hitler used for dismantling democracy and creating a dictatorship, as outlined by the author, is eerily familiar. To begin, Hitler is described as someone with an "uncanny ability to shape events and narratives to his advantage," and he "was possessed of an oversensitive vanity, along with an insatiable need to be the center of attention." He "campaigned on the promise of draining the swamp." Once made chancellor, he "banned newspapers critical to the government and the administration" and claimed the press spread "baseless rumors" and "fake news." He turned every public appearance into a political rally, and again and again he laid out grievances with those in power before him and promised that only he could fix the problems people were facing. Two weeks into office, Hitler's henchman Göring imposed massive civil service layoffs and made it known that any civil servants who "would not fully embrace the new course Göring had charted" should leave their jobs. When a young storm trooper died he was given a state funeral and hailed a martyr (Charlie Kirk?). Lawsuits were filed to force Hitler to defend the constitution and proceedings were tied up in court. Short on money, Hitler coopted the business tycoons to donate to his cause. He enacted tariffs and walked away from trade agreements. He had storm troopers, the US now has ICE. I could go on. It took only 53 days for Hitler to have complete control of the government and to install himself as dictator. If this book doesn't make you go vote, I'm not sure anything could ever convince you of the importance of civil engagement.

[S · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was one of those books that left me sitting for a while after I finished it.

I went into it knowing the historical outcome, but I hadn’t fully appreciated just how quickly events unfolded. What struck me most wasn’t Hitler himself, but the number of people who believed they could manage, contain, or benefit from him. Reading those decisions play out in real time was fascinating and, at times, deeply uncomfortable.

I appreciated the book’s narrow focus on a relatively short period of history. Rather than trying to cover everything, it examined a handful of weeks in detail and showed how a series of decisions, many of which may have seemed reasonable at the time, contributed to consequences far beyond what some people anticipated.

It’s not always an easy read, particularly if you’re unfamiliar with the political landscape of Germany at the time, but I found it incredibly worthwhile. It certainly gave me a lot to think about, both as a piece of history and in terms of its relevance today.

[Paul Edwards · Rating 5 out of 5]

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A reader friendly description of how a dictatorial despot used the laws of a federal democracy to produce an authoritarian one-party state. This is a well researched book, with copious footnotes explaining where the detail within the book found.

Even knowing how it would develop, I found myself wondering how people could have been so gullible to allow Hitler to continually out manoeuver them to obtain ever increasing power. With parallels to what is happening in the US today, Hitler used executive powers to avoid the German parliament moderating his excesses, and restricted the press and opposition parties.

A book that not only acts as a sobering reminder of how easy it was for darkness to prevail, but also as a warning that we should not drop our guard if we wish to prevent it happneing again.

[CB_Read · Rating 5 out of 5]

To say that Donald Trump is Adolf Hitler is false.

To say that Donald Trump is doing everything that Adolf Hitler did to destroy a democracy using democratic means is historically and, so far, factually correct.

But I would say that, man to man, Donald Trump is worse than Adolf Hitler.

Without ever naming Donald Trump or other contemporary autocrats, the author makes the message abundantly clear that our terrifying past has returned. The evils of the twentieth century have re-emerged in Western democracies and their destructive powers are accelerating.

This book provides excellent context and historical reflection on how Adolf Hitler dissolved Germany's democratic republic by way of its constitution, with help from the courts, the legislature, and the military (including paralegal and extralegal militias).

Hitler was given the benefit of the doubt by everyone charged with holding him to account. The Weimar Republic caved in to Hitler's threats for reasons that all point to the limits of human fragility.

The words of each chapter will resonate with uncanny familiarity with the news headlines we are reading every day.

A warning to us all about what has been unfolding right in front of our eyes. I couldn't put it down or stop thinking about it after I finished.

[Helga Martiros · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hitler disabled and then dismantled his country's democratic structures and processes in less than two months' time - specifically, one month, three weeks, two days, eight hours, and forty minutes.

This book focuses on the 53 days between Hitler’s appointment as chancellor and the passing of the Enabling Act which gave Hitler’s cabinet the power to enact laws without parliamentary consent and which was the final nail in the coffin of the already fragile democracy.

