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Hitler Is Alive!: Guaranteed True Stories Reported by the National Police Gazette
From the sensational files of the "National Police Gazette," the shocking evidence of Hitler s escape from the ruins of the Reich As the Allied armies closed in on Berlin, the Nazi high command scrambled to escape their shattered city. On May 1, 1945, reports went out that Adolf Hitler and his mistress, Eva Braun, committed suicide in an underground bunker but their bodies were never found. In this landmark expose by the legendary "National Police Gazette," the truth is finally told. As peace fell across Europe, two U-Boats made mad dashes for Argentina, remaining underwater for weeks at a time to evade detection. In their incredible journeys lies the shocking secret of how the greatest mass murderer in history escaped punishment for his crimes. In the aftermath of World War II, the "Police Gazette" ruthlessly investigated any rumor of Hitler s survival in South America. "Hitler Is Alive! "is a true epic of twentieth-century sensationalism."
- GenresHistory
421 pages, Paperback
First published January 12, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
January 2, 2016
Absolute rubbish - but classic tabloid "journalism".
National Police Gazette known for it's outrageous exclusives ceased print publication in 1977. Throughout the mid 1940s and later it carried various articles claiming that Hitler had survived and was living in South America.
This books is a compilation of those articles as well as interviews with some of his surviving relatives. Whilst the interviews are interesting, the undisputed fact that Hitler didn't survive makes them seem unreliable at best.
Don't expect any revelations here, but a great example of 1940s tabloid "journalism".
I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
National Police Gazette known for it's outrageous exclusives ceased print publication in 1977. Throughout the mid 1940s and later it carried various articles claiming that Hitler had survived and was living in South America.
This books is a compilation of those articles as well as interviews with some of his surviving relatives. Whilst the interviews are interesting, the undisputed fact that Hitler didn't survive makes them seem unreliable at best.
Don't expect any revelations here, but a great example of 1940s tabloid "journalism".
I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
January 3, 2016
Really?
After the TV program called “Hunting for Hitler” that theorizes Hitler escaped to South America it is just right to come up with books touching the same subject. While interesting, rehashing this subject isn’t exploring the paranoia about ex-Nazis hiding out in South America and plotting a Fourth Reich…..
“Hitler is Alive” is an exposé taken from files written by investigative journalists of “The National Police Gazette”, a tabloid like publication who enjoyed considerable popularly during its heyday and ceased print publication in the late 1970 to eventually be resuscitated by Steven Westlake in 2006. After WW11 these reporters investigated any rumour of Hitler`s survival after all covering the Führer was a big contributor of sales. Real or fabricated, the book reprints many of these articles from 1951 to 1968, over 400 pages of truth, rumours and lies.
Although somewhat tedious, the book has interesting points nevertheless. Fiction or not, whether believable or not, this anthology contains all sorts of creative theories convincingly written to make us wonder if all that could be possibly true. We find a lot of repetitiveness as each journalist’s article takes its spot in alternate chapter: say the same thing using exactly the same words. The mention of Hitler’s Shangri-La in Antarctica where he planned in restoring his empire…Is this believable ….To be frank, at this point the book lost all credibility and became more of a conspiracy theory and a highly fictionalized account…..
.
I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. This is the Way I see it.
After the TV program called “Hunting for Hitler” that theorizes Hitler escaped to South America it is just right to come up with books touching the same subject. While interesting, rehashing this subject isn’t exploring the paranoia about ex-Nazis hiding out in South America and plotting a Fourth Reich…..
“Hitler is Alive” is an exposé taken from files written by investigative journalists of “The National Police Gazette”, a tabloid like publication who enjoyed considerable popularly during its heyday and ceased print publication in the late 1970 to eventually be resuscitated by Steven Westlake in 2006. After WW11 these reporters investigated any rumour of Hitler`s survival after all covering the Führer was a big contributor of sales. Real or fabricated, the book reprints many of these articles from 1951 to 1968, over 400 pages of truth, rumours and lies.
Although somewhat tedious, the book has interesting points nevertheless. Fiction or not, whether believable or not, this anthology contains all sorts of creative theories convincingly written to make us wonder if all that could be possibly true. We find a lot of repetitiveness as each journalist’s article takes its spot in alternate chapter: say the same thing using exactly the same words. The mention of Hitler’s Shangri-La in Antarctica where he planned in restoring his empire…Is this believable ….To be frank, at this point the book lost all credibility and became more of a conspiracy theory and a highly fictionalized account…..
.
I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. This is the Way I see it.
