What do you think?
Rate this book
The Third Reich in History and Memory
In the seventy years since the demise of the Third Reich, there has been a significant transformation in the ways in which the modern world understands Nazism. In this brilliant and eye-opening collection, Richard J. Evans, the acclaimed author of the Third Reich trilogy, offers a critical commentary on that transformation, exploring how major changes in perspective have informed research and writing on the Third Reich in recent years.
Drawing on his most notable writings from the last two decades, Evans reveals the shifting perspectives on Nazism's rise to political power, its economic intricacies, and its subterranean extension into postwar Germany. Evans considers how the Third Reich is increasingly viewed in a broader international context, as part of the age of imperialism; discusses the growing emphasis on the larger economic and cultural circumstances of the era; and emphasizes the development of research into Nazi society, particularly in the understanding of Nazi Germany as a political system based on popular approval and consent. Exploring the complex relationship between memory and history, Evans also points out the places where the growing need to confront the misdeeds of Nazism and expose the complicity of those who participated has led to crude and sweeping condemnation, when instead historians should be making careful distinctions.
Written with Evans' sharp-eyed insight and characteristically compelling style, these essays offer a summation of the collective cultural memory of Nazism in the present, and suggest the degree to which memory must be subjected to the close scrutiny of history.
Drawing on his most notable writings from the last two decades, Evans reveals the shifting perspectives on Nazism's rise to political power, its economic intricacies, and its subterranean extension into postwar Germany. Evans considers how the Third Reich is increasingly viewed in a broader international context, as part of the age of imperialism; discusses the growing emphasis on the larger economic and cultural circumstances of the era; and emphasizes the development of research into Nazi society, particularly in the understanding of Nazi Germany as a political system based on popular approval and consent. Exploring the complex relationship between memory and history, Evans also points out the places where the growing need to confront the misdeeds of Nazism and expose the complicity of those who participated has led to crude and sweeping condemnation, when instead historians should be making careful distinctions.
Written with Evans' sharp-eyed insight and characteristically compelling style, these essays offer a summation of the collective cultural memory of Nazism in the present, and suggest the degree to which memory must be subjected to the close scrutiny of history.
Audible Audio
First published February 5, 2015
85 people are currently reading
1507 people want to read
About the author
Richard J. Evans
74 books868 followersRichard J. Evans is one of the world's leading historians of modern Germany. He was born in London in 1947. From 2008 to 2014 he was Regius Professor of History at Cambridge University, and from 2020 to 2017 President of Wolfson College, Cambridge. He served as Provost of Gresham College in the City of London from 2014 to 2020. In 1994 he was awarded the Hamburg Medal for Art and Science for cultural services to the city, and in 2015 received the British Academy Leverhulme Medal, awarded every three years for a significant contribution to the Humanities or Social Sciences. In 2000 he was the principal expert witness in the David Irving Holocaust Denial libel trial at the High Court in London, subsequently the subject of the film Denial. His books include Death in Hamburg (winner of the Wolfson History Prize), In Defence of History, The Coming of the Third Reich, The Third Reich in Power, and The Third Reich at War. His book The Pursuit of Power: Europe 1815-1914, volume 7 of the Penguin History of Europe, was published in 2016. His most recent books are Eric Hobsbawm: A Life in History (2019) and The Hitler Conspiracies: The Third Reich and the Paranoid Imagination (2020). In 2012 he was knighted for services to scholarship.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 53 reviews
May 9, 2023
The Fluid History of the Third Reich
As a lifelong journalist, I am humbled each day by this vocation that sometimes is called “the first draft of history” or “history without benefit of reflection.” As journalists, we often pass along errors in the public record because we simply do not yet know all the facts. This daily challenge lies at the core of good journalistic training, at least in any of the many J-schools with which I’ve had a connection. This certainly is proven time and again in the Library of America 2-volume set “Reporting World War II” and the 2-volume set “Reporting Vietnam,” both of which I’ve recently completed. I continue to recommend both 2-volume sets to other readers.