I read this well-written, informative and unsettling book parallel to Benjamin Carter Hett’s The Death of Democracy, since both recounted almost the same events.

Thanks to the author, the publisher and Netgalley for my advanced copy.

[Leonardo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would like to thank NetGalley, the publisher and author for granting me access to an advance copy of this book.

I found 53 Days a very interesting read. I had previously heard about the rapid transition from democracy to dictatorship forced by hitler and his followers, but actually reading about the speed and ruthlessness, as well as the manipulation and cynicism used is scary and enlightening.

The message is that under the right set of socioeconomic conditions, manipulative, narcissistic, power hungry, ruthless populists can enslave a population looking for salvation.

This is a very well researched book, that hopefully will open people’s minds and diminish complaisance. Recommended.

[Nick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Grove Atlantic for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

A lot of history forcuses on what happened but does not spend as much time discussing how it happened. This book does a fantastic job bridging that gap. This was a well researched book and written in a very readable way. It was interesting to read and see just how the playbook to garnering power worked in this case and flash forward to see how many other people and parties have followed similar or rhyming moves in order to try and gain and maintain their power. Great and informative read, much better than I was expecting going into it.

[star · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25/5⭐

admittedly, i've never been the best student of history, but in this day and age i think it's our responsibility to be aware of history and learn from it. there are so many similarities between hitler's actions and my own country's politicians throughout history; a sobering reminder that if we don't learn from history we are doomed to repeat it. while incredibly thorough, the writing is very accessible and easy to read. still immensely relevant to this day as we see more and more the rise of right-wing extremism globally.

thank you to netgalley and grove atlantic for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Monica Mac · Rating 4.25 out of 5]

I really appreciated being able to read this well-thought-out and put together story of Hitler's rise to power. And how scary it was that he achieved it in a very, very short timeframe. I can see why people say Project 2025 is modelled after the whole situation in 1930's Germany......

The author clearly did a lot of research to get the amount of detail that he did and it was great that he cited his sources at the end of each chapter as well.

I find the fact that history has not learnt from the mistakes of the past and that now it is all coming to pass in the USA extremely concerning.

4.25 stars from me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Grove Atlantic.

[Rebecca Weintraub · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you, NetGalley and Atlantic, for the early eARC.

This topic is more important than ever. We need, as a society, to understand not only how democracy falls but also how long it takes to rebuild afterward. The truth is, it can take generations. This book walks you through how quickly a left-leaning, modern European nation could turn on its neighbors and the downward slide that follows.

An absolutely necessary read for anyone interested in the modern era, explaining how we got here.

[Jessee · Rating 4 out of 5]

a fast-paced, fascinating, and deeply disturbing account of hitler's first days as chancellor. the parallels to the present political environment, while not perfect--our current moment, thankfully, has less violence and less discipline--are so obviously the subtext that an overt acknowledgment in a foreword or afterword would have helped to lend credibility. that may seem counterintuitive, but failure to acknowledge the orange elephant in the room makes me wonder what else is elided.

[Tom Matthews · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very scary how quickly democracy can be lost and how MAGA seem to be using the same playbook. As Goebbels' observed in collected essays "The big joke on democracy is that it provides it's mortal enemies the means to it's own destruction".

[Maria Almaguer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chilling. And considering the current political climate in the United States--heck, in Germany, again!--relevant. The title says it all in this slim book, deftly describing the ways Hitler demolished democracy in Germany using the very democratic tools meant to prevent it.

[Carin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everyone needs to read this and highlight

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Simultaneously fascinating and frightening. The parallels in today’s current political landscape are inescapable.

[Terri · Rating 5 out of 5]

The parallels I see to the current administration is frightening.

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

A timely cautionary tale, if ever there was one.

[Mark Benseman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book. A very important read as it has filling parallels with that is happening today.

[Bronwyn Echols · Rating 5 out of 5]

An essential read; if there were any doubt in your mind that Putin's Puppet was embracing Hitler's Nazi playbook, this excellent treatise will banish skepticism.

[Beth Krasemann · Rating 3.25 out of 5]

good summary of the downfall!