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Velnio dienoraštis: Alfredas Rosenbergas ir pavogtos Trečiojo reicho paslaptys
„Velnio dienoraštyje" tiriami artimo Hitlerio bendražygio ir vieno iš Trečiojo reicho ideologijos architektų Alfredo Rosenbergo asmeninio dienoraščio užrašai, pasakojama kone detektyvinė jo dingimo ir suradimo 2013 m. istorija.
Pirmiausia Rosenbergo dienoraštis buvo rastas Antrojo pasaulinio karo pabaigoje paslėptas vienoje Bavarijos pilyje – 500 puslapių, atskleidžiančių tamsiausius žmogaus, padėjusio pamatus Holokaustui, sąmonės užkampius. Niurnbergo tribunolo metu dienoraštis buvo analizuotas, tačiau, Rosenbergui įvykdžius mirties bausmę, paslaptingai dingo. Amerikiečiai autoriai Robertas K. Wittmanas ir Davidas Kinney knygoje pasakoja apie daugiau nei dešimtmetį trukusias dienoraščio paieškas ir atskleidžia mažai žinomas Rosenbergo užrašų detales.
Knygoje aprašomų veikėjų biografijos ir asmeninė patirtis gyvai perteikia Pirmąjį pasaulinį karą pralaimėjusios Vokietijos būklę, socialinį ir politinį jos vaizdą, detaliai vaizduoja katastrofa pasibaigusį nacionalsocialistų iškilimą į valdžią, jų siekius, motyvaciją, tarpusavio ryšius ir intrigas. Dokumentinis pasakojimas moksliniu tikslumu parodo Vokietiją ir pasaulį XX a. supurčiusius įvykius.
Pirmiausia Rosenbergo dienoraštis buvo rastas Antrojo pasaulinio karo pabaigoje paslėptas vienoje Bavarijos pilyje – 500 puslapių, atskleidžiančių tamsiausius žmogaus, padėjusio pamatus Holokaustui, sąmonės užkampius. Niurnbergo tribunolo metu dienoraštis buvo analizuotas, tačiau, Rosenbergui įvykdžius mirties bausmę, paslaptingai dingo. Amerikiečiai autoriai Robertas K. Wittmanas ir Davidas Kinney knygoje pasakoja apie daugiau nei dešimtmetį trukusias dienoraščio paieškas ir atskleidžia mažai žinomas Rosenbergo užrašų detales.
Knygoje aprašomų veikėjų biografijos ir asmeninė patirtis gyvai perteikia Pirmąjį pasaulinį karą pralaimėjusios Vokietijos būklę, socialinį ir politinį jos vaizdą, detaliai vaizduoja katastrofa pasibaigusį nacionalsocialistų iškilimą į valdžią, jų siekius, motyvaciją, tarpusavio ryšius ir intrigas. Dokumentinis pasakojimas moksliniu tikslumu parodo Vokietiją ir pasaulį XX a. supurčiusius įvykius.
432 pages, Hardcover
First published March 29, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 134 reviews
December 22, 2017
Although the title is a bit misleading, it doesn't dilute the contents of the book. Only the first 61 pages are devoted to the search for and discovery of Alfred Rosenberg's diary....the remainder of the book is dedicated to the years that Hitler was in power and the influence that Rosenberg had in developing the ideology of the Nazi party. The story also concentrates on Robert Kempner, who as a lower level prosecutor at the Nuremberg trials had access to Rosenberg's writings as well as other important Nazi documents.......and took possession of them after the trials ("stole them" would probably be a more appropriate term). They were hidden in his home until the Holocaust Museum finally traced them down and they now have become a part of the library for study at the Museum.
Albert Rosenberg was an early friend of Adolf Hitler and was basically a man who never had an original thought. When he wrote The Myth of the Twentieth Century on which the Nazi theories were based, he plagiarized everything he could find that supported his anti-Semitism. It appealed to Hitler and the Nazi party accepted Rosenberg's work as a base to begin to build power. Rosenberg had great influence with Hitler in the beginning of the Nazi rise to power and was appointed to high office. But his reputation soon paled as he begin having to deal with smarter (although equally evil) men in the hierarchy and become almost a by-stander by the time Hitler started land grabbing. He continue to speak virulently against the Jews and was obviously aware of and somewhat involved in the "final solution" although he was no longer a major player.
Although the information in this book is not particularly new to the student of German WWII history, the author succeeds in holding the interest of the reader. Well written and worth finding.
Albert Rosenberg was an early friend of Adolf Hitler and was basically a man who never had an original thought. When he wrote The Myth of the Twentieth Century on which the Nazi theories were based, he plagiarized everything he could find that supported his anti-Semitism. It appealed to Hitler and the Nazi party accepted Rosenberg's work as a base to begin to build power. Rosenberg had great influence with Hitler in the beginning of the Nazi rise to power and was appointed to high office. But his reputation soon paled as he begin having to deal with smarter (although equally evil) men in the hierarchy and become almost a by-stander by the time Hitler started land grabbing. He continue to speak virulently against the Jews and was obviously aware of and somewhat involved in the "final solution" although he was no longer a major player.
Although the information in this book is not particularly new to the student of German WWII history, the author succeeds in holding the interest of the reader. Well written and worth finding.
June 17, 2017
This was such a good book, it's fast paced and very detailed , in it you will find the philosophy that paved the way for the Nazis to rise to power and the one that was used to try to brainwash a whole nation into committing the worst crimes in recorded human history, because of it 60 million people would lie dead at the end of the Second World War, 6 million Jews among them, who was the creator of that philosophy, in this book you'll meet him (Rosenberg) , and you'll see how he was able to influence the key players of the Nazi party into applying his philosophy, even Hitler himself . This book is highly detailed and it goes from book looting , art theft , the Nazi rise to power and their downfall , to the Nuremberg trials and its aftermath. The diary of Rosenberg which is the main point of this book is the catalyst to go into detail for all the matters mentioned above. It was a very informative book in a great format which made it easy to read and digest .
December 6, 2019
This book is more of a dual biography........Alfred Rosenberg, Nazi ideologue, and Robert Kempner, a Jewish lawyer on the prosecution team at the Nuremberg trials.. And it all centers on the "lost" diary of Rosenberg which was known to exist but disappeared shortly after the trials.
Rosenberg was in the center of the Hitler camp in the early days of the Nazi party and was the "intellectual high priest of the master race". He was a man of no great intellect but his ideas of racial cleansing rang a bell with Hitler and Rosenberg rose in the party when the Nazis came to power. He was not as well known as Nazi officials Himmler, Göering, or Goebbels but his guilt was no less than theirs. His diary was found at the end of the war and was part of the prosecution's evidence at Nuremberg. After Rosenberg was executed the diary suddenly disappeared.
The second subject in this book, Kempner, was a Jew who escaped from Germany with days to spare and came to the USA. He offered his services to the government as a researcher into the personalities of the Nazi leaders, His work was well received and he was invited to be part of the prosecution at Nuremberg. A portion of that job was examining Nazi documents, including Rosenberg's diary. Was he responsible for its disappearance?