February 5, 2016
This is quite a difficult book to review in some ways; as it comprises of a series of articles assembled, principally, as a lament to the passing of the journalistic nuances of the old National Police Gazette by showcasing it's unstinting, and ultimately flawed, chronology of one of the most enduring Hitler conspiracy theories. Namely that of his alleged escape and evasion in May 1945 from the ruins of the Third Reich to the warm embrace of South America.
Whilst this book has been criticised by some for simply linking articles together; this view disregards the Authors' critique of the publication; the errors it made, and the certain level of skill required to blend previously unrelated articles together into some sort of cogent and flowing narrative which is to be commended. In this respect, the book would sit equally well on the shelf of the sceptic and the believer alike, as the 'evidence' within the publication is as laughable as it is utterly compelling.
The Author concedes that the mythology surrounding the flight of the prominent Nazis, and their assets, to Argentina, (and beyond) can neither be proved nor disproved, the enduring legacy of Hitler's final hours remains omnipotent, seven decades after his reported suicide in the Furher Bunker largely as a result the lack of conclusive proof over his demise.
The assembled articles provide a heady cocktail of intrigue which contrive to captivate; bewilder, and entertain in equal measure. Whilst some of the 'theories' propagated by the Gazette are beyond outlandish, they are tamed by the contradictory accounts from the accused at Nuremberg; the mysterious voyages of U530 and U977, and the inconclusive forensic analyses of the Bunker underpinned by the distrust between the victorious Allies only serve to increase the parameters for an ever increasing, and urgent, investigation into the unanswerable. The irony being of course, that this collection of articles pose more questions than answers.
This is the key strength of the narrative of the assembled articles; like the ultimate tease, the narrative kept me enthralled from start to finish, but I am still no further ahead, despite my best efforts.
Whilst this book has been criticised by some for simply linking articles together; this view disregards the Authors' critique of the publication; the errors it made, and the certain level of skill required to blend previously unrelated articles together into some sort of cogent and flowing narrative which is to be commended. In this respect, the book would sit equally well on the shelf of the sceptic and the believer alike, as the 'evidence' within the publication is as laughable as it is utterly compelling.
The Author concedes that the mythology surrounding the flight of the prominent Nazis, and their assets, to Argentina, (and beyond) can neither be proved nor disproved, the enduring legacy of Hitler's final hours remains omnipotent, seven decades after his reported suicide in the Furher Bunker largely as a result the lack of conclusive proof over his demise.
The assembled articles provide a heady cocktail of intrigue which contrive to captivate; bewilder, and entertain in equal measure. Whilst some of the 'theories' propagated by the Gazette are beyond outlandish, they are tamed by the contradictory accounts from the accused at Nuremberg; the mysterious voyages of U530 and U977, and the inconclusive forensic analyses of the Bunker underpinned by the distrust between the victorious Allies only serve to increase the parameters for an ever increasing, and urgent, investigation into the unanswerable. The irony being of course, that this collection of articles pose more questions than answers.
This is the key strength of the narrative of the assembled articles; like the ultimate tease, the narrative kept me enthralled from start to finish, but I am still no further ahead, despite my best efforts.
January 18, 2016
I was invited to read and review this compendium of articles from long ago by my friends at Open Road Integrated Media and Net Galley. I appreciate the invitation. The articles in the collection were really published in a tabloid by the title above during the period after World War II ended, and they are presented here as a bit of humorous nostalgia, rather like the spirit of Punch or The Onion. These articles will tickle the funny-bone of some of its readers, but it wasn’t a good match for me.
It appears that Hitler did indeed have a man-made island set up as a place of retreat; most likely, word of the USA’s nuclear weapons program had filtered through and so an alternate location was devised for him and those he needed with him. In the end, his defeat was so clear and so absolute that even he could see there was no point in going there. However, between the Allied leaders’ claims that he was dead before anyone really knew what had happened and a few other intriguing details, journalists had a great deal of fodder to chew on for the period that followed. The overall tone at times nears hysteria, and because of this, it seems comical now.
Because it was not written initially to be humorous but instead was regarded by its writer as hard journalism, there is a lot redundancy, with old facts being repeated and new ones added in. I suspect that a much more amusing novella could be written using these articles as their basis; on the other hand, Hitler has been the subject of so much other historical fiction that it would have to be unique indeed to stand out from the crowd.
Those considering purchasing this collection might do well to go to a retail site that offers a chance to read sample pages first. If it works for you, go ahead and make the purchase. I have to confess I made it about halfway through and then bailed.
This collection was published June 12 of this year and is available for purchase now.
