Becoming Hitler: The Making of a Nazi

by Thomas Weber

An award-winning historian charts Hitler's radical transformation after World War I from a directionless loner into a powerful National Socialist leader

In Becoming Hitler, award-winning historian Thomas Weber examines Adolf Hitler's time in Munich between 1918 and 1926, the years when Hitler shed his awkward, feckless persona and transformed himself into a savvy opportunistic political operator who saw himself as Germany's messiah. The story of Hitler's transformation is one of a fateful match between man and city. After opportunistically fluctuating between the ideas of the left and the right, Hitler emerged as an astonishingly flexible leader of Munich's right-wing movement. The tragedy for Germany and the world was that Hitler found himself in Munich; had he not been in Bavaria in the wake of the war and the revolution, his transformation into a National Socialist may never have occurred.

In Becoming Hitler, Weber brilliantly charts this tragic metamorphosis, dramatically expanding our knowledge of how Hitler became a lethal demagogue.

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

480 pages, Hardcover

First published November 7, 2017

About the author

Thomas Weber is a professor of history and international affairs at the University of Aberdeen (Scotland).

The award-winning author of several books, Weber divides his time between Aberdeen, Scotland and Toronto, Ontario (CANADA).

Reviews

[Francesc · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maravilloso ensayo sobre la transformación de un simple soldado de la retaguardia alemana durante la Primera Guerra Mundial en el líder de una nación que llevó al mundo a un límite sin retorno durante el siglo XX.
No esperéis batallas ni historias de la Segunda Guerra Mundial en esta obra, sino más bien una comprensión de las circunstancias que propiciaron el ascenso al poder de Hitler, pero a partir del Hitler sin un marco en el bolsillo y sin saber qué hacer con su miserable vida.

Es fascinante ver crecer la personalidad de Hitler y entender sus motivaciones más profundas. Hay un minucioso retrato psicológico que aporta mucha luz sobre el personaje de Hitler: quién fue, qué ideas tenía, por qué tenía esas ideas en concreto.
Ayuda también a desmitificar el mito del líder ario todopoderoso que, con demasiada vehemencia, se vende tan a menudo: el líder perfecto que nació para dirigir el mundo.
Nada más alejado de la realidad.


Wonderful essay on the transformation of a simple german rearguard soldier during World War I into the leader of a nation that took the world to a limit of no return during the 20th century.
Do not expect battles or stories of World War II in this work, but rather an understanding of the circumstances that led to Hitler's rise to power, but from the Hitler without a mark in his pocket and without knowing what to do with his miserable life.
It is fascinating to see Hitler's personality grow and to understand his deepest motivations. There is a detailed psychological portrait that sheds a lot of light on Hitler's character: who he was, what ideas he had, why he had those particular ideas.
It also helps demystify the myth of the all-powerful aryan leader who, with too vehemence, is explained so often: the perfect leader who was born to rule the world.
Nothing could be further from reality.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This volume follows on from the author’s previous book, “Hitler’s First War.” This takes Hitler from 1918 to 1924 and is the story of Hitler’s transformation into a leader and of National Socialism’s success in Germany. It also examines the political transformation of Munich, which was obviously very important in Hitler’s fledgling political beginnings.

The book begins with Hitler’s release from military hospital in 1918, when he was 29. Unlike most of the soldiers returning from WWI, he made the decision to stay in the army. Interestingly, this meant that, in effect, he supported the new, socialist and revolutionary government; at least just after the war. It also shows that he probably had few options open to him – the author is clear that for most of those who decided to stay in the army, it was probably because they had nowhere else to go. However, before long, Hitler was picked as a representative for the men of his company, which was the earliest sign he was transforming into a leader in the making.

The Treaty of Versailles obviously had a huge impact on Hitler. By 1919 he was working as a propagandist for an intelligence department and then became involved with the German Workers Party (DAP). Despite reservations, Hitler’s inaugural speech was an instant success and he soon became a regular speaker.

It is interesting to read about Hitler’s very early forays into politics. This obviously covers the putsch, his time in Landsberg and writing Mein Kampf, but I knew less about the period just after the war. Overall, this book, and the earlier volume, give a lot of background into why Hitler developed as he did, how he became a public speaker (Wagner was a huge influence on his presentation), how those thought he could be controlled found themselves wrong, as he fought off party plots to emerge as a leader who would bring forth destruction on his country and the world.