The author combines the contents of the Rosenberg diary with the search for it which consumed many years.......and does a good job of melding the two stories. An interesting read.
Rosenberg was in the center of the Hitler camp in the early days of the Nazi party and was the "intellectual high priest of the master race". He was a man of no great intellect but his ideas of racial cleansing rang a bell with Hitler and Rosenberg rose in the party when the Nazis came to power. He was not as well known as Nazi officials Himmler, Göering, or Goebbels but his guilt was no less than theirs. His diary was found at the end of the war and was part of the prosecution's evidence at Nuremberg. After Rosenberg was executed the diary suddenly disappeared.
The second subject in this book, Kempner, was a Jew who escaped from Germany with days to spare and came to the USA. He offered his services to the government as a researcher into the personalities of the Nazi leaders, His work was well received and he was invited to be part of the prosecution at Nuremberg. A portion of that job was examining Nazi documents, including Rosenberg's diary. Was he responsible for its disappearance?
The author combines the contents of the Rosenberg diary with the search for it which consumed many years.......and does a good job of melding the two stories. An interesting read.
May 27, 2016
A few years ago I read a really good book titled Hitler’s Philosophers by Yvonne Sherratt. The book mentioned Alfred Rosenberg as one of the Nazi’s influential ideologue and so when I found this book in the library I felt I had to pick it up to know more about this Rosenberg. The book is about the diary of Rosenberg and I was expecting it to focus mainly on the contents within Rosenberg’s diary. To be frank I was disappointed with my expectations but I couldn’t totally dismissed the entirety of the book either because it was an interesting subject.
The beginning portion of the book gives us an interesting tale of the history of Rosenberg’s diary after the war was over. It was in the Allies hands and then handed to a prosecutor who kept it as a personal possession among other important documents. After the individual died there is a tale of legal battles for the materials to be handed to scholars for studies but unfortunately the diary was stolen by an eccentric liberal theologian and publishers of odd books. It’s the story of how a holocaust archivist and a former FBI detective specializing in stolen historical artifacts and relics pursued the case of getting the diary back. Because the story was so interesting one can readily forgive the author for writing at such lengths of the account of what happened. However since I was expecting the second portion of the book to be an analysis of the diary I did felt disappointed that this wasn’t going to be a book on the diary. Instead the rest of the book was a thriller of sorts that covered two men during the rise of the Nazis and afterwards: First is of course the story of Rosenberg and the second is the story of German Jew named Robert Kempner. In a way Kempner was a foil in the book for Rosenberg for while Rosenberg was part of the Nazis’ in-crowd and involved with the Nazi’s internal politics, Kempner was ostracized and eventually he fled Nazi Germany, came to America and after the war was involved with the prosecution of Nazi war criminals. The book provided a fascinating look at the personalities of both individuals and those around them (other Nazis, the wife of Kempner and his mistresses, etc). Although I was disappointed that the book wasn’t about the contents of the diary as its main focus I did appreciate this for the stories that’s told and personally for me to understand a little bit more about Rosenberg. One take away point I got from the book is the fact that Rosenberg’s political battles with other Nazis reveal that every organization no matter how ideological has its politics. Without downplaying Rosenberg’s evil I think I also learned from the book also his limitations of merely being an idealist in the world of Nazi politics and petty jealousies. Rosenberg was definitely an evil man and his attempt to shore up pseudo-intellectual support makes it all the more wicked.
The beginning portion of the book gives us an interesting tale of the history of Rosenberg’s diary after the war was over. It was in the Allies hands and then handed to a prosecutor who kept it as a personal possession among other important documents. After the individual died there is a tale of legal battles for the materials to be handed to scholars for studies but unfortunately the diary was stolen by an eccentric liberal theologian and publishers of odd books. It’s the story of how a holocaust archivist and a former FBI detective specializing in stolen historical artifacts and relics pursued the case of getting the diary back. Because the story was so interesting one can readily forgive the author for writing at such lengths of the account of what happened. However since I was expecting the second portion of the book to be an analysis of the diary I did felt disappointed that this wasn’t going to be a book on the diary. Instead the rest of the book was a thriller of sorts that covered two men during the rise of the Nazis and afterwards: First is of course the story of Rosenberg and the second is the story of German Jew named Robert Kempner. In a way Kempner was a foil in the book for Rosenberg for while Rosenberg was part of the Nazis’ in-crowd and involved with the Nazi’s internal politics, Kempner was ostracized and eventually he fled Nazi Germany, came to America and after the war was involved with the prosecution of Nazi war criminals. The book provided a fascinating look at the personalities of both individuals and those around them (other Nazis, the wife of Kempner and his mistresses, etc). Although I was disappointed that the book wasn’t about the contents of the diary as its main focus I did appreciate this for the stories that’s told and personally for me to understand a little bit more about Rosenberg. One take away point I got from the book is the fact that Rosenberg’s political battles with other Nazis reveal that every organization no matter how ideological has its politics. Without downplaying Rosenberg’s evil I think I also learned from the book also his limitations of merely being an idealist in the world of Nazi politics and petty jealousies. Rosenberg was definitely an evil man and his attempt to shore up pseudo-intellectual support makes it all the more wicked.
February 27, 2020
According to the title "The Devil's Diary" I expected something like "Dear diary, Fuhrer said/did this or that today", but honestly, there were probably just few actual quotes from Rosenberg's diary in the whole book. Majority of the book was brief history of Third Reich's glory and downfall. Very superficial I would say, because I already knew more than I've read in this book. I expected to read more about personal stuff and what they were really thinking as human beings, not what we already know: malicious destructive ideas which caused the worst war on Earth... so far...
I just didn't know that they used cars to grab and kill people using those cars' gas system. This is a new fact for me. And I wasn't so pleased to read that Lithuanians were more than happy to help nazis to kill people in the name of "pure nation". That was wrong.
In general, according to the cover this books looks like a diary of Alfred Rosenberg about Hitler and Third Reich, but 1/3 of the book was about Robert Kempner. What???? Ok, he found Rosenberg's diary, but I wasn't interested in his life and his multiple love affairs. Well of course, he was fighting against that evil and this deserves respect, but this book wasn't supposed to be about him.
I gave it 3 stars only because I like history books in general.
I just didn't know that they used cars to grab and kill people using those cars' gas system. This is a new fact for me. And I wasn't so pleased to read that Lithuanians were more than happy to help nazis to kill people in the name of "pure nation". That was wrong.
In general, according to the cover this books looks like a diary of Alfred Rosenberg about Hitler and Third Reich, but 1/3 of the book was about Robert Kempner. What???? Ok, he found Rosenberg's diary, but I wasn't interested in his life and his multiple love affairs. Well of course, he was fighting against that evil and this deserves respect, but this book wasn't supposed to be about him.
I gave it 3 stars only because I like history books in general.
November 26, 2025
Good info on Rosenberg interspersed with a pointless attempt to make Kempner the hero, when he was unambiguously a self-promoting weasel. Authors also distorted the record on Aryan invasion research.
