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Hitler's Wartime Conversations: His Personal Thoughts as Recorded by Martin Bormann
A rare glimpse into the mind of the Nazi leader, as recorded by his personal secretary. Much of the documentation surrounding Adolf Hitler was lost or deliberately destroyed in the chaos of World War II’s end. Yet some records were preserved for history. After dinner at the Wolf’s Lair, it was Hitler’s custom to retire to his private quarters, where he and his entourage often listened to gramophone records of Beethoven symphonies or selections from Wagner as Hitler would hold forth with lengthy and rambling monologues touching on a wide variety of subjects. It was Martin Bormann who decided to commission a recording of Hitler’s words for posterity. Ranging from1941 to 1944, these conversations touch upon a wide range of subjects, with statements both shocking and mundane—providing a unique up-close look at the mind and personality of this still-enigmatic twentieth-century figure.
- GenresNonfiction
897 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 30, 2018
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
July 21, 2024
Mercifully easier to read than the interminable noodling dreck that is Mein Kampf, this book of Hitler's Wartime Conversations (more commonly known as Hitler's Table Talk) is still very heavy-going. Hitler's supposedly magnetic charisma refuses to translate into English on the page, and those history buffs like myself seeking to gain insight into the mind of the individual who started the Second World War will find themselves facing a wall. It's a wall with the occasional crack in it, allowing light to shine through in fragments, but a wall nonetheless.
The greatest value of the book is in revising and remedying our view of Hitler. Not rehabilitation, of course, though it's the unfortunate lot of the World War Two buff that you may inadvertently raise a few eyebrows among your peers if you reveal you have committed to reading a full book of Adolf Hitler's conversations. Rather, the revision is welcome because it has become commonplace in our culture to present Adolf Hitler as a sort of cartoon villain, whether that's the unhinged ranter of the Nuremberg rallies and popular culture, the lucky provincial buffoon painted by the propagandists and the commentators, or (a view that has become more common nowadays) the empty vessel into which dupes poured their own hatreds and prejudices and saw them made manifest. Even many otherwise astute historians fall into one of these traps. The obvious alternative – that Hitler was an intelligent politician who acted rationally (by his own lights) in pursuit of a grand design – is one that people are still reluctant to acknowledge.
Hitler's Wartime Conversations reveal an individual far more multifaceted than the cartoonish personification of evil we are often presented with. There's little discussion of the war then being prosecuted (most of the conversations are from 1941-42, with some from 1943-44, almost twenty years after our last direct insight via Mein Kampf), but that makes sense considering these conversations took place in personal moments, not the councils of war. Instead, we get Hitler's opinions – sometimes educated, sometimes trite – on art, architecture, his plans for German colonisation in the East, his memories of his rise to power, and numerous other asides. Much of the content will therefore be predictable for those who already have a basic education on the man (and who, choosing to read this book, wouldn't?), but there are still a few surprises. It's peculiar to read Adolf Hitler of all people speculating about life on other planets, but alongside such goofiness there are also some illuminating revelations. For one thing, I'd never appreciated Hitler's deep hatred for Christianity, and the Catholic Church in particular, until I read him seize every available opportunity to express it in these Conversations.
While it's not the full picture of the man and comes with some caveats (not least that they were originally compiled – and therefore curated – by Hitler's fanatically loyal secretary Martin Bormann), Hitler's Wartime Conversations is perhaps the closest primary source we have for an insight into one of the most dangerous radicals in history. Hitler as shown here is banal, intelligent and in full awareness of what he is doing, has done, and will do. And that, to me, is far more educating, revealing – and unnerving – than the cartoon villain that so many still cling to.
The greatest value of the book is in revising and remedying our view of Hitler. Not rehabilitation, of course, though it's the unfortunate lot of the World War Two buff that you may inadvertently raise a few eyebrows among your peers if you reveal you have committed to reading a full book of Adolf Hitler's conversations. Rather, the revision is welcome because it has become commonplace in our culture to present Adolf Hitler as a sort of cartoon villain, whether that's the unhinged ranter of the Nuremberg rallies and popular culture, the lucky provincial buffoon painted by the propagandists and the commentators, or (a view that has become more common nowadays) the empty vessel into which dupes poured their own hatreds and prejudices and saw them made manifest. Even many otherwise astute historians fall into one of these traps. The obvious alternative – that Hitler was an intelligent politician who acted rationally (by his own lights) in pursuit of a grand design – is one that people are still reluctant to acknowledge.