The same challenge is faced by historians, even though the timescale is vastly expanded. Some of the first histories written of World War II still are compelling and, especially the early personal memoirs remain essential milestones in the historical record. However, even the great Elie Wiesel declined to write a book about the Holocaust until 10 years after he was freed. “Night” did not appear in French until 1955. And the classic Pacific memoir, Eugene Sledge’s “With the Old Breed,” which became part of the HBO-TV series “The Pacific,” was not published until 1981. I remember reading William Shirer’s epic “The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich” in the 1960s, because so many of my own family members served in World War II. That book helped to spur my own interest in history and my transition to journalism in college. Yet, today, historians widely criticize the many flaws and even outright “myths” perpetuated in Shirer’s sweeping saga.
That’s why it is so important that the leading World War II historians today, including Cambridge historian Sir Richard John Evans, expect to keep writing new books to correct and further refine the emerging narrative. I’ve read Evans’ landmark three-volume history of the Third Reich, which he published from 2003 to 2008. And now I’ve read this 2015 update volume. And, as a note to other World War II readers among Goodreads friends: Evans’ even more recent 2020 Oxford Press “The Hitler Conspiracies” currently (as I post this review) is listed on Amazon at a huge discount. I’ve already got my copy of that book and can recommend it as well, especially at the current price.
So what’s in this collection of Evans’ updates?
The long introduction, above, is essential to an appreciation of a book like this. Don’t read this book if you are expecting a single narrative arc like most histories you might choose to read. In this volume, Evans is not starting with a unified plan of telling one strand of the World War II story, expanding that story through various chapters and then drawing a single conclusion. This volume amounts to a scrapbook of Evans’ ongoing writing as he addresses other historians’ work around the world roughly since the late 1990s. As he explains in the introduction, many of the “chapters” in this book are essays or book reviews he wrote for other publications about developments in World War II scholarship, then edited for this book-length collection.
If you’re as immersed in this era as I am, after a lifetime of reading and family connections with that war, then this is exciting reading! It’s 5 stars for me.
Among the fascinating subjects Evans explores in this book:
Hitler was not a drug-demented zombie. Much has been written and claimed in documentaries, particular on TV, about the use and misuse of drugs in the Third Reich. Evans sorts out Hitler’s obsession with his health, his daily diet and his various supplements and concludes: While there is no question that Hitler was evil on a global scale, he was not a drug-addled zombie by the final year of the war.
Hitler did not participate in bizarre satanic and sexual practices. Again, there have been some claims in books and TV series that Hitler’s inner circle spun so far out of control that he was caught up in esoteric rituals and fringe sexual experiences. No, Evans writes once again: The record is clear that Hitler was evil on a global scale. As I mentioned in the paragraph above, Evans doesn’t want anyone to let Hither off the hook for his ultimate evils. He was evil. Period. Evans does not want us to forget that. However, Hitler did not have a shadowy personal life of secret rites, either magical or sexual. While Hitler often fantasized about the spiritual tap roots of power in what he imagined German culture to be, Evans writes, he wasn’t involved in secret cabals of esoteric arts.
Another chapter that I appreciated outlines the list of flaws Evans sees in “The Arms of Krupp,” that door-stopper of a history by William Manchester from 1968, which I read in the early 1970s. Evans’ 15-page chapter on Krupp is a fascinating corrective for those of us who still have vivid memories of Manchester’s book.
One of the most fascinating chapters in the book is about the Volkswagen, the so-called People’s Car. I learned a lot in this chapter about the origins of the Beetle and I also took Evans’ recommendation in that chapter to read Bernhard Rieger’s 2013 history, “The People’s Car.” I plan to do so.
Evans also dismisses in several chapters a wave of dubious histories published in the late 1990s and early 2000s that cast all Germans as inherently rabid conspirators with Hitler. In particular, he dismisses the work of Daniel Goldhagen as not properly based in historical evidence. The German people most definitely were guilty of the evils of the Third Reich, Evans argues, but that guilt was not the same as casting their entire national culture as tainted from its historical origins with a generational evil. In many ways, Evans’ argument is a more powerful indictment of what happened during the Third Reich. That is, people actually chose to participate in that evil for a long list of reasons, many of which Evans lists in this book.
The need to keep writing and reading about history
Overall, Evans argues: History is complex and certainly the rise and fall of the Third Reich remains a prime example of that complexity. Then, the global scope of World War II poses such a vast challenge to historians that the world needs an entire community of historians of many backgrounds to plumb its depths.
Evans argues: The first thing to learn about World War II history is that the record continues to be written as more and more archives are unearthed and explored by historians with a wide range of cultural and linguistic and professional backgrounds.
Right now, Evans is 75 and it’s clear that he wants to continue writing for the rest of his life—and to encourage that other equally discerning historians will continue to correct the record in the years ahead. I certainly welcome that.
As a lifelong journalist, I am humbled each day by this vocation that sometimes is called “the first draft of history” or “history without benefit of reflection.” As journalists, we often pass along errors in the public record because we simply do not yet know all the facts. This daily challenge lies at the core of good journalistic training, at least in any of the many J-schools with which I’ve had a connection. This certainly is proven time and again in the Library of America 2-volume set “Reporting World War II” and the 2-volume set “Reporting Vietnam,” both of which I’ve recently completed. I continue to recommend both 2-volume sets to other readers.
The same challenge is faced by historians, even though the timescale is vastly expanded. Some of the first histories written of World War II still are compelling and, especially the early personal memoirs remain essential milestones in the historical record. However, even the great Elie Wiesel declined to write a book about the Holocaust until 10 years after he was freed. “Night” did not appear in French until 1955. And the classic Pacific memoir, Eugene Sledge’s “With the Old Breed,” which became part of the HBO-TV series “The Pacific,” was not published until 1981. I remember reading William Shirer’s epic “The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich” in the 1960s, because so many of my own family members served in World War II. That book helped to spur my own interest in history and my transition to journalism in college. Yet, today, historians widely criticize the many flaws and even outright “myths” perpetuated in Shirer’s sweeping saga.
That’s why it is so important that the leading World War II historians today, including Cambridge historian Sir Richard John Evans, expect to keep writing new books to correct and further refine the emerging narrative. I’ve read Evans’ landmark three-volume history of the Third Reich, which he published from 2003 to 2008. And now I’ve read this 2015 update volume. And, as a note to other World War II readers among Goodreads friends: Evans’ even more recent 2020 Oxford Press “The Hitler Conspiracies” currently (as I post this review) is listed on Amazon at a huge discount. I’ve already got my copy of that book and can recommend it as well, especially at the current price.
So what’s in this collection of Evans’ updates?
The long introduction, above, is essential to an appreciation of a book like this. Don’t read this book if you are expecting a single narrative arc like most histories you might choose to read. In this volume, Evans is not starting with a unified plan of telling one strand of the World War II story, expanding that story through various chapters and then drawing a single conclusion. This volume amounts to a scrapbook of Evans’ ongoing writing as he addresses other historians’ work around the world roughly since the late 1990s. As he explains in the introduction, many of the “chapters” in this book are essays or book reviews he wrote for other publications about developments in World War II scholarship, then edited for this book-length collection.
If you’re as immersed in this era as I am, after a lifetime of reading and family connections with that war, then this is exciting reading! It’s 5 stars for me.
Among the fascinating subjects Evans explores in this book:
Hitler was not a drug-demented zombie. Much has been written and claimed in documentaries, particular on TV, about the use and misuse of drugs in the Third Reich. Evans sorts out Hitler’s obsession with his health, his daily diet and his various supplements and concludes: While there is no question that Hitler was evil on a global scale, he was not a drug-addled zombie by the final year of the war.
Hitler did not participate in bizarre satanic and sexual practices. Again, there have been some claims in books and TV series that Hitler’s inner circle spun so far out of control that he was caught up in esoteric rituals and fringe sexual experiences. No, Evans writes once again: The record is clear that Hitler was evil on a global scale. As I mentioned in the paragraph above, Evans doesn’t want anyone to let Hither off the hook for his ultimate evils. He was evil. Period. Evans does not want us to forget that. However, Hitler did not have a shadowy personal life of secret rites, either magical or sexual. While Hitler often fantasized about the spiritual tap roots of power in what he imagined German culture to be, Evans writes, he wasn’t involved in secret cabals of esoteric arts.
Another chapter that I appreciated outlines the list of flaws Evans sees in “The Arms of Krupp,” that door-stopper of a history by William Manchester from 1968, which I read in the early 1970s. Evans’ 15-page chapter on Krupp is a fascinating corrective for those of us who still have vivid memories of Manchester’s book.
One of the most fascinating chapters in the book is about the Volkswagen, the so-called People’s Car. I learned a lot in this chapter about the origins of the Beetle and I also took Evans’ recommendation in that chapter to read Bernhard Rieger’s 2013 history, “The People’s Car.” I plan to do so.
Evans also dismisses in several chapters a wave of dubious histories published in the late 1990s and early 2000s that cast all Germans as inherently rabid conspirators with Hitler. In particular, he dismisses the work of Daniel Goldhagen as not properly based in historical evidence. The German people most definitely were guilty of the evils of the Third Reich, Evans argues, but that guilt was not the same as casting their entire national culture as tainted from its historical origins with a generational evil. In many ways, Evans’ argument is a more powerful indictment of what happened during the Third Reich. That is, people actually chose to participate in that evil for a long list of reasons, many of which Evans lists in this book.
The need to keep writing and reading about history
Overall, Evans argues: History is complex and certainly the rise and fall of the Third Reich remains a prime example of that complexity. Then, the global scope of World War II poses such a vast challenge to historians that the world needs an entire community of historians of many backgrounds to plumb its depths.
Evans argues: The first thing to learn about World War II history is that the record continues to be written as more and more archives are unearthed and explored by historians with a wide range of cultural and linguistic and professional backgrounds.
Right now, Evans is 75 and it’s clear that he wants to continue writing for the rest of his life—and to encourage that other equally discerning historians will continue to correct the record in the years ahead. I certainly welcome that.
October 19, 2023
This scholarly book is composed of essays written by the author in the last fifteen years which address how the perception of Nazi Germany has changed. It is not an apologist change but a more in-depth examination of how the Nazis came to power and what effect their policies and actions had on the Germans and the world.
There are eighteen chapters which cover such subjects as the Nazi economy, foreign policy, genocide, and defeat out of victory. Some of the interesting questions that arise are well presented........should Krupp, the largest arms maker in Germany, be considered war criminals..........was genocide unique to the Nazis........was Hitler insane.
Other chapters were rather a slog (at least for me) but still informative. This is a very slow read and often rather controversial but as a whole, it is well worth reading. Recommended.
There are eighteen chapters which cover such subjects as the Nazi economy, foreign policy, genocide, and defeat out of victory. Some of the interesting questions that arise are well presented........should Krupp, the largest arms maker in Germany, be considered war criminals..........was genocide unique to the Nazis........was Hitler insane.
Other chapters were rather a slog (at least for me) but still informative. This is a very slow read and often rather controversial but as a whole, it is well worth reading. Recommended.
February 12, 2015
A multi-facetted book offering some very critical perspectives on contemporary views and interpretations of Third Reich history. It covers many areas not normally seen in the more populist publications, and is recommended reading for serious Third Reich scholars.
Sir Richard Evans is President of Wolfson College, Cambridge, and Regius Professor Emeritus of History at the University of Cambridge. His many books include The Coming of the Third Reich, The Third Reich in Power and The Third Reich at War.
This collection of essays is essentially his critical reviews of published Third Reich studies from the past two decades. He doesn’t pull any punches where he feels interpretations are wrong or exaggerations have crept in. You’d have to be on very sure ground if you were a student submitting a treatise to him at university!
The book is split into 7 sections, Republic and Reich, Inside Nazi Germany, the Nazi Economy, Foreign Policy, Victory and Defeat, The Politics of Genocide and Aftermath. Each section contains between three and six essays.
Some of the essays are more interesting than others, but that may be just down to my personal areas of interest.
I found particularly interesting his views on how Nazi policies in Europe formed around Hitler's image of Manifest Destiny and the American colonisation of the Great Plains. Hitler was apparently a big fan of the novels of Karl May, a famous German writer of novels set in the old American West, even though May had never set foot there.
There’s also a fascinating essay on how Italy was never de-fascistfied (nearest I could get to de-nazified).There are some in Italy who still deify Mussolini and his mausoleum gets an estimated 80,000 visitors a year with shops in the town doing do brisk business in Fascist memorabilia. You can’t imagine that in Braunau or Berlin…
Evans’ is particularly scathing in his criticism of widely acclaimed Timothy Synder’s Bloodlands, despite the book being awarded numerous prizes, including the 2013 Hannah Arendt Prize for Political Thought.
Overall this is a multi-facetted book offering critical perspectives on contemporary views and interpretations of Third Reich history. It covers many areas not normally seen in the more populist publications, and is recommended reading for serious Third Reich scholars.
Sir Richard Evans is President of Wolfson College, Cambridge, and Regius Professor Emeritus of History at the University of Cambridge. His many books include The Coming of the Third Reich, The Third Reich in Power and The Third Reich at War.
This collection of essays is essentially his critical reviews of published Third Reich studies from the past two decades. He doesn’t pull any punches where he feels interpretations are wrong or exaggerations have crept in. You’d have to be on very sure ground if you were a student submitting a treatise to him at university!
The book is split into 7 sections, Republic and Reich, Inside Nazi Germany, the Nazi Economy, Foreign Policy, Victory and Defeat, The Politics of Genocide and Aftermath. Each section contains between three and six essays.
Some of the essays are more interesting than others, but that may be just down to my personal areas of interest.
I found particularly interesting his views on how Nazi policies in Europe formed around Hitler's image of Manifest Destiny and the American colonisation of the Great Plains. Hitler was apparently a big fan of the novels of Karl May, a famous German writer of novels set in the old American West, even though May had never set foot there.
There’s also a fascinating essay on how Italy was never de-fascistfied (nearest I could get to de-nazified).There are some in Italy who still deify Mussolini and his mausoleum gets an estimated 80,000 visitors a year with shops in the town doing do brisk business in Fascist memorabilia. You can’t imagine that in Braunau or Berlin…
Evans’ is particularly scathing in his criticism of widely acclaimed Timothy Synder’s Bloodlands, despite the book being awarded numerous prizes, including the 2013 Hannah Arendt Prize for Political Thought.
Overall this is a multi-facetted book offering critical perspectives on contemporary views and interpretations of Third Reich history. It covers many areas not normally seen in the more populist publications, and is recommended reading for serious Third Reich scholars.
December 30, 2024
Another excellent read by Evans. Exploring and reviewing various books, Evans collects a variety of his essays into a single book. Overrall, he continues his success of fantastic literature about Nazi Germany, analyzing books ranging on topics from the Volkswagen Beetle, German reconstruction, and many other interesting and highly relevant topics to any study of Nazi Germany, and Europe in the 20th century broadly.
Thanks to this book, I have found many more ones I am excited to read. As with any book by Evans, I would highly recommend it.
Thanks to this book, I have found many more ones I am excited to read. As with any book by Evans, I would highly recommend it.
March 8, 2015
Disclaimer: I read a digital version via a Netgalley ARC, but I pre-ordered a copy around last Christmas when OUP was having a huge sale. It arrived yesterday.
This book is a collection of various essays written by Richard J. Evans, focusing on what the title suggests. The subject matter is loosely divided into various time periods, and Evans covers a great deal of topics. The essays are engrossing, and enlightening. When the essay generated discussion or response, Evans includes a link or details on how to find the whole discussion.
Of particular interest are the essays about Hitler’s personal life as well as essays detailing links between colonialism and Nazism. In fact, the last is particularly interesting not only because of the possible connections, but also because of how certain things and institutions continue, even if the meaning of the name is lost. It made me wonder about Europe and the question of immigration.