August 10, 2019
Το βιβλίο για το ημερολόγιο του ιδεολογικού καθοδηγητή του Γ' Ράιχ και δεξί χέρι του Χίτλερ απο το ξεκινημά του ως ηγέτης του εθνικοσοσιαλιστικού κόμματος.Παρέχει αρκετές και ουσιώδεις πληροφοριές για τον Ρόζεμπεργκ,για το πως ξεκίνησε τν ενασχολησή του με την πολιτική αλλα και για την ομάδα που συγκρότησε ώστε να υφαρπάξουν οι Ναζί έργα τέχνης μεγάλης αξίας απο τις κατακτημένες περιοχές κατα την διάρκεια του πολέμου.
Στα συν του βιβλίου οτι για το εκάστοτε γεγονός που περιγράφει υπάρχει και η αντίστοιχη αναφορά του Ρόζεμπεργκ μέσα απο το ημερολογιό του.
Στα μείον είναι οτι ο συγγραφέας παραθέτει εναλλάξ μέσα στο βιβλίο και κεφάλαια που αναφέρονται στον Ρόμπερτ Κέμπνερ, ο οποίος υπήρξε δημόσιος κατήγορος απο την πλευρά των Αμερικανών στην δίκη της Νυρεμβέργης και στην κατοχή του βρισκόταν το ημερολόγιο του Ρόζεμπεργκ.Ο συγγραφέας παραθέτει αναλυτικά την οικογενειακή διαμάχη που υπήρξε για το ημερολόγιο μετα τον πόλεμο καθιστώντας έτσι, σε πολλά σημεία του,το βιβλίο φορτικό και με άνευ σημασίας αναφορές.
Στα συν του βιβλίου οτι για το εκάστοτε γεγονός που περιγράφει υπάρχει και η αντίστοιχη αναφορά του Ρόζεμπεργκ μέσα απο το ημερολογιό του.
Στα μείον είναι οτι ο συγγραφέας παραθέτει εναλλάξ μέσα στο βιβλίο και κεφάλαια που αναφέρονται στον Ρόμπερτ Κέμπνερ, ο οποίος υπήρξε δημόσιος κατήγορος απο την πλευρά των Αμερικανών στην δίκη της Νυρεμβέργης και στην κατοχή του βρισκόταν το ημερολόγιο του Ρόζεμπεργκ.Ο συγγραφέας παραθέτει αναλυτικά την οικογενειακή διαμάχη που υπήρξε για το ημερολόγιο μετα τον πόλεμο καθιστώντας έτσι, σε πολλά σημεία του,το βιβλίο φορτικό και με άνευ σημασίας αναφορές.
April 21, 2016
In his last book Robert Wittman produced an amazing page turner and I was super looking forward to his new book. However once the first section of the book is done telling the interesting tale of how the US Holocaust Museum tracked down a legendary diary of the 'intellectual' leader of the Nazi party the book kinda falls into a typical retelling of the war. This could be due to me reading so much on the subject but it does not bring much new to the tale.
As for Alfred Rosenberg he is yet another simpleton with a world view that is so out of time that it remains amazing to me that the Nazis were able to come to power in the first place.
As for Alfred Rosenberg he is yet another simpleton with a world view that is so out of time that it remains amazing to me that the Nazis were able to come to power in the first place.
April 17, 2019
This book follows three themes. First, it is a biography of Afred Rosenberg, sometime chief ideologist of German National Socialism. Second, it is the history of Rosenberg's diary, its loss and recent recovery. Third, it is a biography of Robert Kempner, from whom the diary was recovered.
More complete biographies of Rosenberg exist, but this may be the most thorough account of his diary's history and of the life of Robert Kempner, the Jewish exile who served the United States team during the Nuremburg trials.
More complete biographies of Rosenberg exist, but this may be the most thorough account of his diary's history and of the life of Robert Kempner, the Jewish exile who served the United States team during the Nuremburg trials.
April 12, 2016
Important reading, not only to understand the the Nazi hatred & atrocities, but the significance of propaganda & brainwashing on an entire nation. Sadly, it seems to me that in the US now we are experiencing this brainwashing toward Muslims.
June 1, 2017
Μια εξαιρετική μελέτη για τον άνθρωπο που αποτέλεσε τον ακρογωνιαίο λίθο της ναζιστικης φιλοσοφίας. Μέσα απο τα ημερολόγια και τα έγγραφα που βρέθηκαν κρυμμένα σε ένα κάστρο κάπου στην γερμανική ενδοχώρα, φανερώνεται η θεωρητική βάση της ναζιστικης φιλοσοφίας αλλά και το προφίλ ενός ανθρώπου που ως τωρα παρέμενε καλά κρυμμένο.
April 6, 2020
This was a chilling look into the mind of an evil man. You can actually see how men like Rosenberg still influence others and turn them into extremists. This book is look into the mind of a monster and one that is a warning to future generations.
June 25, 2019
The first three chapters form a sort of prologue telling about the search for and recovery of the 1934-45 diary of Alfred Rosenberg, which was illegally taken by German-American Nuremberg war crimes prosecutor Robert Kempner and, after his death, presumed lost, not found in his vast and chaotic collection of documents. This leads to the body of the book, a kind of dual biography of Rosenberg and Kempner ending with Rosenberg’s 1946 execution.
The Rosenberg part of the story is yet another run-through of the rise and fall of the Third Reich -Beer Hall putsch, thuggish street fighting, seizure of power, oppression, murder, war, looting, genocide, Götterdämmerung – told mainly from the perspective of a high-level Nazi functionary and theorist. Extracts from the diary serve mainly as another example of the banality of evil: exaggerated boasts and self-congratulations about awards and recognition alternating with agitated whining about perceived incursions into his bureaucratic preserve, mainly by chief rival Goebbels and nominal underling Erich Koch. And, of course, a stomach-churning level of Führer-worship. The main ideological concern cited from the diary involves Rosenberg’s wish to de-Christianize Germany, a goal he saw Hitler as sharing, though only in private due to the demands of realpolitik.
The Jewish Kempner is a more unusual figure, someone who might well appear as a scoundrel were it not for the historical circumstances in which he became involved. While working with Weimar-era German police in preparing prosecutions, he became acquainted with Rudolf Diels, who was to become the first head of the Gestapo. Diels described Kempner as, “a real Gestapo man. He just happened to be racially handicapped.” During the 1930s, Kempner found himself forced to leave Germany and eventually Europe. In emigrating to America he left behind his two sons, one an adolescent in the custody of his German ex-wife, another an infant, left in the institutional care of a Nice orphanage; however, in emigrating he was accompanied by both his second wife and his mistress, the mother of his younger son. Once in America, along with a job at the University of Pennsylvania, the salary of which was made up partly from Kempner’s own savings – a way of meeting visa income requirements – he did freelance work for the FBI helping to compile dossiers on suspected German and German-American Nazis and Communists in the US. Thanks to his knowledge of German law enforcement and possession of a large cache of pre-1933 documents on the Nazi movement that he brought with him from Europe he was able to find a place on the US prosecution team at Nuremberg, which sets up the book’s lengthy final chapter with both Rosenberg and Kempner in the same venue, one as defendant and the other as prosecutor.