[Erik Graff · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book reviews Adolf Hitler's ideological development and political machinations from the time of the end of WWI in 1918 until the publication of the second volume of Mein Kampf in 1926, revealing that Hitler's own account of his life to that point was substantially fabricated. Instead, therefore, of the radical artist steeled by war to found the NDSAP, we find a young man of moderate socialist convictions whose only firm political belief was in the political unification of Germans serving, in a military capacity, a number of socialist-to-communist regimes in Bavaria, then radicalizing, in 1919, upon realizing the harsh terms of the Versailles Treaty. Joining an already existing right-wing nationalist party and gaining prominence as its foremost orator Hitler went on, expediently and surreptitiously, to dominate it, emerging from his trial and brief imprisonment in the putsch of 1923 as a public figure and leader of the renamed party aiming for the constitutional seizure of state power.

[Michele · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating look at the years after World War I and before Hitler came to power, exploring how his ideas evolved, who and what influenced his thinking, how he navigated situations to make himself look good, the extensive reinventions he made to his past to write a better "story" -- in short, how be became the savvy demagogue we all know and loathe. It's a period I knew little about and required some google-fu to fully understand some bits, but definitely worth it.

Among the more interesting propositions is Weber's theory that at first Hitler's anti-Semitism was more metaphorical than literal. In other words, he didn't necessarily hate Jewish people as individuals or the Jewish religion; what he hated was a certain set of characteristics or features in Germany that he packaged up as being "Jewish" -- capitalism (the Jewish bankers), high interest rates, influence on the government, etc. This (Weber says) explains why, at least at the beginning, the NSDAP had a number of Jewish members, and there were Jews among some of Hitler's close supporters. People who liked his message took him seriously, but not literally (ahem). As a result, many of Hitler's non-Jewish supporters were in fact horrified when individual Jews were attacked (e.g. Kristallnacht).

I could not help but make a comparison to those today who inveigh against "immigrants." When they say they hate "immigrants" or "immigration" they (well, some of them at least) may not mean literal individual immigrants as people; instead they may be using the word as a metaphor for a package of things they see (or perceive) around them that they don't like and associate with immigration, such as low wages, a lack of jobs, fear of terrorism or gangs, and so on. As a result, they are then horrified when an actual person they know, like their good neighbor and friend of 30 years, is then arrested by ICE.

The problem, of course, is that if you use a real group as a symbol or metaphor for things you hate, sooner or later someone IS going to start taking you literally, and real people are going to get hurt. There is nothing at all metaphorical about Bergen-Belsen or Treblinka (or, for that matter, about a neo-Nazi who drives a car into a crowd of people). By the time things got to that point in Germany, of course, Hitler had moved on from the metaphorical and was perfectly happy to be taken literally.

Weber also talks about two elements of Hitler's approach to politics that struck me as rather timely. One is that politics was, for him, performative. That is, it wasn't about negotiation or listening or analysis, it was a performance with himself as the star; he didn't want to talk with people, he wanted to talk at them. The second is that he had two core goals for Germany, and he was perfectly happy to say anything (including making promises he had no intention of keeping) if it got him closer to those two core goals.

My only nitpicks are technical/stylistic. The first is that many of the footnotes are informative enough that I wish they'd kept them on the page where they were referenced, rather then shunting them all to the end of the book. That way I could have read them as I went along. The second is that I wish Weber had had a better editor. The wording is very awkward/clumsy in places, certain phrases recur frequently enough to be distracting, and there are even some basic SPAG errors. Also I had a hard time getting past the author's use of "would" when talking about past events that happened later than the narrative point in the book. For example, when discussing the events of 1923, one might find a sentence like this: "Schmidt would later end up in Sachsenhausen where he would be rescued by Americans. He and his wife would then live in Switzerland, where he would die of old age in 1987." The simple past would have been a lot more intelligible (e.g. "During the war Schmidt ended up in Sachsenhausen...was rescued by Americans....lived in Switzerland...died of old age.")

[Pauly · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Becoming Hitler" follows on from Professor Weber's previous book "Hitler's First War". As per his previous book, the author looks at Hitler's true career with a magnifying glass and cuts through Hitler's propaganda to see his true actions and opinions in the period 1918-1924.

Weber's conclusions are quite startling. Far from being the man who, on hearing of the defeat of Germany "decided to enter politics", clung to his drifter lifestyle for nearly a further year, with no fixed political home. The author also uncovers some, for Hitler, embarrassing links to the Socialists (the SPD), that were erased by Mein Kampf's clever shift in Hitler's "Demascine Moment". I had previously heard of such links via Otto Strasser's books, but believing Strasser to be a far from reliable source (a turncoat Nazi, whose brother had been killed by the Nazis in 1934). Weber points to the truth of Strasser's testimony.

Weber points to the signing of the Versailles Treaty to being the moment Hitler started to look for those to blame for Germany having lost the war and I think he has a very strong case.

I greatly look forward to seeing the author at The Wiener Library on 5th February 2018.

[Marcelo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Um interessante (e temporalmente apropriado) mergulho na formação de um extremista. Recheado de fontes e muito bem argumentado, o livro recorta um período da trajetória de Hitler para explorar como este se tornou a figura conhecida, na Munique de entre 1918, logo após a guerra, e 1924, durante sua prisão após o putsch de 1923.

O foco no contexto político alemão da época dificulta um pouco a leitura, mas o autor ainda é claro o suficiente para guiar o leitor pelos detalhes. Um alerta ao leitor: você não encontrará aqui muitos detalhes estritamente pessoais, ou da infância e juventude de Hitler, ou mesmo uma análise psicologizante dele. O foco, muito mais, é em Hitler como uma figura política. Ao mesmo tempo, o autor não cai em problemas comuns como meramente considerar o protagonista como um fruto de seu tempo, ou uma pessoa burra, mas sim como alguém simples, oportunista, que soube ler os momentos e foi um operador político astuto.

Embora o livro se refira especificamente à vida de Hitler, e o autor seja bem específico quanto à impossibilidade de colocar todos os autocratas no mesmo balde, lendo este livro em 2025, algumas relações com o momento político contemporâneo saltam aos olhos (certamente mais do que eu esperava antes da leitura):

- Um dos principais motivadores de Hitler era seu nacionalismo, mais do que o anti-semitismo, que se acoplou ao nacionalismo
- Anti-semitismo, aliás, que nunca veio sozinho. Estava aliado com o anti-bolchevismo, mas, principalmente, com um anti-capitalismo arraigado. Note-se também como o austríaco não inventou o anti-semitismo, mas o cooptou por múltiplos motivos: parar criar uma lente pela qual ler o mundo, e o desenvolvimento da Alemanha; para se diferenciar do resto do mercado da direita na Munique da época; para usar uma referência comum ao seu público. Embora tenha com certeza sido estratégico, se engana quem pensa que ele não era, pessoalmente, também terrivelmente antissemita.
- Hitler era lido por alguns de maneira simbólica, mas não literal, principalmente em relação ao seu anti-semitismo. Muitos acreditavam que ao falar dos judeus usava mais figuras de linguagem, embora, como o autor demonstre, seus planos genocidas já estavam claros desde o início da década de 20. Hitler foi uma das figuras responsáveis por direcionar esse pensamento metafórico a um antissemitismo radical, racial e biologizado.
- Era extremamente mentiroso, tendo uma carreira medíocre no exército, mas usando seus discursos e livros (principalmente Mein Kampf) para criar uma imagem idealizada de si. Soa familiar?
- Hitler se aproveitou da noção social de “gênio”, muito comum na Alemanha da época, que descrevia um individuo naturalmente bem capacitado para liderança, que não precisasse se esforçar para sê-lo. Embora não pudesse expor diretamente que era um gênio, conseguiu construir a imagem para comunicar essa ideia.
- Comunicação, aliás, que foi fundamental na sua gênese. O autor trata seu principal período de radicalização como os cursos de formação de lideranças de que participou em 2019, explicitando a importância da formação de base. Sua força se dava principalmente nos discursos, não na escrita. Seu principal trabalho no NSDAP era o de propagandista.

Novamente, autocratas vêm em diversas embalagens e sabores, mas essas características permitem uma leitura mais profunda do cenário político atual. Sobretudo, autocratas, dos mais radicais, podem se esconder facilmente à luz do dia.

Recomendado para quem quiser conhecer mais sobre uma figura ímpar e transtornada, mas sem mergulhar numa biografia completa, mais longa.