It appears that Hitler did indeed have a man-made island set up as a place of retreat; most likely, word of the USA’s nuclear weapons program had filtered through and so an alternate location was devised for him and those he needed with him. In the end, his defeat was so clear and so absolute that even he could see there was no point in going there. However, between the Allied leaders’ claims that he was dead before anyone really knew what had happened and a few other intriguing details, journalists had a great deal of fodder to chew on for the period that followed. The overall tone at times nears hysteria, and because of this, it seems comical now.
Because it was not written initially to be humorous but instead was regarded by its writer as hard journalism, there is a lot redundancy, with old facts being repeated and new ones added in. I suspect that a much more amusing novella could be written using these articles as their basis; on the other hand, Hitler has been the subject of so much other historical fiction that it would have to be unique indeed to stand out from the crowd.
Those considering purchasing this collection might do well to go to a retail site that offers a chance to read sample pages first. If it works for you, go ahead and make the purchase. I have to confess I made it about halfway through and then bailed.
This collection was published June 12 of this year and is available for purchase now.
October 8, 2020
Hitler Is Alive! Guaranteed True Stories Reported by the National Police Gazette edited by Steven A. Westlake. The National Police Gazette was a publication that began in 1845 and ran into the 1970s. It was unique for its time being a jack of all trades publication and one that was likely to be hidden behind the counter or asked for. It covered sports, mainly boxing, crime and violence, scantily dressed (for the time) women, and fictionalized news stories. It was Maxim, True Detective, Sports Illustrated, and The National Inquirer all rolled into one.
This is a collection of all the Hitler is alive news stories from the magazine. How does a magazine run a collection of stories about Hitler being alive and not be taken as pure fantasy? The trick is a common one. Start with a bit of fact and a lot of conjecture keep repeating these ideas and let them build in the reader's head. A few weeks later run another story building on the first with an “from what we learned in the last story…” type of lead in helps establish the “facts.” There are also conspiracy stories laid in as well as factual information (Mengele hiding out in South America until his death) to create some legitimacy. A few weeks ago a colleague was telling me about the Nazis building an Antarctic base before WWII. That story makes it into Hitler Is Alive with much more detail like fertile soil under the ice, a large bunker with supplies for 20 years plus farming equipment. Using special steel able to withstand the Antarctic temperatures the Nazis built an insulated self-sustaining bunker. This is where the living Nazi leadership hid… or in South America.
This was a fun read and story although totally fabricated was held that possibility that it was believable in the way the way the X-Files is believable or that a congressman will believe and quote “The Onion” as a source. A fun romp through a history that never was.
This is a collection of all the Hitler is alive news stories from the magazine. How does a magazine run a collection of stories about Hitler being alive and not be taken as pure fantasy? The trick is a common one. Start with a bit of fact and a lot of conjecture keep repeating these ideas and let them build in the reader's head. A few weeks later run another story building on the first with an “from what we learned in the last story…” type of lead in helps establish the “facts.” There are also conspiracy stories laid in as well as factual information (Mengele hiding out in South America until his death) to create some legitimacy. A few weeks ago a colleague was telling me about the Nazis building an Antarctic base before WWII. That story makes it into Hitler Is Alive with much more detail like fertile soil under the ice, a large bunker with supplies for 20 years plus farming equipment. Using special steel able to withstand the Antarctic temperatures the Nazis built an insulated self-sustaining bunker. This is where the living Nazi leadership hid… or in South America.
This was a fun read and story although totally fabricated was held that possibility that it was believable in the way the way the X-Files is believable or that a congressman will believe and quote “The Onion” as a source. A fun romp through a history that never was.
December 28, 2020
this book took me a year to get through! not what I was expecting - different style, i struggled to "get into the book".
January 22, 2016
History Told by Tabloid
I got this on a whim and had fun reading this.
When I say, History Told by Tabloid, that's not necessarily a bad thing. The term Gonzo Journalism didn't really appear until the 1970's, but this collection of articles all posses the same theme: Despite all the claims by the corporate press, Hitler is Alive!
In my view, these articles appealed to the common man who might pick up a copy of the Police Gazette on a Saturday waiting for his haircut down at the local barbershop. It is clearly anti-establishment with a dash of resentment for all the people who worshiped Hitler in the 1930's through the early 1940's until it became unfashionable.
Let's say that another way: Many American Progressives hung on everything he did and said, until the press decided that they didn't like him for invading Russia.
Hitler was a big deal in the US.
These articles range from his sex life and the children he sired, to his evil dealings politically, to his own Jewishness, on down to his faked death and living in Argentina.
The best part of this is when the Russians overran the famous suicide bunker and confiscated all of Hitler's remains, along with any and all evidence that might prove that he did indeed die there. The Russians have refused to permit any examination of those remains since then. I heard of something recently, but the point is that during this time, nobody could prove that Hitler was dead.
And if you can't prove that Hitler is dead, then he must be still living.
What a fantastic open end for any aspiring writer and investigator.
Stories of Hitlers existence have fueled American's imaginations for generations now.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading through these articles, many for a second time, and rekindling those fond memories of a non technical era when you really could use your imagination. Guaranteed True!
I got this on a whim and had fun reading this.
When I say, History Told by Tabloid, that's not necessarily a bad thing. The term Gonzo Journalism didn't really appear until the 1970's, but this collection of articles all posses the same theme: Despite all the claims by the corporate press, Hitler is Alive!
In my view, these articles appealed to the common man who might pick up a copy of the Police Gazette on a Saturday waiting for his haircut down at the local barbershop. It is clearly anti-establishment with a dash of resentment for all the people who worshiped Hitler in the 1930's through the early 1940's until it became unfashionable.
Let's say that another way: Many American Progressives hung on everything he did and said, until the press decided that they didn't like him for invading Russia.
Hitler was a big deal in the US.
These articles range from his sex life and the children he sired, to his evil dealings politically, to his own Jewishness, on down to his faked death and living in Argentina.
The best part of this is when the Russians overran the famous suicide bunker and confiscated all of Hitler's remains, along with any and all evidence that might prove that he did indeed die there. The Russians have refused to permit any examination of those remains since then. I heard of something recently, but the point is that during this time, nobody could prove that Hitler was dead.
And if you can't prove that Hitler is dead, then he must be still living.
What a fantastic open end for any aspiring writer and investigator.
Stories of Hitlers existence have fueled American's imaginations for generations now.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading through these articles, many for a second time, and rekindling those fond memories of a non technical era when you really could use your imagination. Guaranteed True!
January 6, 2016
I received a kindle copy of this book from Net Galley and the publisher with the understanding that I would write a review and post it on Net Galley, Amazon, Goodreads and my blog, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Google Plus pages.
This is a book than anyone who is into conspiracy theories will enjoy as it attempts to establish the fact that Hitler did not commit suicide. The National Police Gazette was the forerunner for tabloids such as the National Enquirer, New York Post, etc. The premise is that Hitler's body was never found so there is no conclusive evidence that the died in the bunker.
The book is comprised of a series of articles published in the Gazette over a number of years about Hitler, not just his death. This style of reporting led to a number of repetitive entries which made the book an even faster read as I was able to skip over multiple sections due to this fact.
The book reveals nothing new from the actual known facts about Hitler, but theorizes on what ifs. I did find the book to be somewhat humorous at times in the attempts to prove that he did not die.
I can only recommend this book to those who are advocates of conspiracy theories as there is nothing new on the known factual life of Adolph Hitler.
This is a book than anyone who is into conspiracy theories will enjoy as it attempts to establish the fact that Hitler did not commit suicide. The National Police Gazette was the forerunner for tabloids such as the National Enquirer, New York Post, etc. The premise is that Hitler's body was never found so there is no conclusive evidence that the died in the bunker.
The book is comprised of a series of articles published in the Gazette over a number of years about Hitler, not just his death. This style of reporting led to a number of repetitive entries which made the book an even faster read as I was able to skip over multiple sections due to this fact.
The book reveals nothing new from the actual known facts about Hitler, but theorizes on what ifs. I did find the book to be somewhat humorous at times in the attempts to prove that he did not die.
I can only recommend this book to those who are advocates of conspiracy theories as there is nothing new on the known factual life of Adolph Hitler.
June 8, 2016
I finally finished this book! What this is is a collection of stories that were printed by a tabloid magazine that was obviously meant to try to scare the crap out of the average moron that would believe that Hitler was going to rise from the Patagonian jungle like some mythical phoenix. As the stories started out some of them were almost comical and towards the end (this series of stories ran from the late 40's all the way to the 70's!) you could almost recite complete paragraphs from one story to the next. Could Hitler have survived and actually faked his death? Hell yes! With an ego maniacal attitude like his survival, and not suicide would have been foremost in his mind. Now would he dare to show his face again, even if it was altered by plastic surgery? Highly unlikely in my books. I believe that Hitler died a bitter old bent whack job buried somewhere that the various world intelligence agencies knew where he was. So if you really have a strong stomach for articles repeating themselves over and over this may be the book for you!
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