The Rosenberg part of the story is yet another run-through of the rise and fall of the Third Reich -Beer Hall putsch, thuggish street fighting, seizure of power, oppression, murder, war, looting, genocide, Götterdämmerung – told mainly from the perspective of a high-level Nazi functionary and theorist. Extracts from the diary serve mainly as another example of the banality of evil: exaggerated boasts and self-congratulations about awards and recognition alternating with agitated whining about perceived incursions into his bureaucratic preserve, mainly by chief rival Goebbels and nominal underling Erich Koch. And, of course, a stomach-churning level of Führer-worship. The main ideological concern cited from the diary involves Rosenberg’s wish to de-Christianize Germany, a goal he saw Hitler as sharing, though only in private due to the demands of realpolitik.
The Jewish Kempner is a more unusual figure, someone who might well appear as a scoundrel were it not for the historical circumstances in which he became involved. While working with Weimar-era German police in preparing prosecutions, he became acquainted with Rudolf Diels, who was to become the first head of the Gestapo. Diels described Kempner as, “a real Gestapo man. He just happened to be racially handicapped.” During the 1930s, Kempner found himself forced to leave Germany and eventually Europe. In emigrating to America he left behind his two sons, one an adolescent in the custody of his German ex-wife, another an infant, left in the institutional care of a Nice orphanage; however, in emigrating he was accompanied by both his second wife and his mistress, the mother of his younger son. Once in America, along with a job at the University of Pennsylvania, the salary of which was made up partly from Kempner’s own savings – a way of meeting visa income requirements – he did freelance work for the FBI helping to compile dossiers on suspected German and German-American Nazis and Communists in the US. Thanks to his knowledge of German law enforcement and possession of a large cache of pre-1933 documents on the Nazi movement that he brought with him from Europe he was able to find a place on the US prosecution team at Nuremberg, which sets up the book’s lengthy final chapter with both Rosenberg and Kempner in the same venue, one as defendant and the other as prosecutor.
April 9, 2024
Alfrēds Rozenbergs tāds stalts vidzemnieks (I mean - livonietis) fīreram pie labās rokas, bet ko gan mēs par viņu vispār zinām? Tik vien kā slavenā bilde ar Ostlandes komisāriem Dobeles pilsdrupās...
Tātad - dzimis Tallinā, pēc tam daudz malies pa Rīgu (mācījies zīmēšanu pie Vilhelma Purvīša, piedalījies arheoloģiskajos izrakumos, studējis arhitektūru Rīgas Politehniskajā institūtā (tagad. LU), mīlējis iet klausīties Vāgnera operas Rīgas Vācu teātrī (tagad.Opera), bijis korporācijas Rubonia biedrs (konventa dzīvoklis Pulvertornī, pēc tam Stabu ielā) - tiktāl viss loģiski. Tad viņa biogrāfijā ir 1915.-1918. gadi un Maskava/Maskavas Tehniskā augstskola, kur acīmredzami viņš kā students iepazinās/tika iepazīstināts ar The Protocols of the Learned Elders of Zion, tas nu arī daudzmaz skaidrs.
Pēc tam, kad Vācijas karaspēks ieņem Igauniju, Rozenbergs 1918. gada februārī atgriežas Tallinā un neveiksmīgi mēģina iestāties vācu armijā. Pēc Vācijas armijas atkāpšanās no Igaunijas dodas uz revolucionāro nemieru pārņemto Vāciju, jo "kā radikāli noskaņots Krievijas pilsonis saņem atteikumu Anglijas vīzai". Minhenē Rozenbergs esot izstrādājis savu teoriju par žīdu—brīvmūrnieku sazvērestību, kā rezultātā sācies Pirmais pasaules karš un Oktobra revolūcija Krievijā.
Un tālāk jau es vairs neko nesaprotu - kur ko kad?
Atradu šo grāmatu, likās daudzsološa. Uzrakstīta labi, bet kaut kā neko daudz nepavēsta. Te vairāk ir par Nirnbergas procesu, ka esot bijis tonnām visādu dokumentu un tad pēkšņi uzpeldējusi Rozenberga dienasgrāmata un tikpat veiksmīgi pazudusi.
Pēcgarša: es joprojām neko nesaprotu par Ostlandi/Reiha laikiem, kaut gan mana mamma dzimusi 1942.gadā Rīgā un viņas dzimšanas apliecības blanka ir iespiesta Ādolfa Hitlera ielā.
Dodos tālāk - lasīt The Plot: The Secret Story of the Protocols of the Elders of Zion
Tātad - dzimis Tallinā, pēc tam daudz malies pa Rīgu (mācījies zīmēšanu pie Vilhelma Purvīša, piedalījies arheoloģiskajos izrakumos, studējis arhitektūru Rīgas Politehniskajā institūtā (tagad. LU), mīlējis iet klausīties Vāgnera operas Rīgas Vācu teātrī (tagad.Opera), bijis korporācijas Rubonia biedrs (konventa dzīvoklis Pulvertornī, pēc tam Stabu ielā) - tiktāl viss loģiski. Tad viņa biogrāfijā ir 1915.-1918. gadi un Maskava/Maskavas Tehniskā augstskola, kur acīmredzami viņš kā students iepazinās/tika iepazīstināts ar The Protocols of the Learned Elders of Zion, tas nu arī daudzmaz skaidrs.
Pēc tam, kad Vācijas karaspēks ieņem Igauniju, Rozenbergs 1918. gada februārī atgriežas Tallinā un neveiksmīgi mēģina iestāties vācu armijā. Pēc Vācijas armijas atkāpšanās no Igaunijas dodas uz revolucionāro nemieru pārņemto Vāciju, jo "kā radikāli noskaņots Krievijas pilsonis saņem atteikumu Anglijas vīzai". Minhenē Rozenbergs esot izstrādājis savu teoriju par žīdu—brīvmūrnieku sazvērestību, kā rezultātā sācies Pirmais pasaules karš un Oktobra revolūcija Krievijā.
Un tālāk jau es vairs neko nesaprotu - kur ko kad?
Atradu šo grāmatu, likās daudzsološa. Uzrakstīta labi, bet kaut kā neko daudz nepavēsta. Te vairāk ir par Nirnbergas procesu, ka esot bijis tonnām visādu dokumentu un tad pēkšņi uzpeldējusi Rozenberga dienasgrāmata un tikpat veiksmīgi pazudusi.
Pēcgarša: es joprojām neko nesaprotu par Ostlandi/Reiha laikiem, kaut gan mana mamma dzimusi 1942.gadā Rīgā un viņas dzimšanas apliecības blanka ir iespiesta Ādolfa Hitlera ielā.
Dodos tālāk - lasīt The Plot: The Secret Story of the Protocols of the Elders of Zion
November 3, 2019
The book has undergone a subtitle change due in large part that the first small part of the book is actually about the hunt for the lost papers and the majority it about the influence that Rosenberg had on the Nazi culture from the early days through World War II ending with his death by hanging after the Nuremberg using entries from his diary. It also spends time on Robert Kempner who was one of the prosecuters at Nuremberg. Overall, an interesting read.
I have also posted my review on Goodreads, Amazon and my review blog. I also posted it to my Facebook page.
I have also posted my review on Goodreads, Amazon and my review blog. I also posted it to my Facebook page.
July 25, 2022
Nekem, aki már sokat olvastam a Harmadik Birodalomról és annak hírhedt alakjairól, Alfred Rosenberg alakja még számomra is rejtélyes, ködös volt. Annyit tudtam róla, hogy ő volt az NSDAP fő ideológusa és hogy ő írta a Mítoszt. Ebben a könyvben sokkal többet tudhattam meg róla és a naplójáról, ami szövevényes úton-módon került elő és ért el végső helyére. Nem csalódtam, mert bár nem sokat tudtam róla, szörnyetegnek tartottam a többiekkel együtt, ez a könyv pedig bebizonyította, hogy valóban az volt. Megérdemelte, amit kapott.
July 29, 2022
I became interested in this book after hearing Robert Wittman speak about the search for this diary. I don't know what I expected, but I know I didn't expect such a readable history of the rise (and fall) of Hitler, his associates, and the Nazi party.
February 16, 2019
excellent book
October 6, 2019
Muy interesante libro acerca del holocausto y de un ideólogo nazi importante pero desconocido.
September 30, 2021
Mislio sam da cu citati Rosenbergov dnevnik, a dobio sam nesto sasvim drugo.
Alfred Rosenberg je bio sa Hitllerom od osnivanja stranke, on je i poticao najvise unistenje zidova, on je bio zaduzen za izdavanje i pisanje novina koje su bile financirane od strane stranke.
Kasnije je postao ministar medjutim veliki igraci Himler, Gebels, Goring koji su kontrolisali policiju i bili na terenu ga nisu pretjerano zarezivali.
Osudjen na kraju rata na smrt vjesanjem.
Alfred Rosenberg je bio sa Hitllerom od osnivanja stranke, on je i poticao najvise unistenje zidova, on je bio zaduzen za izdavanje i pisanje novina koje su bile financirane od strane stranke.
Kasnije je postao ministar medjutim veliki igraci Himler, Gebels, Goring koji su kontrolisali policiju i bili na terenu ga nisu pretjerano zarezivali.
Osudjen na kraju rata na smrt vjesanjem.
July 6, 2024
It seemed the first 30-35% of the book spent too much time on the background on how the diary was retrieved/found, including excessive detail on the people involved. Draggy reading to the point where I almost DNF.
The meat is buried in the middle of the book and was worthwhile if one had the fortunate perseverence to make it that far.
The meat is buried in the middle of the book and was worthwhile if one had the fortunate perseverence to make it that far.
June 15, 2016
Today's post is on The Devil's Diary: Hitler's High Priest and the Hunt for the Lost Papers of the Third Reich by Robert K. Wittman and David Kinney. It is 416 pages long and including notes; it is published by HarperCollins. The cover has a picture of Alfred Rosenberg with this dairy in front of his face. The intended reader is someone who is interested in history, World War 2 and understanding how things happen. There is some foul language, no sex, and violence in this book. There Be Spoilers Ahead.
From the back of the book- This exploration of the private wartime diary of Alfred Rosenberg—Hitler’s “chief philosopher” and architect of Nazi ideology—interweaves the story of its recent discovery with the revelation of its never-before-published contents, which are contextualized by the authors: The result is a unprecedented, page-turning narrative of the Nazi rise to power, the Holocaust, and Hitler’s post-invasion plans for Russia
A groundbreaking historical contribution, The Devil’s Diary is a chilling window into the mind of Adolf Hitler’s “chief social philosopher,” Alfred Rosenberg, who formulated some of the guiding principles behind the Third Reich’s genocidal crusade. It also chronicles the thrilling detective hunt for the diary, which disappeared after the Nuremburg Trials and remained lost for almost three quarters of a century, until Robert Wittman, a former FBI special agent who founded the Bureau’s Art Crimes Team, traced its strange journey.
The authors expertly and deftly contextualize more than 400 pages of entries stretching from 1936 through 1944, in which the loyal Hitler advisor recounts internal meetings with the Fürher and his close associates Hermann Göring and Heinrich Himmler; describes the post-invasion occupation of the Soviet Union; considers the “solution” to the “Jewish question;” and discusses his overseeing of the mass seizure and cataloguing of books and artwork from homes, libraries, and museums across occupied Europe. An eyewitness to events, this narrative of Rosenberg’s diary offers provocative and intimate insights into pivotal moments in the war and the notorious Nazi who laid the philosophical foundations of the Third Reich.
Review- This book is not just about Rosenberg but about the lawyer who helped try him. The lawyer was a Jewish man named Kempler and at the end of the Nuremburg trails, he walked away with thousands of documents about Rosenberg and the Nazi crimes. He was going to write a book about it but that just never happened. So many papers and documents were thought to be lost to time when they were found by Kempler's sons after he died. But some of the book is about Rosenburg and the excellent written documents he left behind about himself, the Fürher, and the Nazi plans in general. It is very chilling to read the words yourself about what Rosenburg and others high up in the Nazi party thought about anyone who was Jewish or just not pure 'Aryan'. With the recovery of this diary we can again examine how the Nazis happened and what we can do to stop it from happening again.
I give this books Five out Five stars. I was given a copy of this book by HarperCollins in exchange for an honest review.
From the back of the book- This exploration of the private wartime diary of Alfred Rosenberg—Hitler’s “chief philosopher” and architect of Nazi ideology—interweaves the story of its recent discovery with the revelation of its never-before-published contents, which are contextualized by the authors: The result is a unprecedented, page-turning narrative of the Nazi rise to power, the Holocaust, and Hitler’s post-invasion plans for Russia
A groundbreaking historical contribution, The Devil’s Diary is a chilling window into the mind of Adolf Hitler’s “chief social philosopher,” Alfred Rosenberg, who formulated some of the guiding principles behind the Third Reich’s genocidal crusade. It also chronicles the thrilling detective hunt for the diary, which disappeared after the Nuremburg Trials and remained lost for almost three quarters of a century, until Robert Wittman, a former FBI special agent who founded the Bureau’s Art Crimes Team, traced its strange journey.
The authors expertly and deftly contextualize more than 400 pages of entries stretching from 1936 through 1944, in which the loyal Hitler advisor recounts internal meetings with the Fürher and his close associates Hermann Göring and Heinrich Himmler; describes the post-invasion occupation of the Soviet Union; considers the “solution” to the “Jewish question;” and discusses his overseeing of the mass seizure and cataloguing of books and artwork from homes, libraries, and museums across occupied Europe. An eyewitness to events, this narrative of Rosenberg’s diary offers provocative and intimate insights into pivotal moments in the war and the notorious Nazi who laid the philosophical foundations of the Third Reich.
Review- This book is not just about Rosenberg but about the lawyer who helped try him. The lawyer was a Jewish man named Kempler and at the end of the Nuremburg trails, he walked away with thousands of documents about Rosenberg and the Nazi crimes. He was going to write a book about it but that just never happened. So many papers and documents were thought to be lost to time when they were found by Kempler's sons after he died. But some of the book is about Rosenburg and the excellent written documents he left behind about himself, the Fürher, and the Nazi plans in general. It is very chilling to read the words yourself about what Rosenburg and others high up in the Nazi party thought about anyone who was Jewish or just not pure 'Aryan'. With the recovery of this diary we can again examine how the Nazis happened and what we can do to stop it from happening again.
I give this books Five out Five stars. I was given a copy of this book by HarperCollins in exchange for an honest review.
May 8, 2016
I received this book for free through Goodreads Giveaways and this is my unbiased review.
This review may give some details about the contents of the book, but given that it is a non-fiction about the Nazi's and WWII I am reluctant to label anything here a spoiler. That being said I may reveal some details some readers may not want to know before reading.
This book tells the story of the formation and rise of the Nazi party, the events of WWII, and its aftermath for the leaders of the movement through the experiences of two people.
Alfred Rosenberg was there at the beginning for the Nazis. He was in charge when Hitler went to jail and later named the chief philosopher of the Third Reich, helping to form the ideas of how to cleanse Europe for the pure Aryan race.
Robert Kempner was a Jew who worked in the German government after WWI. Forced out of his job, his country, and eventually his continent by the Nazis, he returned after the war as a part of the American prosecution team in the Nuremberg Trials. He also stole many boxes of captured Nazi documents from the trials, including Rosenberg's diary, which were kept from the public and posterity until they were recovered in 2013.
The revelations in the diary are reflected in this book and add to the overall understanding of how those at the top of the Nazi hierarchy operated.
This book begins with the story of how Kempner obtained the diary and other documents and how they were recovered. It's a neat little detective story.
The rest of the book covers the lives of both Kempner and Rosenberg, telling the entire arc of the Nazi party's formation, rise, and fall. The bits of story regarding Kempner felt a little off for me. Maybe it was an attempt to tell how the Nazi's policies affected this individual, or maybe just remind the reader that Kempner still existed and he would arrive back in the story at the end. Kempner himself isn't the most likable character, at times seeming more concerned with saving himself and improving his own lot in life than others.
This was the first book I've read about the Nazi's and WWII. I've seen documentaries and learned about it in school, but nothing this in-depth. It tells very little of the battles fought in the war, but much of the fights in the administration of the Third Reich and the battles of personality in those looking for personal power and to be in the good favor of the Fuhrer.
An enlightening read recommended for anyone less interested in the military aspect of Nazism and the Third Reich and more desiring to learn about the rest.
This review may give some details about the contents of the book, but given that it is a non-fiction about the Nazi's and WWII I am reluctant to label anything here a spoiler. That being said I may reveal some details some readers may not want to know before reading.
This book tells the story of the formation and rise of the Nazi party, the events of WWII, and its aftermath for the leaders of the movement through the experiences of two people.
Alfred Rosenberg was there at the beginning for the Nazis. He was in charge when Hitler went to jail and later named the chief philosopher of the Third Reich, helping to form the ideas of how to cleanse Europe for the pure Aryan race.
Robert Kempner was a Jew who worked in the German government after WWI. Forced out of his job, his country, and eventually his continent by the Nazis, he returned after the war as a part of the American prosecution team in the Nuremberg Trials. He also stole many boxes of captured Nazi documents from the trials, including Rosenberg's diary, which were kept from the public and posterity until they were recovered in 2013.
The revelations in the diary are reflected in this book and add to the overall understanding of how those at the top of the Nazi hierarchy operated.
This book begins with the story of how Kempner obtained the diary and other documents and how they were recovered. It's a neat little detective story.
The rest of the book covers the lives of both Kempner and Rosenberg, telling the entire arc of the Nazi party's formation, rise, and fall. The bits of story regarding Kempner felt a little off for me. Maybe it was an attempt to tell how the Nazi's policies affected this individual, or maybe just remind the reader that Kempner still existed and he would arrive back in the story at the end. Kempner himself isn't the most likable character, at times seeming more concerned with saving himself and improving his own lot in life than others.
This was the first book I've read about the Nazi's and WWII. I've seen documentaries and learned about it in school, but nothing this in-depth. It tells very little of the battles fought in the war, but much of the fights in the administration of the Third Reich and the battles of personality in those looking for personal power and to be in the good favor of the Fuhrer.
An enlightening read recommended for anyone less interested in the military aspect of Nazism and the Third Reich and more desiring to learn about the rest.
May 14, 2018
ΤΟ ΗΜΕΡΟΛΟΓΙΟ ΤΟΥ ΔΙΑΒΟΛΟΥ - Ο ΑΛΦΡΕΝΤ ΡΟΖΕΝΜΠΕΡΓΚ ΚΑΙ ΤΑ ΚΛΕΜΜΕΝΑ ΜΥΣΤΙΚΑ ΤΟΥ Γ΄ ΡΑΙΧ, των Robert K.Wittman & David Kinney
Το συγκεκριμένο ανάγνωσμα ήταν ότι πιο δύσκολο έχω διαβάσει ποτέ στη ζωή μου. Όχι απλώς γιατί ήταν ένα αρκετά ογκώδες βιβλίο (περίπου 600 σελίδες, σε μεγάλο σχήμα), αλλά το κυριότερο, επειδή μιλάει για το μελανότερο σημείο της ανθρώπινης ιστορίας. Ξεκίνησα να το διαβάζω στις αρχές του 2017, τέλη Ιανουαρίου, αρχές Φεβρουαρίου. Δεν άντεχα όμως να το διαβάζω μονοκοπανιά. Κάθε μερικές σελίδες ξεκινούσα ένα άλλο κι έτσι πέρασε ένας χρόνος σχεδόν.
Πρόκειται για μια ανατριχιαστική αφήγηση των αληθινών γεγονότων που συγκλόνισαν την υφήλιο από τον «αρχιτέκτονα της ναζιστικής ιδεολογίας» Άλφρεντ Ρόζενμπεργκ.. Καλύπτει δε τα χρόνια από το 1936 έως το 1944 κι αποκαλύπτει μυστικά του Γ’ Ράϊχ, την άνοδο του Χίτλερ στην εξουσία και τις θηριωδίες εναντίων των Εβραίων, με αποκορύφωση την Τελική Λύση (Endlösung) ή αλλιώς το Ολοκαύτωμα!
Το ημερολόγιο του Ρόζενμπεργκ εντοπίστηκε αρχικά σε ένα κάστρο στην Βαυαρία, μόνο και μόνο για να εξαφανιστεί πάλι μυστηριωδώς, ακριβώς μετά την καταδίκη κι εκτέλεση του συγγραφέα, στην Δίκη της Νυρεμβέργης. Το ημερολόγιο παράμεινε χαμένο για 75 σχεδόν χρόνια, οπότε και έγινε γνωστή η ύπαρξή του από έναν ειδικό πράκτορα του FBI, τον Ρόμπερ Ουίτμαν.
H προσωπική μου άποψη είναι ότι, μέσα από το βιβλίο αυτό δίνεται βαρύτητα σε έναν άνθρωπο ο οποίος δεν «έστεκε στα καλά του» και πολύ-πολύ. Από άλλα αναγνώσματα του είδους, μου έχει γίνει ξεκάθαρο ότι το Ναζιστικό Κίνημα δεν τον είχε πάρει ποτέ και πολύ στα σοβαρά, παρά μόνο στον βαθμό που οι τρέλες του εξυπηρετούσαν την φονική ατζέντα τους. Όπως και να έχει όμως, δεν παύει να είναι μια πηγή σημαντικών πληροφοριών, αφού μέσα σε αυτό διαβάζουμε για τις συνομιλίες των Ναζιστών αξωματούχων και τα σχέδιά τους για την εξολόθρευση των Εβραίων παγκοσμίως. Επίσης, περιέχει πλούσιο φωτογραφικό υλικό, που βοηθά τον αναγνώστη να εικονοποιήσει τα γραφόμενα.
Δεν θα προχωρήσω σε βαθμολογία, μιας και το θεωρώ ιεροσυλία να βαθμολογήσω με μικρό ή μεγάλο βαθμό, τα εγκλήματα που σημάδεψαν το ανθρώπινο γένος. Επίσης, δεν θα σας προτείνω να το διαβάσετε, γιατί είναι ανάγνωσμα για γερά στομάχια. Προσωπικά, όπως προείπα, δυσκολεύτηκα πάρα πολύ να το προχωρήσω και να το ολοκληρώσω.
Υγιαίνετε !
Το συγκεκριμένο ανάγνωσμα ήταν ότι πιο δύσκολο έχω διαβάσει ποτέ στη ζωή μου. Όχι απλώς γιατί ήταν ένα αρκετά ογκώδες βιβλίο (περίπου 600 σελίδες, σε μεγάλο σχήμα), αλλά το κυριότερο, επειδή μιλάει για το μελανότερο σημείο της ανθρώπινης ιστορίας. Ξεκίνησα να το διαβάζω στις αρχές του 2017, τέλη Ιανουαρίου, αρχές Φεβρουαρίου. Δεν άντεχα όμως να το διαβάζω μονοκοπανιά. Κάθε μερικές σελίδες ξεκινούσα ένα άλλο κι έτσι πέρασε ένας χρόνος σχεδόν.
Πρόκειται για μια ανατριχιαστική αφήγηση των αληθινών γεγονότων που συγκλόνισαν την υφήλιο από τον «αρχιτέκτονα της ναζιστικής ιδεολογίας» Άλφρεντ Ρόζενμπεργκ.. Καλύπτει δε τα χρόνια από το 1936 έως το 1944 κι αποκαλύπτει μυστικά του Γ’ Ράϊχ, την άνοδο του Χίτλερ στην εξουσία και τις θηριωδίες εναντίων των Εβραίων, με αποκορύφωση την Τελική Λύση (Endlösung) ή αλλιώς το Ολοκαύτωμα!
Το ημερολόγιο του Ρόζενμπεργκ εντοπίστηκε αρχικά σε ένα κάστρο στην Βαυαρία, μόνο και μόνο για να εξαφανιστεί πάλι μυστηριωδώς, ακριβώς μετά την καταδίκη κι εκτέλεση του συγγραφέα, στην Δίκη της Νυρεμβέργης. Το ημερολόγιο παράμεινε χαμένο για 75 σχεδόν χρόνια, οπότε και έγινε γνωστή η ύπαρξή του από έναν ειδικό πράκτορα του FBI, τον Ρόμπερ Ουίτμαν.
H προσωπική μου άποψη είναι ότι, μέσα από το βιβλίο αυτό δίνεται βαρύτητα σε έναν άνθρωπο ο οποίος δεν «έστεκε στα καλά του» και πολύ-πολύ. Από άλλα αναγνώσματα του είδους, μου έχει γίνει ξεκάθαρο ότι το Ναζιστικό Κίνημα δεν τον είχε πάρει ποτέ και πολύ στα σοβαρά, παρά μόνο στον βαθμό που οι τρέλες του εξυπηρετούσαν την φονική ατζέντα τους. Όπως και να έχει όμως, δεν παύει να είναι μια πηγή σημαντικών πληροφοριών, αφού μέσα σε αυτό διαβάζουμε για τις συνομιλίες των Ναζιστών αξωματούχων και τα σχέδιά τους για την εξολόθρευση των Εβραίων παγκοσμίως. Επίσης, περιέχει πλούσιο φωτογραφικό υλικό, που βοηθά τον αναγνώστη να εικονοποιήσει τα γραφόμενα.
Δεν θα προχωρήσω σε βαθμολογία, μιας και το θεωρώ ιεροσυλία να βαθμολογήσω με μικρό ή μεγάλο βαθμό, τα εγκλήματα που σημάδεψαν το ανθρώπινο γένος. Επίσης, δεν θα σας προτείνω να το διαβάσετε, γιατί είναι ανάγνωσμα για γερά στομάχια. Προσωπικά, όπως προείπα, δυσκολεύτηκα πάρα πολύ να το προχωρήσω και να το ολοκληρώσω.
Υγιαίνετε !
March 28, 2016
"The Devil's Diary" version I won via Goodreads was in the form of an uncorrected proof and didn't actually come with the subtitling of "Hitler's High Priest and the Hunt for the Lost Papers of the Third Reich" -- the subtitling was instead, "Alfred Rosenberg and the Stolen Secrets of the Third Reich". No matter. This history and mystery doesn't answer all the questions it nudges into the reader's mind all these decades after the Rosenberg diary went missing, or after the formation of the Nazis, which occurred many years before the United States got actively involved in the Second World War (for which Rosenberg, as the authors Robert K. Wittman and David Kinney note, blamed the higher echelon Jews). Just imagine all the mythology Rosenberg, Hitler and others who held the German peoples in thrall for so long under the pretext of Nationalism, sucked into their brains and spewed out upon the world for so very long! THE AUTHORS inject some sly wit from time to time in this history book, amazingly, considering the horrific grimness of the subject matter. Rosenberg was hanged, Goebbels and others, including Hitler and his spouse, Eva Braun, suicides in the months following the end of the war and the revelation of the death camps. Robert Kempner, who was fired by one Nazi bureaucrat years before Kempner fled to the United States, finagles his way onto the prosecutorial team during the trials at Nuremberg and helps send many war criminals either to prison or to suicide or to the hangman. Wittman, who first searches for treasures stolen from their many victims by the Nazis as part of a special FBI team, later gets into the action seeking Rosenberg's diary, which was handed over in 2013 and is now in the Holocaust Museum. Rosenberg -- his words from the diary and from material amassed while he was awaiting trial and on trial as a war criminal are among the examples of an incredible, unbelievable string of observations and philosophies leading to mass brutalities -- and others around Hitler espoused pity or sympathy for their uniformed murderers taking part in killing thousands of innocents -- all the expending of bullets, led to the creation of less hands-on methods, such as gas chambers disguised as showers or vans. This book is recommended.