Hitler's Wartime Conversations reveal an individual far more multifaceted than the cartoonish personification of evil we are often presented with. There's little discussion of the war then being prosecuted (most of the conversations are from 1941-42, with some from 1943-44, almost twenty years after our last direct insight via Mein Kampf), but that makes sense considering these conversations took place in personal moments, not the councils of war. Instead, we get Hitler's opinions – sometimes educated, sometimes trite – on art, architecture, his plans for German colonisation in the East, his memories of his rise to power, and numerous other asides. Much of the content will therefore be predictable for those who already have a basic education on the man (and who, choosing to read this book, wouldn't?), but there are still a few surprises. It's peculiar to read Adolf Hitler of all people speculating about life on other planets, but alongside such goofiness there are also some illuminating revelations. For one thing, I'd never appreciated Hitler's deep hatred for Christianity, and the Catholic Church in particular, until I read him seize every available opportunity to express it in these Conversations.
While it's not the full picture of the man and comes with some caveats (not least that they were originally compiled – and therefore curated – by Hitler's fanatically loyal secretary Martin Bormann), Hitler's Wartime Conversations is perhaps the closest primary source we have for an insight into one of the most dangerous radicals in history. Hitler as shown here is banal, intelligent and in full awareness of what he is doing, has done, and will do. And that, to me, is far more educating, revealing – and unnerving – than the cartoon villain that so many still cling to.
November 28, 2018
Once again, I've picked a WWII / Nazi / Hitler tome. This time, though, it's mired in fact. Hitler's "offline" conversations with his minions is rather interesting in a "Good, Lord, he actually said this out loud?" kind of way. I am dismayed that the gist of the conversations has been summarized in other fictionalized books. In any event, I was not totally surprised at much of the content. Yet, here again, I am a creature of my preferences. As you know from reading any of my other reviews, I love anything written about WWII, Hitler, Berlin, Spies, all right anything dated between 1933 and 1946. I am just that gullible and authors know it because they get my dime for everything from that period that they place in the bookstores. (I also have the same fixation with the Kennedy and King assassinations books).
I would recommend this book to WWII junkies. Others may find it a bit slow for about a third of the book. Yet, I don't know what could be done to punch the subject matter up a bit. On a scale from one to five, I would rate it a solid 3.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for providing the ARC of this book in return for my honest review.
I would recommend this book to WWII junkies. Others may find it a bit slow for about a third of the book. Yet, I don't know what could be done to punch the subject matter up a bit. On a scale from one to five, I would rate it a solid 3.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for providing the ARC of this book in return for my honest review.
June 29, 2026
Machinations of a Mind
Shows what his world view was as well as his own dreams and aspirations. He should have stuck to art or architecture. The Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna have a lot to answer for in rejecting him. Pity those sitting late at night listening to his repetitive views.
Shows what his world view was as well as his own dreams and aspirations. He should have stuck to art or architecture. The Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna have a lot to answer for in rejecting him. Pity those sitting late at night listening to his repetitive views.
August 21, 2018
As a reprint of an older French edition that I did not know about, I found the information on the pages of this book worth the read. Arranged chronologically, the snippets and ramblings that were transcribed show Hitler to be just as I suspected after years of study--Always clear in his intentions to govern as he wanted, never remorseful, and fully understanding that things were going south toward the end of the war. Those with an interest in the time period should give this a read if they haven't read an older edition or if they found the disorganization of the older editions complicated and disjointed.
Thank you, NetGalley and Pen and Sword Publishers, for the eGalley of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Thank you, NetGalley and Pen and Sword Publishers, for the eGalley of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Read
October 20, 2018I have not finished this book yet, but I wanted to give a review as I feel this book will take me some time to read. I was trying to read it as I would any other book, from start to finish. But I need a break. Am I say this is not a good book? Not at all! I am actually quite interested in what such a man was saying during the time he was trying to concur the world. I just am not able to read this book from cover to cover without taking a break. I am on such a break now. I will definitely finish this book and look forward to doing so. I just need something else in between.
Read
November 28, 2018Once again, I've picked a WWII / Nazi / Hitler tome. This time, though, it's mired in fact. Hitler's "offline" conversations with his minions is rather interesting in a "Good, Lord, he actually said this out loud?" kind of way. I am dismayed that the gist of the conversations has been summarized in other fictionalized books. In any event, I was not totally surprised at much of the content. Yet, here again, I am a creature of my preferences. As you know from reading any of my other reviews, I love anything written about WWII, Hitler, Berlin, Spies, all right anything dated between 1933 and 1946. I am just that gullible and authors know it because they get my dime for everything from that period that they place in the bookstores. (I also have the same fixation with the Kennedy and King assassinations books).
I would recommend this book to WWII junkies. Others may find it a bit slow for about a third of the book. Yet, I don't know what could be done to punch the subject matter up a bit. On a scale from one to five, I would rate it a solid 3.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for providing the ARC of this book in return for my honest review.
I would recommend this book to WWII junkies. Others may find it a bit slow for about a third of the book. Yet, I don't know what could be done to punch the subject matter up a bit. On a scale from one to five, I would rate it a solid 3.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for providing the ARC of this book in return for my honest review.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews