Hermann Göring — Nousu ja tuho

Ballantine's Illustrated History of World War II / the Violent Century: War Leader #8

by Heinrich Fraenkel, Roger Manvell

Erinomaisista natsijohtajien elämäkerroistaan tunnetut historioitsijat Roger Manvell ja Heinrich Fraenkel kertovat kirjassaan Herman Göringin koko tarinan. Kattava elämäkertateos perustuu amerikkalaisiin ja saksalaisiin arkistolähteisiin sekä Göringin perheenjäsenten, hänen alaisinaan palvelleiden ja muiden hänet tunteneiden haastatteluihin.

Ensimmäisessä maailmansodassa ansioitunut taistelulentäjä Göring nousi nopeasti valta-asemaan Kolmannen valtakunnan poliittisella kartalla. Hänestä tuli Luftwaffen ylipäällikkö ja Hitlerin oikea käsi, yksi natsi-Saksan pelätyimmistä miehistä. Göringin aloitteesta perustettiin Gestapo ja laadittiin suunnitelmat juutalaiskysymyksen lopullisen ratkaisun läpiviemiseksi.

Göring kokosi itselleen suuren omaisuuden ja rohmusi mm. sotasaaliiksi saatuja taideaarteita omiin kokoelmiinsa. Hänet tultiin tuntemaan mukavuudenhaluisena nautiskelijana, joka eli ylellistä elämää, johon kuuluivat hyvä ruoka, kalliit viinit ja kauniit naiset. Lopulta Hitler sulki Göringin sisäpiirinsä ulkopuolelle, vaikka tästä oli aiemmin kaavailtu hänen seuraajaansa.

Nurenbergissa Göring tuomittiin kuolemaan rikoksista ihmiskuntaa vastaan. Ennen kuin hirttotuomio ehdittiin panna täytäntöön, Göring teki itsemurhan vankilaan salakuljetetulla syanidikapselilla.

Kirja avaa ainutlaatuisen näkymän häikäilemättömän natsijohtajan kunnianhimoon, brutaaliin toimintaan ja ylelliseen yksityiselämään. Samalla se on vahva kuvaus Kolmannen valtakunnan noususta ja tuhosta.

Roger Manvell ja Heinrich Fraenkel ovat tunnustettuja historioitsijoita, jotka ovat tehneet yhteistyötä usean Saksan kolmatta valtakuntaa käsittelevän tutkimusprojektin parissa. Parhaiten heidät tunnetaan yhdessä kirjoittamistaan natsijohtajien elämäkerroista. Heidän aiemmin suomennettuja teoksiaan ovat mm. Operaatio Valkyyria, Goebbels – Kolmannen valtakunnan propagandaministeri sekä Heinrich Himmler – SS:n ja Gestapon päällikkö.

Genres: Biography, History, Nonfiction, World War II, War, Holocaust, Nazi Party

504 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1964

Reviews

[Michael Flanagan · Rating 4 out of 5]

After all these years this book is still one of the best books on Goering. A look into the world of the Third Reich and one of it's most iconic figures Toga's and all.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hermann Goering was an enigmatic man. He adored both of his wives. His first wife Carin was the real love of his life and when she died, he built a magnificent mansion called Carinhall to honour her. His second wife, Emmy, gave him his only child, his daughter who was the apple of his eye. Yet his ruthless ambition and desire for riches made him second in command to one of the most ruthless men in History, Adolf Hitler. Goering was a was hero from WWI, and when Hitler came to power, he rose in the ranks of th Nazi party until he was the Reichfuehrer the highest in command and many believe, the instigator of Hitler's policies. His greed was monumental, and Carinhall was full of paintings, art and jewelry stolen and confiscated from wealthy Jews and Germans who did not support Hitler. When he was finally arrested, rather than have anyone have his beloved Carinhall, he loaded up all the valuables and paintings which were hidden, and then blew up and burned his mansion. He was tried for war crimes in the Nuremburg trials where he did everything to make people believe he was innocent and "Just followin orders." Rather than face his death by hanging, he managed to bribe a still unknown person who slipped him a poison pill which he took the night before the sentence was to be carried out. Fascinating read.

[Shane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Goering has subsequently become a figure of ridicule and scorn, and this book makes clear that would have horrified him if he'd known. It's almost possible to feel an element of pity for Goering. Almost. He was a proud, vain, egotistical character that craved money, prestige and influence. The fact that the Nazi party could give that to him was probably the main thing that attracted him to them. But he also really just wanted to live out a peaceful life, and wasn't quite the warmonger that Hitler would have expected from his party members.

I get the distinct feeling that he wasn't a true anti-Semite, rather he was willing to be one because that was what was expected of him from the party. He seemed utterly unable to stand up to Hitler in any meaningful way, preferring to simply tell Hitler whatever he knew he wanted to hear, regardless of whether what he was saying was impossible or not.

He could clearly be utterly ruthless and apparently unfeeling when needed, but he could also help Jews if he had a personal connection to them. He was more complex than I had thought going into this book; he was also more intelligent than I had given him credit for. This is an interesting book and one I would recommend to anyone interested in WW2.

[Christie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm fascinated with history. I bought this book out of curiosity. I never knew much of Goering. To learn why and how he fell into Hitler's regime was interesting.

This book does a great job in detailing how complex Goering was. A self centered man that was obsessed with the finer things in life. I learned how hatred and jealousy were a huge factor behind Hitler and his army.

For a history lover, I suggest this book. It was a slow read for me, but well worth it.

[C. G. Telcontar · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is very good for being such an early bio of HG. Looking around, there really aren't that many of him, which is very odd considering he's the NO.2 dude in the Reich and the stand in for Hitler at Nuremberg. They get at some small stuff, like his clandestine fly by night trip to Britain that didn't go over well and cover his art thievery well. If there's a huge swing and miss here, it's his command of the Luftwaffe and the vision/blueprint he stamped on its direction both in embryo and in full bloom during the war. His disputes with Adolf Galland are played up well but I found this to be a glaring hole in the presentation. There is some bogging down over the Anschluss of Austria and again with the Dahlerus escapades right before the invasion of Poland that could have been condensed.

The Nuremberg trial is very good even if there is one of my most dreaded moments in non fiction reading -- verbatim court transcripts. Somehow the authors pull it off here without making me grind my teeth.

His wife and daughter are just about non existent, the other big hole in the story here. The authors also have missed the Julius Streicher attempt to slander Goring by printing suspicions that he wasn't the father of Edda because of his wounding in the failed 1923 Putsch.

All in all a solid biography that ought to be a great springboard for a modern biographer to take up the challenge and expand our knowledge of old Hermann.

[Ryan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Solid and readable, but doesn't really say anything new.

[Elisabeth S. Gilliland · Rating 2 out of 5]

Try uselrss

This book is nigh end useless to any serious schoolers studying the Third Reich. It moves constantly back and forth throughout Goering's life with little or no application of time. Instead, the author goes after one thread and another through Goering's substantive live and then returns to another subject in an inchoate manner. Whilst giving you a good idea of formation of Goering's character, it has no real coherence.

[Donovan Rowlands · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank God!!!

I finally finished this book. Took me too long to finish it. Ok enough about my procrastination.

Here's my review.......

Goering was a true jackass.

Dumb as George W but way more Metro-sexual.

So there it is. Goering was the centuries first Metro-sexual. He was very dumb, ignorant and manipulative.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

Outstanding book. One of the best read this year. Detailed and a slow read but worth it. I now know more about Goering than I ever wanted to know.

[Diego Palomino · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great book on a very Interesting character. This is also my third bird book on the Nazis including a book n the Gestapo, Reinhard Heydrich and now I’m on to Heinrich Himmler. I have Ben. Fascinated about the history of WWII and its main characters. The book begins with a brief history of Goering’s childhood and culminates with his trial and suicide. For a man who was capable of great love, he was devoted to his two wives losing one to death and having a child with his second, it’s hard to comprehend how he was able to contribute to the killing of up to six million people. How he was able to compartmentalize these two personalities alone is worth the reading of this book as it does a good job of detailing his life. This book reads almost like a novel making the reader privy to conversations about historical events that shaped history. It gets into Goering’s mind and his thinking process and how deluded his mind was towards the end of his life. After all of the atrocities he was complicit to he died thinking himself a martyr for the fatherland. Well written and researched.

[Peter A. van Tilburg · Rating 3 out of 5]

Het boek gaf me goed inzicht in wie Göring geweest is. Van oorlogsheld als piloot in de 1e wereldoorlog stapte hij snel aan boord bij de nationaal socialistische beweging. Hoewel hij joviaal en moedig was, was hij ook gewetenloos en opdrachtgever van de genocide van de Joden (de Endlösung). Hij roofde kunst, rijkdom en bezit en was in zekere zin een bijzondere nazi. Voor de oorlog was hij een gematigd aanspreekpunt voor de geallieerden maar hij ging volledig mee in de nazi plannen.
Het verslag van het verhoor in het Neurenburg proces vond ik zeer verhelderend. Göring rechrvaardigde zijn daden daar en was overtuigd van zijn goede handelen dat is begrijpelijk anders kun je niet met jezelf leven.

[Clem · Rating 5 out of 5]

Before reading this book, I didn’t really know that much about Herman Goering other than he was basically Adolph Hitler’s right-hand stooge. For the most part, he seemed to not really have any sort of function other than to, possibly, represent what Hitler felt was the ideal pure Aryan specimen – tall, blonde-haired, blue-eyed, and a decent combat record in war. In other words, everything that Adolph Hitler was not. Latter images of the man seemed to show his body suffering a bit from the excesses of ill-gotten fortune and fame. My impression of him was basically similar to a grown-up Augustus Gloop from the Willy Wonka movie.

So it was quite fascinating to actually learn a bit about the man. After reading this biography, though, I didn’t really come away with the idea that Goering was particularly bright nor very insightful. He seemed to be smart enough to ensure he was always in the right place and at the right time; always careful not to upstage his twisted Bavarian failed water colorist of a boss. He seemed to portray more image than relevance, but that was probably Hitler’s plan anyway. It wouldn’t do anyone in Nazi Germany any good to try to upstage or be smarter than THIS particular tyrant.

Goering’s early life is told rather sparsely in this book, but we do feel we have a solid understanding of many of his traits. Even his escapades as a pilot in the first World War don’t get too much space here, but he does come away as being a capable pilot, a zealous soldier, and a fearless man. At the conclusion of the war, Germany finds themselves destitute losers of war that really can’t be attributed as “their fault”. So when tensions arise in the depressed 1920s, it’s not surprising to see the Nazi movement gain strength as they promise their nation a return to greatness.

It’s during one of the early attempted putsches by Hitler and his cronies that leaves Goering with a bullet in the leg. After Hitler ends up in jail (where he would write Mein Kampf), Goering becomes a fugitive and has to flee with a stolen passport. Because of this, his wound doesn’t heal properly and he ends up with a lifelong addiction to morphine along with other pharmaceutical cocktails. It’s these drugs that alter his appearance and personality for the worse. During the remainder of his life, his drug addiction causes him the occasional violent outburst resulting in insults being screamed and objects being thrown.

Strangely, though, Goering doesn’t come across as quite the lunatic one might expect. He seems incredibly loving and devoted to his wife whom he adores. When she dies in the 1930s, Goering eventually remarries and is just as loving and devoted to his second wife. Still, though, the authors are very clear that whereas his bloodlust may not have been as strong as the other leaders of this insane party, the man is ultimately still an evil menace who truly deserves what fate eventually has in store for him.

This book does a very good job of balancing the man’s story and the story of the rise and fall of Nazi Germany. There were times when I forgot I was reading about Goering since the authors spend much of this bio talking about the abysmal Third Reich. This really is necessary though, as you can’t really tell the story of Goering without going into detail of this maniacal dictatorship. We do read a lot of side material about Goering’s obsession with the “finer things” such as his ubiquitous expensive jewelry, his massive art collection, and his massive residence that he dubs “Carinhall” (named after his first wife). It’s not surprising that he gains possession of this multitude of riches by rather unscrupulous means; including theft from the Jewish population that are condemned to suffer and die at the hands of the Reich.

The years leading up to World War II and the years of the war itself are covered quite well. The detail during these years isn’t gone into too deeply, which is a good thing. There are plenty of other volumes if one wants to learn such things. Again, the authors ensure they focus on their subject matter and his actions during these times rather than an exhaustive history of the Reich.

Probably the biggest treat for me was the last chapter of the book that deals with the Nuremberg trials. Unlike Hitler, Goering was captured alive, and we get a good look as his warped personality after Germany eventually is bombed into submission and surrender papers are signed. We see, as the entire world did, how twisted this man actually was. He actually believed that even though his nation lost the war, that he would be revered by future generations and that there would be statues of himself throughout Germany. Well, as twisted as his psyche was, we learn he’s quite smart during his trial. On the witness stand, he frustrates his adversaries with his testimony of the events during the reign of the Nazis. He seems to have a legitimate answer to every travesty -in his mind anyway. He knows he’ll be sentenced to death, but he’s not going to go quietly.

Although I thought this was the most fascinating part of the book, I confess it did wear be down a bit. Rather than summarize selected events of the Nuremberg trial, the authors actually include the verbatim recorded testimony of Goering along with the questions and comments from the defense and prosecution. It’s a bit tedious, but we DO really see that Goering really was quite smart and not just a token symbolic leader.

There are many other detailed books about the Third Reich if you’re interested in learning more, or if you want more detail. But this book served as an excellent compendium of learning about one of the key figures, his personality and his role during the most infamous part of the 20th century history.

[Herald Birchfield · Rating 5 out of 5]

A truly great biography about one of the key Nazi leaders. His vanity and ego were on full display throughout this book. I was disgusted by his lavish lifestyle, level of corruption associated with stealing art and other precious artifacts, and his complete disregard for the impact of Nazi policies on millions of people. In the history of humanity, there is something so sinister in Goering it is difficult to comprehend. Hitler described him as "cold" and that was beyond evident. Well worth the effort to read.

[Brian Carland · Rating 4 out of 5]

Exhaustive detail makes it tiresome for casual readers. Manvell does justice to a man whose sociopathy, along with Hitler's, was ignored by many Germans. This story should serve as a warning to those who would mindlessly follow a political leader.

[Brian Donald William Norman · Rating 5 out of 5]

A detailed and revealing look at Goering and his life. From morphine street addict to second in succession to Hitler himself and back again to morphine addict at the Nuremburg trials. Te book covers his crawl to power, his innate arrogance and narcissism, his effects on Nazi policies (and he was very effective until near the end) and his loving remembrance of his first wife. I highly recommend this book. Dense, but superb!

[Pekka Mukkala · Rating 4 out of 5]

Herman Göringin elämänkerta on mielenkiintoinen kuvaus miehestä, joka oli Hitlerin kakkosmies. Kolmannen valtakunnan historiaa tuntevalle kirja tuo jonkin verran uutta valaistusta ja jos tätä historiaa ei tunne lainkaan, kirja on oivallinen kuvaus natsismista Göringin kautta. Hyvät elämäkerrat kohoavat myös koko aikakautensa kuvauksiksi, mutta valitettavasti tämä teos ei yllä aivan sille tasolle. Kappaleet olisivat ainakin alkupuolella vaatineet sopivampaa alajaottelua, koska monia isoja asioita käsiteltiin samassa luvussa. Alun jälkeen teos nousee kuitenkin siiville ja 1930-luvulta lähtien Göringin osuus natsiSaksan historiassa tulee kohtuullisesti esiin. Teoksen ansioihin voi lukea Nurnbergin oikeudenkäynnin kuvaus Göringin osalta. Pienistä puutteista huolimatta suositeltava teos aiheesta kiinnostuneille. Pisteet 8/10.

[William Ramsay · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a re-issue of a book first published in the sixties. It's a very good account of both the Nazis and the character of this strange man. Unlike most of the thugs of the Third Reich, Goring was polished and intelligent. And he was a true war hero in the first war. The book describes how he fell into the clutches of Adolf and how he ended up one of the most vile criminals of all time. Good book for those, like me, who find this period so strange it's intriguing.

[Joe Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very good introductory level biography of Hermann Goering; it was first published in 1962 and utilizes many primary sources. While it remains a valuable character study of Goering as a person and a leader, some of the descriptions of historical events have been overtaken by more recent research.

[Frances · Rating 2 out of 5]

A very unappealing man driven by greed and power to instigate and then ignore the horrors he unleashed. Unfortunately, the writing described a one dimensional man and therefore resulted in a ponderous and overall boring read.

[Bobby Daugherty · Rating 1 out of 5]

Another biased and slanderous account of an opponent of communism. There is little to learn from this other than the rumors and speculation put forth by the author. David Irving's book is far superior.

[Erik Graff · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a pretty good introductory biography of Hermann Goering based, in part, on original interviews.

[Andrew Scholes · Rating 2 out of 5]

The content was good. The writing was poor.

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an odd one: the level of detail and endless footnotes have it masquerade as a scholarly work. It isn’t. It’s more like a really long Wikipedia entry.

[Stefanie Robinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hermann Goering was born in Bavaria in 1893. (I found it of particular interest that his godfather was a Jewish physician/businessman, giving the family a small house and a castle. His mother also had an affair with this man, Hermann Epstein, that carried on for fifteen years.) Goering was very interested in the military, and that was his greatest ambition in life for a long time. He wound up serving during World War I, first in the infantry and then with aircraft. He joined the Nazi Party in 1922 after hearing Hitler speak. During the Beer Hall Putsch, he was shot in the groin area, which was the start of his morphine addiction that caused him trouble later on. He obtained several ranks throughout his service to the Nazi Party, and certainly did his best to always be in good with Hitler. He was known for his expanding waist, and penchant for bespoke uniforms that didn't match anything else. He was also fairly flamboyant, wearing blush on his cheeks, silk robes, and painting his nails. He did a lot regarding the air support during the war, which is shocking since he spent so much time looting museums and everything else to fill his house with. He was incarcerated by Allied forces at the end of the war, convicted at trial for war crimes, and then committed suicide by a smuggled cyanide pill to avoid being hung. He died in 1946 at age 53.

He was the second highest ranking Nazi official to be tried in court for war crimes. He was charged with conspiracy, waging a war of aggression, crimes against humanity (for the disappearance of political opponents, the mistreatment of prisoners of war, and murder of civilians), and war crimes (stealing artworks and personal property). His behaviour at trial was reprehensible, but what could anyone really expect. He amassed a large collection of antiques and art, and a great deal of personal wealth from stolen goods and monies. There was strong evidence that he knew about the torture and murder of prisoners of war, as well as the actions in the Holocaust. He did nothing to prevent any of this, and happily facilitated it. He expressed his loyalty to Hitler several times during his testimony. I liked that the bodies were cremated and scattered in the river so that there isn't a specific grave for the current generation of racists to use as a shrine.

This book was very detailed and contained a lot of information about the life and times of Hermann Goering. I had read plenty about him before this, but still managed to learn a few new facts. I think this is probably one of the better books written about this subject that I have come across, which is why I happily gave it four stars. Check this book out if you are interested in the notorious players in the Nazi Party.

[Jonas Salonen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed knowing more about Göring. Today still it is very interesting to know how the nazi leaders got into position to role a great part of the world.

I have never read much about Göring so most of the stuff in this book was new to me and I can't really comment on what new this book has to offer for Göring veterans.

Anyway, the writing is clear and informative while being nice to read which is always a plus for historical books. But what I did not like about in the book was the attitude the authors took considering the nazis and Göring in particular. It is clearly a book written by "the winners of the War" and people who have hindsight on the matter they are writing on.

In many places I rolled my eyes at the wording as it ridicules Göring and the other nazi leaders. I get it that they were very much people doing bad things but writing about them nowadays we should strive to at least some kind of neutrality. Their deeds speak for themselves without the authors belittling them.

Still I'm happy I read the book as I now know much more about Göring.

[Chet Slonina · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great read about Hermann Goering who only really cared for, besides himself to a fault, was Carin Axelina Hulda Goering, his Swedish first wife. An egomaniac, self centered Aryan , double-talker, scoundrel, art aficionado, military leader, World War I pilot and man of MANY titles, Goering reads like his path from beginning to end was filled with stage theatrics, political and military excuses of innocence and the actual truth of a ruthless man who lived a life of luxury, criminal behavior and brazen acts against humanity. Well written and thought provoking, this book will raise the hair on your arms!!

[Grant · Rating 5 out of 5]

Goering's drug addiction and health issues made him seem buffoonish, but Manvell and Fraenkel provide a solid biography of the solider and politician who, before his downfall, was second in influence and power in the Nazi Party only to Hitler himself. The authors delve into Goering's thinking and motivation for becoming a Nazi, his politicking and maneuvering within Hitler's entourage, and his decline into seeming irrelevance. After being forcibly detoxed by Allied physicians, Goering reemerged as the most powerful defender of Hitler and Nazism at the Nuremberg trials.

[Avis Gill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Found this book very interesting and insightful into the life of Herman Goering. He was shrewd and intelligent, capable of grasping and controlling of wide range affairs when he cared to take the trouble to do so. Goering, also, had a weakness of character and lack of moral courage. In later years, he was often stupidly greedy for power, vain to the point of megalomania. He managed to collect vast works of art which he amassed with the shrewdness, ruthless and calculating vision that had characterized his initial service to Hitler.
Goering’s life and his career as a leader in the Nazi Party and later was Hitler’s deputy in the Third Reich.
Follow this story of Goering’s birth to rise to power and became disillusioned, withdrawing from the political scene, enjoying the pleasures of life as a wealthy man to suicidal death as one of history’s most feared and loathed figures.
Recommend this book highly to anyone who is interested in history and WWWII events.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't know, Georing I think was made to pay because he was the only one caught. The real criminals got away, Hitler, Himmler, and Mengele. All Goering cared about was to advance himself in terms of titles and wealth. He may have been vain and loved the good life but he wasn't a psychopath like the other three.

[Laurie L · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not bad An easy book when supplemented with the odd Wikipedia search. Was surprised how ineffectual Goering was later in the war. Goering was by all accounts ruthless, vain, charming and very bright. Ine of The architect of Blitzkreig which was so successful initially but he failed to adapt as the war progressed. Worthwhile read.