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Hitler: A Life
From one of the most prominent biographers of the Nazi period, a new and provocative portrait of the figure behind the century's worst crimes
Acclaimed historian Peter Longerich, author of Goebbels and Heinrich Himmler now turns his attention to Adolf Hitler in this new biography. While many previous portraits have speculated about Hitler's formative years, Longerich focuses on his central role as the driving force of Nazism itself. You cannot separate the man from the monstrous movement he came to embody.
From his ascendance through the party's ranks to his final hours as F�hrer in April 1945, Longerich shows just how ruthless Hitler was in his path to power. He emphasizes Hitler's political skills as Germany gained prominence on the world's stage. Hitler's rise to, and ultimate hold on, power was more than merely a matter of charisma; rather, it was due to his ability to control the structure he created. His was an image constructed by his regime - an essential piece self-created of propaganda. This comprehensive biography is the culmination of Longerich's life-long pursuit to understand the man behind the century's worst crimes.
Acclaimed historian Peter Longerich, author of Goebbels and Heinrich Himmler now turns his attention to Adolf Hitler in this new biography. While many previous portraits have speculated about Hitler's formative years, Longerich focuses on his central role as the driving force of Nazism itself. You cannot separate the man from the monstrous movement he came to embody.
From his ascendance through the party's ranks to his final hours as F�hrer in April 1945, Longerich shows just how ruthless Hitler was in his path to power. He emphasizes Hitler's political skills as Germany gained prominence on the world's stage. Hitler's rise to, and ultimate hold on, power was more than merely a matter of charisma; rather, it was due to his ability to control the structure he created. His was an image constructed by his regime - an essential piece self-created of propaganda. This comprehensive biography is the culmination of Longerich's life-long pursuit to understand the man behind the century's worst crimes.
1344 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2019
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614 people want to read
About the author
Peter Longerich
34 books95 followersPeter Longerich is a German professor of history. He is currently director of the Research Centre for the Holocaust and Twentieth-Century History at Royal Holloway, University of London.
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April 3, 2022
“The final outcome of [Adolf Hitler’s] years in power could hardly have been more devastating: war and genocide had claimed the lives of more than 50 million people, vast swathes of Europe lay in ruins, and the German population’s support for this criminal regime now made them appear morally corrupt in the eyes of the world…It is beyond question that no single individual was responsible for this catastrophic outcome…Millions of committed Nazis had worked tirelessly for the regime; a huge army of willing helpers and opportunistic fellow travelers had given it unquestioning support; the elites had been only too glad to put their specialist knowledge and expertise at its disposal; officers and soldiers had carried out their military tasks obediently and with great commitment; the great majority of the German population had followed their ‘Fuhrer’ devotedly and without protest. And yet these facts on their own are not adequate to explain what happened. There had to be a political figure who knew how to exploit these preconditions and forces, how to integrate them and channel them effectively into a political process designed to realize his own aims and ambitions. At the heart of the Third Reich there was a determined dictator who shaped the process at ever level, focused all those energies on himself as an individual, and managed to acquire such extensive powers that he enjoyed unprecedented freedom of action…”
- Peter Longerich, Hitler: A Biography
I have always admired the ability of the German language to create super-long words in order to achieve remarkable levels of hyper-specificity. The classic example of this – of course – is schadenfreude, which describes the joy you feel when someone else fails. It is an extremely handy way to define one of my life’s animating emotions. There is also fremdschämen, which is the shame you feel on another’s behalf, and aptly captures my state-of-being while watching a second-grade basketball game.
To that end, I have a humble suggestion for a label to be placed on extremely lengthy, extremely dense biographies of Nazi henchmen. That word – which is actually a proper noun – is Peter Longerich.
***
This is not meant to disparage Longerich’s impeccable credentials. He is an esteemed historian of the Third Reich, so highly regarded that he formed part of Deborah Lipstadt’s “dream team” of expert witnesses when infamous Holocaust-denier David Irving sued her for libel. It is meant to say, however, that his books are roughly the size of a rotisserie chicken, and are written with all the verve of a doctoral dissertation.
You should know this, if you are thinking about picking up Longerich’s one-volume take on Adolf Hitler, the German chancellor-cum-personification of evil, who boldly plunged the world into the deadliest war in history, and then meekly shot himself in an underground hideaway, shaken by the sound of Soviet boots over his head. Hitler: A Biography weighs in at a massive 965-pages of small-font text. In all those tens of thousands of words, there is not a single narrative sequence, or colorful character sketch, or any other novelistic element that the best author-historians use to liven up their prose. This is pure information and analysis, served to you informationally and analytically.
(Hitler is translated from the original German, but I don’t think the dryness – or the occasionally tortured syntax – is a translation problem. Rather, it’s likely a function Longerich’s limited stylistic abilities, or interest in the same).
***
Unlike Longerich’s tomes on Heinrich Himmler and Joseph Goebbels, which begin at the end and then loop back to the beginning, Hitler is structured as a standard, chronological, cradle-to-bunker biography. The interesting thing here, though, is that Longerich is almost entirely uninterested in the first thirty years of Hitler’s life. During that, Longerich contends that Hitler was “a nobody.” As such, he devotes roughly eighty pages to Hitler’s birth, childhood, Vienna painter days, and wartime service. While it is true that Hitler was obviously not a world-historical figure in his early days, I can’t help think that Longerich skips too blithely over this formative period.
Clearly, Longerich is more interested in Hitler as a political animal, and we are treated to a detailed recounting of Hitler’s slow, hiccupping rise to power as the featured speaker – and later leader – of the upstart Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei. In the parliamentary system of the Weimar Republic, the Nazis made themselves a viable party by winning pluralities and forging alliances over a seemingly-endless series of elections. Longerich follows every twist and turn, which makes for some frankly tedious reading, compounded by the fact that while there is a glossary of abbreviations – to keep track of all the other political parties – the meanings of the abbreviations are not translated.
***
Things move a bit faster once Hitler comes to power. Certain themes develop, such as Hitler’s conflict with Germany’s churches; his peculiar political genius in eschewing a clear party or governmental hierarchy, in order to play subordinates off one another (thereby keeping power in his hands); and of course, his role in the evolving destruction of “subhumans,” especially the Jews.
This last is of special importance to Longerich. He is the author of The Unwritten Order, and has done a great deal of work to prove to present-day Hitler acolytes (a growing movement, frighteningly) that he played a central role in slaughtering racial undesirables, including millions of Jewish men, women, and children. Obviously, there is no handwritten memorandum from Hitler to Himmler reading: “Dear Heinie, do the Holocaust.” Instead, there is a mountain of circumstantial evidence, plus Hitler’s own repeated admissions. Longerich carefully traces the publicly expressed evolution of Hitler’s eliminationist anti-Semitism, digs into his efforts in the Nazi eugenics program (a rough draft for the eventual death camps), and parses the timeline for meaningful intersections (for example, Longerich discusses Hitler’s behavior in the immediate aftermath of the Wannsee Conference). If there is a Goebbels diary entry, or a report annotated in Hitler’s hand, Longerich mentions it.