June 3, 2016
Quite fascinating look at the philosopher of the Nazi party and Reichminister for the Eastern Territories during World War II when Hitler and his killers ruled Europe. The lead author has been involved in recovery of cultural artifacts in his work with the FBI and the volume arose out of the discovery of the diary of Alfred Rosenberg in the early years of the 21st Century. This Nazi and his history of work during the Third Reich is the heart of the book as well as the parallel story of Robert Kempner, an emigre from Nazi Germany who while doing civic work within Germany, opposed the Hitlerites. Kempner proved to be very adept at making himself useful to various individuals and led a stimulating though bizarre life. He was Jewish so his life in Germany always hinged on a knife edge. He did make good finally and the later half of the book moves to discussion of the Nazi Gotterdammerung at the post-war trails at Nuremberg. All the surviving characters of Nazi Germany are discussed with particular attention to Goring and Rosenberg. The trial discussions make for fascinating reading and present new information as do the scores of quotes from the newly revealed diary of Rosenberg. In the heated political climate of today's US election campaign it certainly behooves everyone to actually read and study what the Nazi machine did to the world in World War II and then consider whether quick insults and referrals of Nazi-like behavior involving Donald Trump are appropriate. Read your history, check out the diary quotes and then honestly cogitate on the horror of these Nazi monsters. You will have your eyes opened and fully opened for sure.
September 29, 2016
Fascinating history of the Nazis set within the framework of the diary of a key ideological figure.
I was attracted to it thinking it might help to explain how the Nazis managed to be so successful, in order to avoid a repeat. The Nazis resorted to a lot of thuggery in the beginning. And a failed attempt at taking over in the 20's was not addressed effectively enough.
The big parallel with today is the hate speech. Some of the Nazis apparently really believed that all Jews were communists and were bent on taking over the world and thus that getting rid of the Jews was a matter of national security. Not that the followers of a certain politician believe all immigrants are terrorists (maybe just those from a certain part of the world); but I think many of them do believe that being against immigrants is a matter of national security.
Slippery slope that led to Nazis taking over in Germany has also been followed here: suspension or cancellation of civil rights in the name of national security. Convincing me even more that Edward Snowden was right to wake us up to the Big Brother state.
So it was a little disappointing in answering the reason I selected it, but nevertheless fascinating.
I was attracted to it thinking it might help to explain how the Nazis managed to be so successful, in order to avoid a repeat. The Nazis resorted to a lot of thuggery in the beginning. And a failed attempt at taking over in the 20's was not addressed effectively enough.
The big parallel with today is the hate speech. Some of the Nazis apparently really believed that all Jews were communists and were bent on taking over the world and thus that getting rid of the Jews was a matter of national security. Not that the followers of a certain politician believe all immigrants are terrorists (maybe just those from a certain part of the world); but I think many of them do believe that being against immigrants is a matter of national security.
Slippery slope that led to Nazis taking over in Germany has also been followed here: suspension or cancellation of civil rights in the name of national security. Convincing me even more that Edward Snowden was right to wake us up to the Big Brother state.
So it was a little disappointing in answering the reason I selected it, but nevertheless fascinating.
February 6, 2017
The story behind this story is just as fascinating as the main topic of the book. A German Jewish lawyer by the name of Robert Kempner attempted to prosecute Adolf Hitler for high treason and to ban the Nazi party back in 1928. Once the Nazis took power he was expelled from Germany. He moved to America with his wife and mistress (where they maintain a permanent, though secret polygamous relationship. After the war he returned to Germany as an anti-Nazi legal expert who assisted with the Nuremberg trials. It was during this time that Kempner stole most of the diary belonging to Alfred Rosenberg, Hitler's philosopher of Nazism. The diary remained lost until 20 years after Kempner's death in 1993.
Since its recovery, the author of this book has used it and other sources to tell the story of Rosenberg. Not as well known now as Hitler's other evil cronies, Rosenberg still played an important role in the rise of the Nazis, especially during the early years. In latter years he was sidelined by Goebbels and Bormanm, but was culpable enough that he was hanged at Nuremberg.
Rosenberg codified the Nazi hatred for the Jews. He and Hitler had plans to also suppress Christianity had the Nazis prevailed in the war.
Since its recovery, the author of this book has used it and other sources to tell the story of Rosenberg. Not as well known now as Hitler's other evil cronies, Rosenberg still played an important role in the rise of the Nazis, especially during the early years. In latter years he was sidelined by Goebbels and Bormanm, but was culpable enough that he was hanged at Nuremberg.
Rosenberg codified the Nazi hatred for the Jews. He and Hitler had plans to also suppress Christianity had the Nazis prevailed in the war.
September 25, 2020
The Devil's Diary: Hitler's High Priest and the Hunt for the Lost Papers of the Third Reich by Robert K. Wittman is based on information from the diary kept by Alfred Rosenberg, a highly placed and influential member of the Nazi leadership. Rosenberg was instrumental in the early development of Nazi ideology and virtually all of their anti-Semitic laws and policies. He also was one of the few who actually kept a detailed account of the activities and planning done by the top leadership including Hitler. The author tracks the journey of the diary as it was removed from court documents of the Nazi era, lost or hidden, pursued and found, and the resulting legal battle over the ownership. It follows the actions of Robert Kempner, a lower level prosecutor at the Nuremberg trials who assumed possession of the diary along with other Rosenberg papers with the intent to eventually write a book. Upon his death the ownership of the diary became murky and the author shares the legal battles that occurred before they were eventually place in the possession of the Holocaust Museum's Library where they remain and are available for study. Your readings on WWII history are incomplete without the information in this book.
June 3, 2016
I haven't enjoyed a book as much since Goodwin's "Team of Rivals." I found the history of finding Alfred Rosenberg's in the 21st Century very interesting. Factors that I especially appreciated was the intertwining of the lives of Rosenberg and Robert Kempner from the 1920s until their deaths; the power struggles among Rosenberg, Himmler, Goring, Goebbels, Bormann and other Nazi echelons/criminals; the summary of the sociopolitical events that lead to Hitler's dictatorship and his megalomaniac ruling of Germany; the description of the progressive, but complete loss of citizen rights in Germany; the escalation of persecution of the Jewish people; and the justification and reasoning of the Nazi's for their acts. Yes with the exception of the lives of Rosenberg and Kempler (who was a German Jew who fled Germany and returned to participate in the Nuremberg trials as a US attorney and who was responsible for the disappearance of Rosenberg's diary) has all been said before, BUT this book does a wonderful job of explanations, sequencing and stating facts without being just a date of dates and events.
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