[Scott Martin · Rating 3 out of 5]

(Audiobook) When mentioning Hitler, you tend to conjure images of arguably the greatest villain of the modern era. In many respects, that is true. Hitler eventually evolved into the anti-semantic, racist hard-right leader of the National Socialist Party, which drove the world into the most devastating war in human history. Yet, Hitler was not born that way. He did not emerge from World War I that way. In reading this work, you come away with an understanding that Hitler continued to evolve even after the war. Popular history, and later accounts from Hitler himself take the stance that Hitler felt betrayed by the surrender of Germany in Nov 1918, and while he was lying in that hospital bed, recovering from a chemical weapons attack, Hitler made up his mind that he was going to avenge Germany against the "back-stabbing Jews", the Communists, and all those who contributed to the defeat of Germany.

The reality is that Hitler wasn't quite that man. Due to extensive research, Weber reveals Hitler to be as much an opportunist as anything else in the years following WWI. At one point, and this seems completely inconceivable...Hitler actually took up common cause with the German left (read: Socialists). He tried to stay in the Army for as long as possible, mostly to keep a job and source of income. While he harbored no love for the Jews, he was not as anti-Jewish in 1918 as he would become in 1933 and beyond. What Hitler had, and Weber highlights this, was an ability to sense political opportunity, and he harness previously unused oratory skills to hone his message. All the while, Hitler eventually trumped other more noted political figure to become the leader that took an active role in the Beer Hall Putsch in 1924, which acted as a springboard to greater power.

The strength of this work is the analysis and revelations about Hitler and his actions between 1918-1924. Some of the discussions of post-war German politics can get a bit dry, but Weber offers that to provide context for what Hitler entered into, and what he eventually became. Weber tries not to rehash the more known aspects of Hitler's life, and the 1924-1926 portions of the book are not as in-depth as the rest. For an audiobook, it is not too bad. The reader is solid, but the material doesn't always help. This reads like a slightly better version of a college textbook. Still, for those who want to understand a critical, if not as well-known aspect of this man's life, this is worth a read.

[Nayeli · Rating 3 out of 5]

Solo llega hasta 1926
3.8 ⭐️

[Alex · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book. Pulls no punches

[Brenda Deuel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting

[Tom · Rating 4 out of 5]

A surprisingly refreshing take on Hitler's early life and his possible early political views, Weber takes a intentionalist viewpoint and has a wealth of research in this book, recommended for those who thought there is nothing else to say on Germany's dictator.

[Frederic · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is not a comprehensive biography. Nor is it a military history. It's a snapshot biography of the 1918 to 1926 period, when Hitler assembled his toxic combination of anti-Semitism and expansionist vision for Germany.

Above all, the book feels incomplete. There's no explanation of how Hitler sold the ridiculous idea that both capitalism and communism were somehow orchestrated by one global Jewish conspiracy. He was an agitator and an opportunist, but not a very clear thinker. If he hated both capitalism and communism, what we're his economic beliefs? This book doesn't say. How did millions swallow his delusional tripe? That's not explained either.

Stopping the book in 1926 seems very strange. This is a well researched book that cries out for a sequel. Maybe setting up for that next book is the author's goal. I want to read more about how Hitler managed to be elected leader of Germany in 1933 despite his screwy, poisonous ideas.

[Lizy Zamora · Rating 5 out of 5]

Personajes como Hitler a través de la historia y en tiempos actual se podrían listar muchos. Siempre me he preguntado como una sola persona logra convencer a tantas personas de seguir una misma lucha. Este libro me permitió conocer aspectos sobre el Adolf antes de llegar a ser un líder de un partido o el de una nación. Descubrir al autor y a la vez historiador me hizo conocer otro tipo de lectura. Me recordó aquel libro de Historia Universal de sexto primaria que leí como quien lee una novela. Con este libro me convenzo de que todo en esta vida pasa por una razón ya establecida, algunos creen en las coincidencias, yo en el destino. Descubro una serie de factores nuevos que si hubiesen sucedido diferente o no se hubiesen dado Hitler incluso no existiría en la historia. Me quedo con este libro en la cabecera de cama para poder seguir analizandolo y como siempre tendré que comprar el libro que le antecede creo que se llama La Primera Guerra de Hitler pues tarde descubrí que existía.