(Aside: Longerich has a definite advantage over non-German-speaking historians. His abilities to read important primary sources in his native tongue gives me that much more confidence in his conclusions).
***
There is a lot of Hitler in this book, yet this is not comprehensive. Perhaps the most startling thing that is missing is any sense of Hitler as a person. His character traits, his love life (if any), his illnesses (Parkinson’s disease, perhaps) are all dealt with summarily, with little additional detail. The reason, I think, is that Longerich is bending over backwards to keep from making his subject too human, and thus sympathetic. The fact that Longerich is German probably makes him sensitive to such charges, so he scrupulously avoids anything that might smack of an excuse for Hitler’s actions. I am okay with this, to an extent. If I want to read a book “explaining” Hitler by reference to his alleged monorchidism, or the truly insane cocktail of drugs he consumed, I can do that elsewhere. The downside, though, is that Hitler sometimes veers into ponderousness. Longerich’s interpretation is cold, distant, and mechanical, and could have used at least a few more reminders that Hitler was also flesh-and-blood.
With that said, I am glad I stuck with this to the end, because I got a lot out of it. Especially helpful is Longerich’s concluding chapter, in which he presents a clear summation of everything that came before (necessary, as I definitely zoned out a time or two).
Longerich makes a strong case for Hitler being actively in control, directing events rather than passively allowing his subordinates free rein to “work toward the Fuhrer,” as other historians have posited. He also has some interesting things to say about Hitler’s charisma, and how that charisma failed him during the war. Specifically, Longerich believes that Hitler’s success came not from his magnetic abilities as a speaker, but from his skillful accretion of power. He created for himself a dictatorship out of a democracy, and even as the whole edifice collapsed around him, he was still maneuvering frantically to maintain his position.
***
There will never be a final word on Adolf Hitler. The comic book intensity of his aspirations, and the hellish focus with which he sought to achieve those ends, will always call out for recapitulation. Hitler might be a big ask for those with only a passing interest in the man. Still, it is hard to resist learning the thoughts of one of the preeminent scholars of the Nazi era, even if those thoughts are provided with a marked disinterest in the art of storytelling.
- Peter Longerich, Hitler: A Biography
I have always admired the ability of the German language to create super-long words in order to achieve remarkable levels of hyper-specificity. The classic example of this – of course – is schadenfreude, which describes the joy you feel when someone else fails. It is an extremely handy way to define one of my life’s animating emotions. There is also fremdschämen, which is the shame you feel on another’s behalf, and aptly captures my state-of-being while watching a second-grade basketball game.
To that end, I have a humble suggestion for a label to be placed on extremely lengthy, extremely dense biographies of Nazi henchmen. That word – which is actually a proper noun – is Peter Longerich.
***
This is not meant to disparage Longerich’s impeccable credentials. He is an esteemed historian of the Third Reich, so highly regarded that he formed part of Deborah Lipstadt’s “dream team” of expert witnesses when infamous Holocaust-denier David Irving sued her for libel. It is meant to say, however, that his books are roughly the size of a rotisserie chicken, and are written with all the verve of a doctoral dissertation.
You should know this, if you are thinking about picking up Longerich’s one-volume take on Adolf Hitler, the German chancellor-cum-personification of evil, who boldly plunged the world into the deadliest war in history, and then meekly shot himself in an underground hideaway, shaken by the sound of Soviet boots over his head. Hitler: A Biography weighs in at a massive 965-pages of small-font text. In all those tens of thousands of words, there is not a single narrative sequence, or colorful character sketch, or any other novelistic element that the best author-historians use to liven up their prose. This is pure information and analysis, served to you informationally and analytically.
(Hitler is translated from the original German, but I don’t think the dryness – or the occasionally tortured syntax – is a translation problem. Rather, it’s likely a function Longerich’s limited stylistic abilities, or interest in the same).
***
Unlike Longerich’s tomes on Heinrich Himmler and Joseph Goebbels, which begin at the end and then loop back to the beginning, Hitler is structured as a standard, chronological, cradle-to-bunker biography. The interesting thing here, though, is that Longerich is almost entirely uninterested in the first thirty years of Hitler’s life. During that, Longerich contends that Hitler was “a nobody.” As such, he devotes roughly eighty pages to Hitler’s birth, childhood, Vienna painter days, and wartime service. While it is true that Hitler was obviously not a world-historical figure in his early days, I can’t help think that Longerich skips too blithely over this formative period.
Clearly, Longerich is more interested in Hitler as a political animal, and we are treated to a detailed recounting of Hitler’s slow, hiccupping rise to power as the featured speaker – and later leader – of the upstart Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei. In the parliamentary system of the Weimar Republic, the Nazis made themselves a viable party by winning pluralities and forging alliances over a seemingly-endless series of elections. Longerich follows every twist and turn, which makes for some frankly tedious reading, compounded by the fact that while there is a glossary of abbreviations – to keep track of all the other political parties – the meanings of the abbreviations are not translated.
***
Things move a bit faster once Hitler comes to power. Certain themes develop, such as Hitler’s conflict with Germany’s churches; his peculiar political genius in eschewing a clear party or governmental hierarchy, in order to play subordinates off one another (thereby keeping power in his hands); and of course, his role in the evolving destruction of “subhumans,” especially the Jews.
This last is of special importance to Longerich. He is the author of The Unwritten Order, and has done a great deal of work to prove to present-day Hitler acolytes (a growing movement, frighteningly) that he played a central role in slaughtering racial undesirables, including millions of Jewish men, women, and children. Obviously, there is no handwritten memorandum from Hitler to Himmler reading: “Dear Heinie, do the Holocaust.” Instead, there is a mountain of circumstantial evidence, plus Hitler’s own repeated admissions. Longerich carefully traces the publicly expressed evolution of Hitler’s eliminationist anti-Semitism, digs into his efforts in the Nazi eugenics program (a rough draft for the eventual death camps), and parses the timeline for meaningful intersections (for example, Longerich discusses Hitler’s behavior in the immediate aftermath of the Wannsee Conference). If there is a Goebbels diary entry, or a report annotated in Hitler’s hand, Longerich mentions it.
(Aside: Longerich has a definite advantage over non-German-speaking historians. His abilities to read important primary sources in his native tongue gives me that much more confidence in his conclusions).
***
There is a lot of Hitler in this book, yet this is not comprehensive. Perhaps the most startling thing that is missing is any sense of Hitler as a person. His character traits, his love life (if any), his illnesses (Parkinson’s disease, perhaps) are all dealt with summarily, with little additional detail. The reason, I think, is that Longerich is bending over backwards to keep from making his subject too human, and thus sympathetic. The fact that Longerich is German probably makes him sensitive to such charges, so he scrupulously avoids anything that might smack of an excuse for Hitler’s actions. I am okay with this, to an extent. If I want to read a book “explaining” Hitler by reference to his alleged monorchidism, or the truly insane cocktail of drugs he consumed, I can do that elsewhere. The downside, though, is that Hitler sometimes veers into ponderousness. Longerich’s interpretation is cold, distant, and mechanical, and could have used at least a few more reminders that Hitler was also flesh-and-blood.
With that said, I am glad I stuck with this to the end, because I got a lot out of it. Especially helpful is Longerich’s concluding chapter, in which he presents a clear summation of everything that came before (necessary, as I definitely zoned out a time or two).
Longerich makes a strong case for Hitler being actively in control, directing events rather than passively allowing his subordinates free rein to “work toward the Fuhrer,” as other historians have posited. He also has some interesting things to say about Hitler’s charisma, and how that charisma failed him during the war. Specifically, Longerich believes that Hitler’s success came not from his magnetic abilities as a speaker, but from his skillful accretion of power. He created for himself a dictatorship out of a democracy, and even as the whole edifice collapsed around him, he was still maneuvering frantically to maintain his position.
***
There will never be a final word on Adolf Hitler. The comic book intensity of his aspirations, and the hellish focus with which he sought to achieve those ends, will always call out for recapitulation. Hitler might be a big ask for those with only a passing interest in the man. Still, it is hard to resist learning the thoughts of one of the preeminent scholars of the Nazi era, even if those thoughts are provided with a marked disinterest in the art of storytelling.
July 24, 2018
(Eindelijk! Wat een pil)
Helaas is deze biografie over Hitler niet heel goed geslaagd. Aan de materie ligt dat niet: Hitler was een ontzettend complex en boeiend persoon en de 2e Wereldoorlog een totale Abrechnung met de oude elite en koloniale klassenmaatschappijen in een Europa vol kleine koninkrijkjes en de keizersnedegeboorte van modern Europa.
Maar Longerich focust teveel op het verkeerde. Hitlers persoonlijke leven komt er, zeker na ingaan van de oorlog, bekaaid van af. Eva Braun wordt slechts één keer (aan het einde) genoemd. Dit boek is veel meer een biografie van Hitlers politieke strategie en oorlogstactiek. En dat is bij tijd en wijle behoorlijk saai. Longerich bedankt in zijn dankwoord de psychoanalytici die hem geholpen hebben met dit boek: te merken, want Longerich stempelt Hitler te pas en te onpas met allerlei psychologische indicaties: Hitler is in zijn ogen een klassiek gevalletje 'te weinig vaderliefde', 'te veel moederliefde', 'onderdrukte homo-gevoelens' en 'ongezonde fantasieën' Jungen Werther-achtig figuur. Waarom mag een jonge jongen niet dromen? Een hele psychoanalyse loslaten op het feit dat Hitler slechts twee vrouwen in zijn leven had (Geli Raubal, Eva Braun) is sensatiebelust en héél erg vergezocht. Het lijkt alsof je als biograaf Hitler móét haten en dat moet laten blijken ook: maar een biografie hoort gewoon objectief te zijn en niet persoonlijk. Maar Longerich laat zijn stem heel vaak veel te nadrukkelijk horen en veel zinnen zijn -negatief- gekleurd. Ik zat me er soms kapot aan te ergeren: als ik iemand wil horen walgen dan luister ik wel naar mezelf: ik wéét al dat Hitler slecht was. Iedereen weet dat. Daarvoor lees je dit boek niet.
Pluspunt aan dit boek is dat het wel de aanloop tot en het verloop van de 2e Wereldoorlog verduidelijkt: namelijk de tijdsgeest, de psyche erachter en het persoonlijk falen van Hitler als strateeg. En het gooit het succes van Hitler niet enkel of op de persoon of op de fabel van het alom vertegenwoordigde antisemitisme van de Duitsers in de 30er jaren. Het enge is wel dat ik bij tijden bijna zat te rooten voor de nazi's en hoofdschuddend Hitlers opeengestapelde fouten las. Maar God wat ben ik blij dat hij verloren heeft.
Al is dat laatste niet helemaal waar. Adolf Hitler sprak altijd over de Grote Wedergeboorte van Duitsland, die zou komen direct na de genadeklap van de Totale Oorlog -en is dat niet precies wat er is gebeurd?
Helaas is deze biografie over Hitler niet heel goed geslaagd. Aan de materie ligt dat niet: Hitler was een ontzettend complex en boeiend persoon en de 2e Wereldoorlog een totale Abrechnung met de oude elite en koloniale klassenmaatschappijen in een Europa vol kleine koninkrijkjes en de keizersnedegeboorte van modern Europa.
Maar Longerich focust teveel op het verkeerde. Hitlers persoonlijke leven komt er, zeker na ingaan van de oorlog, bekaaid van af. Eva Braun wordt slechts één keer (aan het einde) genoemd. Dit boek is veel meer een biografie van Hitlers politieke strategie en oorlogstactiek. En dat is bij tijd en wijle behoorlijk saai. Longerich bedankt in zijn dankwoord de psychoanalytici die hem geholpen hebben met dit boek: te merken, want Longerich stempelt Hitler te pas en te onpas met allerlei psychologische indicaties: Hitler is in zijn ogen een klassiek gevalletje 'te weinig vaderliefde', 'te veel moederliefde', 'onderdrukte homo-gevoelens' en 'ongezonde fantasieën' Jungen Werther-achtig figuur. Waarom mag een jonge jongen niet dromen? Een hele psychoanalyse loslaten op het feit dat Hitler slechts twee vrouwen in zijn leven had (Geli Raubal, Eva Braun) is sensatiebelust en héél erg vergezocht. Het lijkt alsof je als biograaf Hitler móét haten en dat moet laten blijken ook: maar een biografie hoort gewoon objectief te zijn en niet persoonlijk. Maar Longerich laat zijn stem heel vaak veel te nadrukkelijk horen en veel zinnen zijn -negatief- gekleurd. Ik zat me er soms kapot aan te ergeren: als ik iemand wil horen walgen dan luister ik wel naar mezelf: ik wéét al dat Hitler slecht was. Iedereen weet dat. Daarvoor lees je dit boek niet.
Pluspunt aan dit boek is dat het wel de aanloop tot en het verloop van de 2e Wereldoorlog verduidelijkt: namelijk de tijdsgeest, de psyche erachter en het persoonlijk falen van Hitler als strateeg. En het gooit het succes van Hitler niet enkel of op de persoon of op de fabel van het alom vertegenwoordigde antisemitisme van de Duitsers in de 30er jaren. Het enge is wel dat ik bij tijden bijna zat te rooten voor de nazi's en hoofdschuddend Hitlers opeengestapelde fouten las. Maar God wat ben ik blij dat hij verloren heeft.
Al is dat laatste niet helemaal waar. Adolf Hitler sprak altijd over de Grote Wedergeboorte van Duitsland, die zou komen direct na de genadeklap van de Totale Oorlog -en is dat niet precies wat er is gebeurd?
September 30, 2025
First of all, I would not recommend this as a first book on Hitler. Just don't start with this one.
For those of you who have been down this road before:
This is a really good book. After reading many books on Hitler and Nazis, this book was fresh. Heavy at times, a little dry, very political, yet well researched as to be expected from Longerich.
Longerich divided the book into seven Roman numeral titled sections, further subdivided into 44 chapters. Something helpful is the summarization at the end of some sections. For example IV: Consolidation, brilliantly summarized all the major events before the Anschlous, a general how and why things happened. Kind of an "okay folks, got it? any questions?" I think that anyone that wants to put in the time and effort (and stick with this book), will be left with a better understanding.
For those of you who have been down this road before:
This is a really good book. After reading many books on Hitler and Nazis, this book was fresh. Heavy at times, a little dry, very political, yet well researched as to be expected from Longerich.
Longerich divided the book into seven Roman numeral titled sections, further subdivided into 44 chapters. Something helpful is the summarization at the end of some sections. For example IV: Consolidation, brilliantly summarized all the major events before the Anschlous, a general how and why things happened. Kind of an "okay folks, got it? any questions?" I think that anyone that wants to put in the time and effort (and stick with this book), will be left with a better understanding.
September 4, 2024
I did it! It took me months to finish this book but I am happy I pulled through; it was worth the time and effort I put into reading and reviewing it. Over one thousand pages in the dry language of academic textbooks on a man whose daily vocabulary included words such as extermination, destroying and killing. Nice prospects!
Hitler – everybody knows this name. From child to adult, from east to west, from Germany to Madargascar. His name is irretrievably associated with one of the most unspeakable crimes in the history of mankind: the holocaust. Who is this man that tricked an entire nation into believing that Jews needed to be exterminated and had it participate in such a ferocious crime? Who is this man that drove the world into a war which ended the life of 50 million people? Who is this man that managed to climb the ladder from the bottom to the top?
Peter Longerich deals with these questions (and many more) in his book »Hitler«. The first chaper is titled: »A nobody«. That was Hitler before he became the world’s greatest nightmare. Peter Longerich takes one step at a time, telling Hitler’s story chronologically, describing, discussing and analyzing his rise and fall from the beginning till the end.
If I had to describe this book using only one adjective, that adjective would be detailed. (And educational, if I was allowed to use a second one.) It goes into details about how Hitler became the person he was; how he started out his political career; what made his speeches so appealing to other people; how he conquered the heart of an entire nation; what his stragedy was to get to the top; what tools he used to control and deceive the masses; how he managed to concentrate all the power in his own hands; how he justified his actions; how he led Germany into the Second World War; how he fought and befriended other countries, and how he betrayed them; how he contributed to Germany’s downfall in the last two years of the war; and so on. There is so much content that it’s difficult to summarize it. Basically, what Peter Longerich does in this book, is give an answer to the questions: when? why? how?
Peter Longerich belongs to the world’s most prestigious experts when it comes to Nazi history, so he knows what he is doing when he sets out the answers to these questions. His book is based on in-depth research (needless to say that he lists the documentary evidences he references) which also means that all the information he provides are up to date.
Reading this biography, I got the impression that Adolf Hitler was a politician to the core and didn’t have much of a private life. The reason why I say this, is because this book is jam-packed with political content. It focuses on the political aspect of Hitler’s life, not so much on the person he was outside of the political stage. It contains so much information on how Hitler led the war (his strategies, the decision making processes, how the decisions were executed ...) – but there is no chapter on his relationship with women, for instance. Eva Braun, his longterm girlfriend and wife for a day, is hardly ever mentioned. Maybe that’s due to the fact there is not much known about Eva. At any rate, I thought there should have at least been one short chapter that discusses Adolf Hitler’s sexuality or his life behind the political curtain in general.
One thing that was definitely not new to me, is that Adolf Hitler was thirsty for power and blood. The things he kept saying to justify his actions infuriated me. Here’s an example:
»Es bleibt also den modernen Völkern nichts anderes übrig, als die Juden auszurotten. Sie werden sich mit allen Mitteln gegen diesen allmählichen Vernichtsprozeß zur Wehr setzen. Eines dieser Mittel ist der Krieg. Wir müssen uns also darüber klar sein, dass wir in dieser Auseinandersetzung zwischen der arischen Menschheit und der jüdischen Rasse noch sehr schwere Kämpfe zu bestehen haben, weil das Judentum es verstanden hat, große Völkerschaften aus der arischen Rasse bewußt oder unbewußt in seine Dienste zu bringen.“ (Page 910)
Hitler kept on justifying the things he was doing, especially in regards to exterminating the Jews. On numerous occasions, he brings up this topic and blames the jewish people for their fate. It’s ridiculous! One time he would say it’s because they need to destroy them (the Jews) before they destroy the Germans, next time he would say it’s because the Jews led the world into a war (oh, the irony!!!), and so on and so forth. He has several »good« reasons for killing millions of people just because they are jewish! I still can’t believe so many people fell for his ludicrous justifications.
One thing that surprised me in a way, is that during the »war chapters«, I thought to myself how this reminded me of the Game of Thrones. That’s when I realized that the Game of Thrones may be a fictional story but it’s very much inspired by reality. I did know of course that strategizing is a crucial part of war-making but I was a bit shocked to see that it very much resembles a strategy game. A strategy game! Insanity! Also, although the lives of millions of people were at stake, this war was also a very personal, a very emotional one. Whenever Greatbritain bombed Germany, Hitler would go like: »We need to retaliate!« (»Vergeltungspropaganda«, »Vergeltungswaffen«, ...) I mean, c’mon! Thousands of people die and THIS is your reaction?
I would recommand this book to those who are not new to this topic. What this book does, is give you a deep look into Hitler and the political development of Germany from the 20s to the mid 40s. If you are new to this topic, I wouldn’t recommend picking up this book. It is far too detailed to function as an introduction to Hitler and the Nazi regime.
It was not easy to stay motivated throughout but I am happy I managed to finish this book despite its dry language. It was worth my time; it’s very informative and educational, and I can see myself re-reading chapters every now and then.
All in all Peter Longerich did a terrific job at portraying Adolf Hitler and his time.
Hitler – everybody knows this name. From child to adult, from east to west, from Germany to Madargascar. His name is irretrievably associated with one of the most unspeakable crimes in the history of mankind: the holocaust. Who is this man that tricked an entire nation into believing that Jews needed to be exterminated and had it participate in such a ferocious crime? Who is this man that drove the world into a war which ended the life of 50 million people? Who is this man that managed to climb the ladder from the bottom to the top?
Peter Longerich deals with these questions (and many more) in his book »Hitler«. The first chaper is titled: »A nobody«. That was Hitler before he became the world’s greatest nightmare. Peter Longerich takes one step at a time, telling Hitler’s story chronologically, describing, discussing and analyzing his rise and fall from the beginning till the end.
If I had to describe this book using only one adjective, that adjective would be detailed. (And educational, if I was allowed to use a second one.) It goes into details about how Hitler became the person he was; how he started out his political career; what made his speeches so appealing to other people; how he conquered the heart of an entire nation; what his stragedy was to get to the top; what tools he used to control and deceive the masses; how he managed to concentrate all the power in his own hands; how he justified his actions; how he led Germany into the Second World War; how he fought and befriended other countries, and how he betrayed them; how he contributed to Germany’s downfall in the last two years of the war; and so on. There is so much content that it’s difficult to summarize it. Basically, what Peter Longerich does in this book, is give an answer to the questions: when? why? how?
Peter Longerich belongs to the world’s most prestigious experts when it comes to Nazi history, so he knows what he is doing when he sets out the answers to these questions. His book is based on in-depth research (needless to say that he lists the documentary evidences he references) which also means that all the information he provides are up to date.
Reading this biography, I got the impression that Adolf Hitler was a politician to the core and didn’t have much of a private life. The reason why I say this, is because this book is jam-packed with political content. It focuses on the political aspect of Hitler’s life, not so much on the person he was outside of the political stage. It contains so much information on how Hitler led the war (his strategies, the decision making processes, how the decisions were executed ...) – but there is no chapter on his relationship with women, for instance. Eva Braun, his longterm girlfriend and wife for a day, is hardly ever mentioned. Maybe that’s due to the fact there is not much known about Eva. At any rate, I thought there should have at least been one short chapter that discusses Adolf Hitler’s sexuality or his life behind the political curtain in general.
One thing that was definitely not new to me, is that Adolf Hitler was thirsty for power and blood. The things he kept saying to justify his actions infuriated me. Here’s an example:
»Es bleibt also den modernen Völkern nichts anderes übrig, als die Juden auszurotten. Sie werden sich mit allen Mitteln gegen diesen allmählichen Vernichtsprozeß zur Wehr setzen. Eines dieser Mittel ist der Krieg. Wir müssen uns also darüber klar sein, dass wir in dieser Auseinandersetzung zwischen der arischen Menschheit und der jüdischen Rasse noch sehr schwere Kämpfe zu bestehen haben, weil das Judentum es verstanden hat, große Völkerschaften aus der arischen Rasse bewußt oder unbewußt in seine Dienste zu bringen.“ (Page 910)
Hitler kept on justifying the things he was doing, especially in regards to exterminating the Jews. On numerous occasions, he brings up this topic and blames the jewish people for their fate. It’s ridiculous! One time he would say it’s because they need to destroy them (the Jews) before they destroy the Germans, next time he would say it’s because the Jews led the world into a war (oh, the irony!!!), and so on and so forth. He has several »good« reasons for killing millions of people just because they are jewish! I still can’t believe so many people fell for his ludicrous justifications.
One thing that surprised me in a way, is that during the »war chapters«, I thought to myself how this reminded me of the Game of Thrones. That’s when I realized that the Game of Thrones may be a fictional story but it’s very much inspired by reality. I did know of course that strategizing is a crucial part of war-making but I was a bit shocked to see that it very much resembles a strategy game. A strategy game! Insanity! Also, although the lives of millions of people were at stake, this war was also a very personal, a very emotional one. Whenever Greatbritain bombed Germany, Hitler would go like: »We need to retaliate!« (»Vergeltungspropaganda«, »Vergeltungswaffen«, ...) I mean, c’mon! Thousands of people die and THIS is your reaction?
I would recommand this book to those who are not new to this topic. What this book does, is give you a deep look into Hitler and the political development of Germany from the 20s to the mid 40s. If you are new to this topic, I wouldn’t recommend picking up this book. It is far too detailed to function as an introduction to Hitler and the Nazi regime.
It was not easy to stay motivated throughout but I am happy I managed to finish this book despite its dry language. It was worth my time; it’s very informative and educational, and I can see myself re-reading chapters every now and then.
All in all Peter Longerich did a terrific job at portraying Adolf Hitler and his time.
March 7, 2023
W tej potężnej cegle zamknięty jest cały szereg informacji dotyczących życia jednego z największych zbrodniarzy wojennych. Nie jest to lektura lekka, a tym bardziej nie jest to lektura łatwa, ze względu na kilka czynników. Zaczynając od tego, że jest to książka historyczna, więc styl jest typowo naukowy, z całą masą odniesień do źródeł oraz przypisów. Biografia została opisana bardzo szeroko, więc poruszone zostało wiele zagadnień, które niekoniecznie mogą czytelnika interesować, a jednak, żeby zrozumieć niektóre zależności to trzeba przez te trudniejsze fragmenty przebrnąć. Dla mnie takimi trudnymi fragmentami były kwestie partyjne, przepychanka wyborcza oraz ówczesna polityka czyli zanim Hitler doszedł do władzy. Autor i tak stara się, by ta treść była bardziej przystępna, ponieważ styl pisania jest ewidentnie ukłonem w stronę czytelnika i nie są używane na siłę trudne słowa, by brzmiało to bardziej inteligentniej.
Plusem i równocześnie minusem jest fakt, że autor postawił na treść, a nie na wygląd. W tej pozycji jest bardzo mało fotografii, ale równocześnie dobrane są takie, żeby nie spotkać tych najbardziej rozpowszechnionych w innych publikacjach. Jeśli chodzi o kwestie kosmetyczne to książka również w tym aspekcie może być mało przystępna, ze względu na małą czcionkę. Równocześnie nie wyobrażam sobie zwiększenia tej czcionki, bo i tak książka jest tak gruba i tak ciężka, że aby z niej korzystać trzeba było albo ją sobie kłaść na kolanach albo na kanapie i leżeć koło niej. Trzymanie jej w rękach nie wchodziło w grę.
Monstrualnym plusem są przypisy, których jest cała masa i w zasadzie prawie każda strona jest obsypana takimi adnotacjami. W tej książce jest to niezbędny element, by poznać z czego autor korzystał oraz skąd wziął konkretne dane.
Nie będę polecać tej książki. Ten typ pozycji trzeba bardzo chcieć przeczytać oraz interesować się tematyką, bo inaczej człowiek odpadnie po 400 stronach. To jest bardzo solidnie napisane kompendium wiedzy, na temat jednego z największych zbrodniarzy przeciwko ludzkości, a równocześnie to bardzo ciężka pozycja dla osób, które (1) nie lubią historii, (2) nie interesują się tym człowiekiem, (3) nie lubią czytać książek typowo biograficznych.
Plusem i równocześnie minusem jest fakt, że autor postawił na treść, a nie na wygląd. W tej pozycji jest bardzo mało fotografii, ale równocześnie dobrane są takie, żeby nie spotkać tych najbardziej rozpowszechnionych w innych publikacjach. Jeśli chodzi o kwestie kosmetyczne to książka również w tym aspekcie może być mało przystępna, ze względu na małą czcionkę. Równocześnie nie wyobrażam sobie zwiększenia tej czcionki, bo i tak książka jest tak gruba i tak ciężka, że aby z niej korzystać trzeba było albo ją sobie kłaść na kolanach albo na kanapie i leżeć koło niej. Trzymanie jej w rękach nie wchodziło w grę.
Monstrualnym plusem są przypisy, których jest cała masa i w zasadzie prawie każda strona jest obsypana takimi adnotacjami. W tej książce jest to niezbędny element, by poznać z czego autor korzystał oraz skąd wziął konkretne dane.
Nie będę polecać tej książki. Ten typ pozycji trzeba bardzo chcieć przeczytać oraz interesować się tematyką, bo inaczej człowiek odpadnie po 400 stronach. To jest bardzo solidnie napisane kompendium wiedzy, na temat jednego z największych zbrodniarzy przeciwko ludzkości, a równocześnie to bardzo ciężka pozycja dla osób, które (1) nie lubią historii, (2) nie interesują się tym człowiekiem, (3) nie lubią czytać książek typowo biograficznych.
February 9, 2020
A brilliant and insightful biography, essential reading for an understanding of the rise of Hitler. The author doesn't spend much time of Hitler's biographical details or background or psychological aspects [he makes it clear that's not the focus of the book] but instead focuses on showing that anti-semitism was always the underlying core of Hitler's views and tactics and ideology from the very start of his political career right up to his final days. Longerich details just how intensively and extensively Hitler oversaw and implemented all the crucial aspects of the Holocaust from start ti finish.
Another key feature of the book is how carefully Hitler made sure that Germans [ and governments and citizens of countries taken into the Reich] were implicated in the Final Solution. He deliberately set out to implicate them in the guilt in order to bind them more closely to the 3rd Reich, knowing that defeat would reveal that guilt to the world.
Longerich also makes it clear that Hitler was a politician of [evil] genius from the start of his career. He outwitted his contemporaries and rivals, was a master of tactics both legal and illegal, a shrewd judge of personalities, a calculated risk-taker, astute and cunning. It was only after 1941 that his judgement and intuition sharply declined.
Incidentally, the author doesn't place much reliance on claims of Hitler's charismatic personality or even his popularity with germans. At best except for a crucial group of fanatics, most Germans seemed to rather grudgingly accept him.
Another key feature of the book is how carefully Hitler made sure that Germans [ and governments and citizens of countries taken into the Reich] were implicated in the Final Solution. He deliberately set out to implicate them in the guilt in order to bind them more closely to the 3rd Reich, knowing that defeat would reveal that guilt to the world.
Longerich also makes it clear that Hitler was a politician of [evil] genius from the start of his career. He outwitted his contemporaries and rivals, was a master of tactics both legal and illegal, a shrewd judge of personalities, a calculated risk-taker, astute and cunning. It was only after 1941 that his judgement and intuition sharply declined.
Incidentally, the author doesn't place much reliance on claims of Hitler's charismatic personality or even his popularity with germans. At best except for a crucial group of fanatics, most Germans seemed to rather grudgingly accept him.
April 19, 2022
Wow. The book is extremely detailed! The author spent most of the work on domestic politics. I wouldn't recommend this for someone who just wants to learn a few things about WWII and about Hitler's behavior. He covers some of that, but it's definitely more about Hitler's decisions. I did learn a lot I didn't know.
Longerich really hit home how central the war against the Jews was. It became everything for Hitler. The author argues Hitler ensured cooperation from his allies and from the Germans by making them complicit in the crimes against humanity. Amazing how successful he was.
Longerich really hit home how central the war against the Jews was. It became everything for Hitler. The author argues Hitler ensured cooperation from his allies and from the Germans by making them complicit in the crimes against humanity. Amazing how successful he was.
March 3, 2025
Nach 1013 Seiten ist man trotz des guten Schreibstils und der allgemeinen Qualität dieses Buches dennoch froh, mal wieder, wenn auch nur bis zu den Goebbels- und Himmler-Biographien von P. Longerich, das Thema zu wechseln und sich nicht meh täglich mit diesem wahnhaften Mann zu beschäftigen, der Europa und die Welt ins Unheil führte.
Alles in allem sehr gutes Buch. Auch eine interessante und mir einleuchtendere Alternative zu der Biographie von Ian Kershaw, da der Rolle der Person Hitlers und seiner Entscheidungsmacht deutlich mehr Relevanz zugemessen wird.
Alles in allem sehr gutes Buch. Auch eine interessante und mir einleuchtendere Alternative zu der Biographie von Ian Kershaw, da der Rolle der Person Hitlers und seiner Entscheidungsmacht deutlich mehr Relevanz zugemessen wird.
January 22, 2020
Peter Longerich's new biography of Hitler is superb, well-written, analytical and thorough. Longerich shows that Hitler was not, as some have suggested, a passive leader who set the tone but ignored the details. Rather, he intervened in events he cared about, determining not only overall strategy, but also surprisingly mundane details. He deliberately undermined institutions so that he could keep a rein on by policy matters by ceding to people he trusted the authority to take over areas of government. He also played off members of his entourage, encouraging each to challenge the others, with the result that no individual amassed a threatening or competitive power base.
October 4, 2020
This book is a new biography of Hitler. 2019 and 2020 have been good years for Hitler biographies and shorter accounts about Hitler and the Nazi takeover of power in 1932-33. The scholarship has been excellent and the writing has been superb. It makes me wonder if there is anything going on in popular politics that is stimulating such work on this archetypal dictator. (Just kidding ...) This book is one of the longer entries in the group and written by a prolific scholar on the Nazis at the University of London who has done bios on Himmler and Goebbels.
In evaluating a bio like this, I need to note that there is a high bar for biographies of Hitler. Much of the information that is available or likely to become available has already been used, most notably the opening up of Eastern European and Russian archives after 1989. Associated with German reunification, the Germans themselves have produced real accomplishments associated with their Nazi Documentation centers. Much of what there is to say appears to have been said already, in one form or another - and I don’t speak German but must rely on the testimonials of others for non-English accounts!
So what about Longerich’s book? The key to what Professor Longerich is arguing appears to be in how he relates individualist accounts of H’s life to more structural accounts, which focus on history, culture, laws, and institutions. On the one hand, H was a unique once in a millenium character. On the other, context is everything and H is better understood by knowing his situations and how he used them. Longerich tries to meld these two approaches to show how H used his own background and characteristics, in conjunction with high skill in understanding the logic of his situation, and built up his career and successes to change the world and throw it back into war and genocide. Luck and noise also helped things along.
This is a plausible organizing approach and rings true as a basis for explanation. The trouble is that it leads to a very long book, since the context needs explaining, along with how H interacted with that context, along with how one event linked with others ... And there are a lot of events to explain. The initial account of his life does not get a lot of attention, since the combination of person and situation that produced H had not gotten sufficiently intense to make a difference. (Conversely, towards the end of the story, H’s fate has largely been determined by his prior activities and prior events, which are playing out whether he wants them to or not.) As source materials, Professor Longerich appears to make good use of diaries by Goebbels and others and is a master and bringing in policy documents and plans as summing up the policy orientation of H at different times - orientations that changed across time and situations as well. For example? To start with, in looking at the initial establishment of the Nazi regime, Longerich does at good job at how the various aspects of the regime fit (or failed to fit) together, and whether conflict among overlapping centers of power was intentional or not. This aspect of regime chaos is frequently commented upon, but it is done well here. As the regime is more established, some really interesting analysis revolves around available budgetary figures - how the growth in some areas affected or limited growth in others (rearmament versus consumer goods, for example). The discussion of the agriculture sector was new to me and striking. This is not just a matter of budget trade offs but also of how different aspects of the strange Nazi ideology fit together or not. The sections on diplomacy leading to war are also well done but require attention. The tension between how the Third Reich performed and how it was organized and coordinated to produce and perform is a continuing one throughout the book. Once the war begins, the dynamics between H and his generals become an increasingly important part of the story.
An issue I had with the book is that Longerich has some involved arguments implied in his account but they tend to be broken out as needed for particular situations. Sometimes they are summed up at the end of a chapter. I would have liked for the broader argument to be presented so that it could be recalled as various moments during the detailed story of particular events.
For an example of this, what was the organizing principle and practice that made the Third Reich - a hugely complex undertaking - work as effectively as it did for over a decade? One part of this, of course, is H’s charismatic leadership and how it united various parties in Germany and held the regime together. But Longerich is clear early on that H’s Charismatic leadership was not sufficient and that likely a majority of Germans were not fervent Nazis. But the regime did not need total support, it had other means to organize and gain compliance. OK, so what else was involved? There was a complex dual structure of party and state. There was also the evolution of a system where some power was delegated to a small set of key individuals, such as Goring, Himmler, Speer, Goebbels, and Borman -who then fought for personal power and attention. Ok, but there were also local leaders to take care of daily problems. ...and there were also efforts at various times where some of these leaders worked together via formal or informal groups.
So what do we take from this? The Third Reich seems like a case of “charismatic leadership” right out of Max Weber, adjusted by Hannah Arendt for totalitarianism. But the regime worked in complex ways and while there was an appearance of chaos, there was considerable regularity as well. Professor Longerich knows this and it would have made an interesting section to bring together the analysis he provides in one section to discuss it.
The book is filled with running story lines about how to organize things, ranging from the evolution of Hololcaust and why it developed they way it did to issues of how to handle the propaganda and stage management issues when the largest cities in the realm are getting regularly flattened by allied bombing and there appears to be little that can be done about it. The year 1944 provided sufficient crises to merit almost continual reorganization in response to external shocks. Add to that discussions of technology and R&D, along with the stresses and strains of rearmament, and this could easily be a text (or at least a lot of cases) on wartime strategy and management.
There is a lot to keep track of but it reads very well and Longerich appears to have crafted a very effective bio, even when compared with the masterpieces of the literature. It is long, however, so be prepared for a bit of a slog from time to time. The early part of H’s life receives more limited attention, while the downward slope after Stalinbgrad and Kursk is less developed than the early Nazi regime and the run-up and beginning of the war.
But this works well and is worth reading. Given how thought provoking it was, a “4” is probably too low - perhaps a “4.5” would be better.
In evaluating a bio like this, I need to note that there is a high bar for biographies of Hitler. Much of the information that is available or likely to become available has already been used, most notably the opening up of Eastern European and Russian archives after 1989. Associated with German reunification, the Germans themselves have produced real accomplishments associated with their Nazi Documentation centers. Much of what there is to say appears to have been said already, in one form or another - and I don’t speak German but must rely on the testimonials of others for non-English accounts!
So what about Longerich’s book? The key to what Professor Longerich is arguing appears to be in how he relates individualist accounts of H’s life to more structural accounts, which focus on history, culture, laws, and institutions. On the one hand, H was a unique once in a millenium character. On the other, context is everything and H is better understood by knowing his situations and how he used them. Longerich tries to meld these two approaches to show how H used his own background and characteristics, in conjunction with high skill in understanding the logic of his situation, and built up his career and successes to change the world and throw it back into war and genocide. Luck and noise also helped things along.
This is a plausible organizing approach and rings true as a basis for explanation. The trouble is that it leads to a very long book, since the context needs explaining, along with how H interacted with that context, along with how one event linked with others ... And there are a lot of events to explain. The initial account of his life does not get a lot of attention, since the combination of person and situation that produced H had not gotten sufficiently intense to make a difference. (Conversely, towards the end of the story, H’s fate has largely been determined by his prior activities and prior events, which are playing out whether he wants them to or not.) As source materials, Professor Longerich appears to make good use of diaries by Goebbels and others and is a master and bringing in policy documents and plans as summing up the policy orientation of H at different times - orientations that changed across time and situations as well. For example? To start with, in looking at the initial establishment of the Nazi regime, Longerich does at good job at how the various aspects of the regime fit (or failed to fit) together, and whether conflict among overlapping centers of power was intentional or not. This aspect of regime chaos is frequently commented upon, but it is done well here. As the regime is more established, some really interesting analysis revolves around available budgetary figures - how the growth in some areas affected or limited growth in others (rearmament versus consumer goods, for example). The discussion of the agriculture sector was new to me and striking. This is not just a matter of budget trade offs but also of how different aspects of the strange Nazi ideology fit together or not. The sections on diplomacy leading to war are also well done but require attention. The tension between how the Third Reich performed and how it was organized and coordinated to produce and perform is a continuing one throughout the book. Once the war begins, the dynamics between H and his generals become an increasingly important part of the story.
An issue I had with the book is that Longerich has some involved arguments implied in his account but they tend to be broken out as needed for particular situations. Sometimes they are summed up at the end of a chapter. I would have liked for the broader argument to be presented so that it could be recalled as various moments during the detailed story of particular events.
For an example of this, what was the organizing principle and practice that made the Third Reich - a hugely complex undertaking - work as effectively as it did for over a decade? One part of this, of course, is H’s charismatic leadership and how it united various parties in Germany and held the regime together. But Longerich is clear early on that H’s Charismatic leadership was not sufficient and that likely a majority of Germans were not fervent Nazis. But the regime did not need total support, it had other means to organize and gain compliance. OK, so what else was involved? There was a complex dual structure of party and state. There was also the evolution of a system where some power was delegated to a small set of key individuals, such as Goring, Himmler, Speer, Goebbels, and Borman -who then fought for personal power and attention. Ok, but there were also local leaders to take care of daily problems. ...and there were also efforts at various times where some of these leaders worked together via formal or informal groups.
So what do we take from this? The Third Reich seems like a case of “charismatic leadership” right out of Max Weber, adjusted by Hannah Arendt for totalitarianism. But the regime worked in complex ways and while there was an appearance of chaos, there was considerable regularity as well. Professor Longerich knows this and it would have made an interesting section to bring together the analysis he provides in one section to discuss it.
The book is filled with running story lines about how to organize things, ranging from the evolution of Hololcaust and why it developed they way it did to issues of how to handle the propaganda and stage management issues when the largest cities in the realm are getting regularly flattened by allied bombing and there appears to be little that can be done about it. The year 1944 provided sufficient crises to merit almost continual reorganization in response to external shocks. Add to that discussions of technology and R&D, along with the stresses and strains of rearmament, and this could easily be a text (or at least a lot of cases) on wartime strategy and management.
There is a lot to keep track of but it reads very well and Longerich appears to have crafted a very effective bio, even when compared with the masterpieces of the literature. It is long, however, so be prepared for a bit of a slog from time to time. The early part of H’s life receives more limited attention, while the downward slope after Stalinbgrad and Kursk is less developed than the early Nazi regime and the run-up and beginning of the war.
But this works well and is worth reading. Given how thought provoking it was, a “4” is probably too low - perhaps a “4.5” would be better.
January 9, 2020
Hitler
Very good recount of the history of National Socialism, but lacking in details of Hitler’s personal day to day life outside his political and military life. Maybe that’s all there was to tell. Still wish there was more personal info.
Very good recount of the history of National Socialism, but lacking in details of Hitler’s personal day to day life outside his political and military life. Maybe that’s all there was to tell. Still wish there was more personal info.
April 25, 2016
"Er ist wieder da".
Hitler is back again. There is comedy movie streaming on Netflix, and his book "Mein Kampf" has been reissued in Germany. Now we have a new biography written by Peter Longerich, a professor at London University.
Hitler understood that he could gain a lot if he embraced anti-Semitism.
What we can learn from this biography is that the danger of tyranny is still alive. A single political figure is a factor that should not be underestimated. We need only to look at what is happening in the US with Donald Trump, and his crusade against muslims or mexicans.
Hitler is back again. There is comedy movie streaming on Netflix, and his book "Mein Kampf" has been reissued in Germany. Now we have a new biography written by Peter Longerich, a professor at London University.
Hitler understood that he could gain a lot if he embraced anti-Semitism.
What we can learn from this biography is that the danger of tyranny is still alive. A single political figure is a factor that should not be underestimated. We need only to look at what is happening in the US with Donald Trump, and his crusade against muslims or mexicans.
October 11, 2021
Very thorough and at times overwhelming. I wanted to understand the mental state of this man and what in his background produced such a monster
September 6, 2024
Longerich focuses his attention upon Hitler's control over the NSDAP, including serious consideration of his tactics pre-1933. Longerich makes the case that Hitler was far less effective governing than previously credited thanks to his inability to delegate any real authority to either his henchmen or the military. His tactic, established from almost the beginning, was to divide and conquer any potential threats to his authority by making his personal support contingent upon loyalty to the Fuhrer. The ley lines of power criss-crossed each other throughout the Third Reich as those beneath Hitler had responsibilities constantly blurred and overlapped and yet somehow the Nazis were able to keep on fighting until Hitler removed himself from the board.
Longerich never brings up the resurgence of fascism in our own day, but the reader will have no trouble drawing parallels to Trump. Even down to petty details: Hitler, like Trump, turned out to be congenitally lazy.
Highly recommend.
Longerich never brings up the resurgence of fascism in our own day, but the reader will have no trouble drawing parallels to Trump. Even down to petty details: Hitler, like Trump, turned out to be congenitally lazy.
Highly recommend.
May 24, 2022
This book is extremely detailed. You would see hundreds of references for each chapter (a meaningful effort). I have been reading for years to understand the motives of Hitler's war. This book fed me a bit of knowledge. The author, Peter Longerich explained into details of Hitler's personal life, until his political life in the first few chapters. However, rest of the chapters are on his political motives and war strategies.
Although the author initially introduced Hitler as a nobody, I cannot agree with it. How come somebody says someone is a nobody and write a book of above 1200 pages (not only this book but also some more)? At times, more details on NSDAP was boring for me. Overall, it is worth to read if you are interested in the history of WWII.
Although the author initially introduced Hitler as a nobody, I cannot agree with it. How come somebody says someone is a nobody and write a book of above 1200 pages (not only this book but also some more)? At times, more details on NSDAP was boring for me. Overall, it is worth to read if you are interested in the history of WWII.
January 9, 2020
An excellent academic biography. I've read several good biographies of Hitler, by Kershaw, Ullrich, and Bullock, but Longerich's stands out for me. His analysis of why Hitler did what he did (in terms of his use of power, such as making civil and military appointments, the strategies that he ordered his generals to follow against their advice, etc.) in order to promote his long term goals is first rate. And even more, his conclusion, that "Hitlers position of power was not primarily rooted in consent based on charisma" seems to me to be very well argued. Unfortunately however, this conclusion ever more strongly supports the similarities between Hitler and our current "Fuhrer."
October 19, 2021
Short take: this was a book with extraordinary potential that falls way short of what it could have been. As a fan of WWII history and biographies, I pushed through this book expecting it to hit its stride and become more. After an interesting introduction detailing Hitler's early years in Austria, it morphs into 900+ pages of bureaucracy details and personnel shuffling. By the end of the book, I don't feel I know anything more about the major characters than I did before.
January 17, 2022
Opera monumentale che parla dell'intera vita di Hitler, dalla sua anonima adolescenza, al suo attivismo politico dalla prima guerra mondiale, alla sua scalata al potere sino al 33 quando diventò cancelliere, all'imposizione di una dittatura sino allo svolgimento della seconda guerra mondiale.
Estremamente interessante.
Estremamente interessante.
September 26, 2020
Not much new here; same old stuff.
June 22, 2025
Challenging read; well written and researched.
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