[Miguel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Muy interesante conocer lo que había detrás del Hitler que se conoce y ver como una figura que se considera a veces como grandiosa no era más que un personaje veleta que tuvo suerte y supo aprovechar la situación social-política de la época.

Por otra parte destacar lo que el autor recalca en el epílogo: la historia es incapaz de decirnos, hasta que ya es demasiado tarde, qué demagogo puede derivar en un Hitler. No obstante, es muy fácil detectar las condiciones que hacen peligrar la democracia y dan refugio a estos demagogos, y es nuestro deber detectarlas y afrontarlas.

[lärm · Rating 3 out of 5]

Imagine yourself in court as a member of the jury. The accused is long dead and there is no defence. There only is a prosecutor. Five years of the life of the accused are being discussed. From those five years there is little or no evidence of the first two ones, apart from what the accused delivered himself and apart from what is written down years after the facts. To make things even more complex, the matter in this case is not what the accused did, but what he was thinking. We are looking at his shift of ideas. There is absolutely no scientific way of telling what any person is thinking. What he says he’s thinking and what he actually thinks can be completely opposite. Bearing in mind that the accused is a master in lying and manipulating, a propaganda genius and a Machiavelli pur sang, trying to reconstruct a thought process is completely impossible. The prosecutor is however determined to proceed and leaves no stone unturned to prove a point. Lacking a defence or simply anyone who disagrees, makes it easy to build a case. But we’re talking about circumstantial evidence at best. But there’s no defence so no one can scream “ I object! Speculation!”

There was a time when people, providing they were black and they were living in the US, would get sentenced to death in a sloppy court case like this. But those times have changed.
History should be about facts, philosophy should be about thoughts. Going hybrid is not a crime, but trying to read a mind is not science, it’s crap. There is no means of validation. Here we have the history of ifs and buts. Making things sound plausible is not the same as delivering proof.

Weber does a great job in reconstructing the early years of Hitler. We get a detailed account on the revolutionary years in Munich and the ideological evolution of Hitler, the possible mentors he had and his rise from member to leader of the nsdap.
As in his previous work, Weber again can not resist the temptation to call Hitler a nobody, a loser, drifter etc. From a scientist I expect at least a sense of objectivity, no matter how evil the subject was.
As for the few attempts to add statistics to the story, again it’s a bit pathetic. If 0,5% of the freikorps was Jewish and we end up talking about 158 people on a total of more than 30000, then what is actually the point? What is Weber trying to proof? That they helped fighting the Eisner bunch and therefore not all Jews where communists?

As far as history goes, this book is highly recommended. Just ignore the speculations on what Hitler was thinking. No one will ever know. What he effectively did is already difficult enough to reconstruct. The only thing we can be absolutely sure about, is the end result. And that was not very nice.

[Waldir F. Reccanello · Rating 4 out of 5]

Através de uma profunda e meticulosa investigação, Thomas Weber desvenda os anos de formação do líder nazista e apresenta os mecanismos que o conduziram da condição de um ex-combatente desiludido à figura carismática e manipuladora que moldaria o destino da Alemanha e do mundo. Sem praticamente mencionar os horrores do regime nazista ou os eventos da Segunda Guerra Mundial, Weber direciona seu (nosso) olhar para os anos cruciais entre 1918 e 1926, período em que Hitler vivia em Munique, uma escolha metodológica que se revela fundamental para compreender a gênese do nazismo e os fatores que contribuíram para a ascensão do aspirante a artista ao poder. Com uma abordagem detalhada e contextualizada, o autor não se limita a uma simples e mera biografia linear de Hitler, mas nos proporciona toda uma análise do contexto histórico e social em que ele estava inserido: a Munique pós-guerra que, marcada pela instabilidade política, pela desilusão com a República de Weimar e pela ânsia de lideranças carismáticas, era um terreno fértil para a proliferação de ideias extremistas. Ao longo da narrativa, Weber destrói a imagem idealizada de Hitler frequentemente apresentada em obras mais populares, retratando o líder nazista como um homem complexo e contraditório que, apesar de suas próprias inseguranças e ambições, soube como poucos explorar as angústias e os ressentimentos da população alemã, utilizando a retórica racista e a propaganda da expansão territorial para construir uma base de apoio cada vez mais sólida. Destaca-se como uma das grandes qualidades da obra de Weber a profundidade e a vastidão de sua pesquisa, cujas fontes incluem documentos inéditos e depoimentos de contemporâneos para construir uma narrativa rica e convincente, abordagem que permite ao leitor acompanhar de perto a evolução de Hitler como líder político e compreender as nuances de sua ideologia e da forma como ela se formou em sua mente. Em suma, é um livro fundamental para todo estudioso ou interessado no período da Segunda Grande Guerra, trazendo uma análise mais complexa e nuançada da figura histórica, ao revelar o contexto histórico específico que a moldou. Excelente!

[Bernie4444 · Rating 5 out of 5]

From the author of “Hitler's First War: Adolf Hitler, the Men of the List Regiment, and the First World War.”

When we learn about history and important people in history in elementary school, we get a simplification and an idealization that might or might not reflect the actual person.

By the time we finished college, we are still in doctrine with what the majority thinks is the real person, place, and thing.

Still, there is another level that can become a little trickier by putting people, places, and things, and a more detailed context. In this case, it’s best to know something about the author of the material that you are reading.

When it comes to Adolf Hitler as with any other major player there are libraries full of various works from different people going from different angles.

Thomas Weber appears to have done his homework. If you don’t get any further through the book you must read the Prelude; then it’s time to read the balance of the book to fill in the details instead of just taking his word for it.

Reading the hardcover version has one annoying problem. Even though it is correct to put footnotes at the end of the book it would’ve been a lot easier if they had been at the bottom of each page.

There is a small section of glossy monochrome photos of the relevant players and people at the time that the book covers.

As the title implies “Becoming Hitler” the concentration is on when Hitler became the person that we know in history.

It’s a good idea to slow down and read the references at the time that they come up. Also, the second reading after having time to think about the first one helps.

[Caitie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Watching this bit of history begin to repeat itself in the US leading up to 2016 was scary - the taking advantage of the disenfranchisement of a nation, the rise of an ostensible “strongman” whose most cited advantage was novelty, the blaming of a scapegoat people, the concentrating of these people into detention centers, the crackdowns on removing them either by deportation or imprisonment and neglect - but the scarier thing is that it could 100% happen again.

Seeing the hallmarks of how a demagogue rises spelled out in the hindsight of history in this book floored me. It’s so obvious what was happening looking back, but in the moment it happened so slowly and insidiously that people just accepted it. We are still rife with people who would seek to grab power in the same way, potentially with equally horrific agendas and consequences. May we be alert and wise enough to spot these warning signs before it happens again right under our noses. Lord have mercy.

[Bernardo Londoño]

La historia condena a hitler por sus horrores, esta bien, mas el centrarse no solamente en él si no en todo el entorno, su niñez, su adaptacion y el momento oportuno donde las condiciones economicas, politicas y deficientes de un pais que busca lideres y oradores que les prometan sacarlos de las crisis y usando para ello el amor patrio con palabras seductoras, mientras la corrupcion, la injusticia social y las condiciones politicas sean el caldo de cultivo seguiran naciendo hitleres, como maduro,en venezuela, como ortega en nicaragua y como petro en colombia, peor aun que no es solo por altruismo si no por poder asi tengan que utilizar el narcotrafico como fuente de financiacion y terroristas como farc y eln y las milicias de primera linea para subyugar mediante el miedo y la represion anulando las fuerzas militares. La ocasion hace al ladron y la culpa cae sobre los gobernantes pero mas en quienes los eligen y endiosan,aun faltan muchos hitler por venir

[Gabriel Benitez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Muy interesante obra que explora la figura de Hitler desde el fin de la primera guerra en 1918 hasta 1924 que aparece el segundo tomo de su libro "Mi Lucha". El punto es que todo este periodo es aquel en el que Hitler logra hacerse se un importante espacio en la política Alemana; de ser un don nadie, a convertirse en una figura cada vez más y más importante por sus dotes demagógicas y populistas, y sus discursos hipnotizantes que comenzaron a darle renombre. Es el periodo en que comienza a adoptar una visión política de la vida, que a mi punto de vista, nace de la importancia que él le daba a no volver al anonimato. En otras palabras, para Hitler el destino glorioso de Alemania era el relato que defendía para poder ser alguien. Y es también el periodo donde nos comenzamos a dar cuenta no solo de su visión antisionista sino también su dirección en torno al asunto de pureza racial y lo que desembocaría en la "solución" al problema judío.
Muy buen libro.

[Monica Diaz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Para quienes disfrutan de los estudios históricos, especialmente sobre la Segunda Guerra Mundial, De Adolf a Hitler es una lectura imprescindible. Thomas Weber, con su sólida formación como historiador, ofrece una visión profunda y bien documentada sobre el proceso de transformación de un joven soldado en el futuro dictador de Alemania.

Lejos de la visión simplista del “monstruo absoluto”, Weber presenta un retrato más humano y complejo, donde el oportunismo político, las circunstancias sociales y la influencia de su entorno resultan claves para comprender su ascenso. El autor muestra cómo el poder y la manipulación de quienes lo rodeaban contribuyeron a moldear una figura que terminaría marcando trágicamente la historia.

Una obra rigurosa, densa pero fascinante, que invita a reflexionar sobre cómo se construye el liderazgo, la obediencia y las consecuencias de un contexto político sin límites éticos.

[Roberto Treviño Iturbide · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excelente libro. Una biografía distinta de Hitler, de una época en su vida de la que no se habla mucho y que ocurre entre el final de la Primera Guerra Mundial (1918) y lo que, argumenta Weber, fue el final de la metamorfosis de Hitler, en 1926. Hitler siempre ha sido una figura misteriosa y rodeada de mitos que lo enaltecen, sin embargo, este no era más que un inadaptado social que adoptaba ideas y amistades a su conveniencia.

La reflexión final del autor concluye este libro a manera de advertencia: cuando las democracias liberales y la globalización se encuentran debilitadas es cuando los dictadores y genocidas más oportunidad tienen de sobresalir.

[Jim Stennett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really didn’t take me almost 6 months to read - I put it down around page 70 after about three days and picked it back up about five days ago. The first 70-75 pages can get pretty bogged down in Bavarian politics 1918-19. After that, this book really picks up the pace. Recommended for academics and the layman. In-depth look at Hitler during a time in his life most teachers must breeze over during lectures. Answer a lot of questions about how and why events happened as they did. Well researched, but an American editor needed to clean up some of the prose.

[Patricia Mann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating and detailed description of Hitler's early years based on diaries and letters of friends, acquaintances and a few family members that tries to explain the roots of his beliefs that eventually lead to the monster he became. He tried to completely destroy any record of his past, and he succeeded to some extent, but as the years pass, more documents are being discovered that reveal just a little bit more at a time. I don't think anyone will ever figure him out, but this is a start.

[Cullen Haynes · Rating 4 out of 5]

It feels quite odd rating a book on Hitler as it goes, however Weber’s book is different as it attempts to discern reality from the propaganda.

What’s always fascinating is how an entire populous was brainwashed by fear mongering and anti semitism from a man who had ancestral links to the very people he persecuted.

[Carolyn Thomas · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really did not think I was going to be able to read this and finished it with a huge sigh of relief. Covering the years from the end of the First World War to 1926, Thomas Weber valiantly works to disentangle fact from Hitler's own fiction and fill in the gaps where they exist. The book is detailed and thorough, and I'm sorry to say I found it very dull.

[Mara Bouteille · Rating 4 out of 5]

Superó bastante mis expectativas. Describe la historia previa de Hitler forma muy ordenada e interesante, también con una escritura bastante simple (útil para lectores distraídos como yo). Ayuda muchísimo a ampliar la visión y perspectiva alrededor de Hitler y sus ideas, explicando detalladamente el trasfondo de sus principios.

[Alan · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting insight into Hitler's early years. The first few chapters are a bit sluggish, but the book picks up its pace while explaining what possibly molded Hitler into the dictator he became. This book is a must for anyone who has read books on this subject before. Some of the most famous Hitler authors always have a different take on Hitler's early years.

[Lindsay · Rating 3 out of 5]

I listened to this, and my thoughts may be clouded by how bad the narrator was. The book was in English but as with ANY book about German history, there were a lot of German terms. He didn’t get a single one right, though I’m forever haunted by how he thinks Bayreuth and Lebensraum are pronounced.
I wanted to read this because the author teaches history at U.Aberdeen.

[Diego Modjo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Libro fundamental para entender como Adolf Hitler logró convertirse en una figura política importante en Alemania posterior a la primera guerra mundial.

Hitler no nació siendo un líder, sino aprovecho diversos factores políticos que le permitieron tomar la figura de un Mesías.