This book is a collection of various essays written by Richard J. Evans, focusing on what the title suggests. The subject matter is loosely divided into various time periods, and Evans covers a great deal of topics. The essays are engrossing, and enlightening. When the essay generated discussion or response, Evans includes a link or details on how to find the whole discussion.
Of particular interest are the essays about Hitler’s personal life as well as essays detailing links between colonialism and Nazism. In fact, the last is particularly interesting not only because of the possible connections, but also because of how certain things and institutions continue, even if the meaning of the name is lost. It made me wonder about Europe and the question of immigration.
January 21, 2025
This book is collection of essays and a literature review. It’s a good read if you already know the basic story about Nazi Germany.
May 9, 2024
Evans chooses some really interesting topics to engage with here, from Eva Braun to the history of looting during war, but naturally the essay form doesn't allow much space for detail, especially after reading parts of his trilogy. Good reading but not essential
October 23, 2015
This appears to be a series of book reviews and articles that Evans contributed on the basis of voluminous research for his excellent trilogy on the Third Reich. He starts the big tour in Germany’s 19th-Century colonies, where Social Darwinism was already percolating under “a genocidal mentality that responded to unrest and uprisings with a policy of total annihilation, by methods that included deliberate starvation through the destruction of crops and villages” and “an apartheid regime with laws and regulations forbidding racial mixing and reducing the Africans to the status of poorly paid laborers.” Evans moves on to other seemingly but very interesting details of Nazi history. Hitler, for example, had to put his capital city somewhere, and his first choice was not “the Berlin of Frederick the great [that] has been turned into a pigsty by the Jews (his words; I think Berlin is one of the great cities of the world and I like to think Evans would agree with me),” but “Munich… pure, ‘German’, a city from which such unhealthy influences had been thoroughly expunged.” Here we see another facet of Nazi perspective, though, one which Evans explores in detail: while Slavs were viewed almost as beasts of burden to be worked to death, the Jews were described as parasites and a deadly enemy of the German race. It is not a long journey from this sort of dehumanization—comparing a group of people to diseases, vermin, or weeds—to euthanizing the handicapped and establishing assembly lines of death in places like Auschwitz and Babi Yar. Evans argues that Hitler may have modeled his Lebensraum ideal on U.S. history; he saw “Westward Ho!” expansion as a fine exemplar of rolling into a frontier, killing the locals, and farming the land in which you bury them. In Hitler’s application, the Reich yelled “Eastward Ho!” and moved “to harness the oilfields of the Caucasus and the granaries of the Ukraine to its own use.” He asserts that Hitler’s Germany never got its economic act together (he is not kind to Albert Speer) and that its greatest industrial contribution was the Volkswagen Beetle (evidenced by the fact that the “Strength Through Joy” car is still driving around on the world’s highways), his chapter on which is one of the best in the book. His segues into the Italian reverence for Mussolini, Wannsee, and city planning are also gems. There is only one blight on this book: his treatment of Tim Snyder’s superb history of the aforementioned “Eastward Ho!” events—"Bloodlands"—is really pretty vicious and, in my opinion, completely unwarranted. “What [Snyder] really wants to do is to tell us about the sufferings of the people who lived in the area he knows most about… [H]e bludgeons us with facts and figures about atrocities and mass murders… the endless succession of short sentences hits us like a series of blows from a cudgel until brain-death sets in.” This tangential rant on Snyder (who by the way has just published a book on the Holocaust; being a Poland historian, of course, makes Auschwitz and the Warsaw ghetto places "he knows... about") is completely unnecessary and felt a bit—to be honest—like interrupting an otherwise perfect jog to take a rock out of your shoe. He only gives us another 43 pages to forget this sharp stone, though, and as you can see I still feel like the run was spoiled. I do think the book—being the aforementioned collection of diverse articles—hangs together well, and that’s a testament to how well Richard Evans conveys some very grim information to his audience. Taken in aggregate, I would recommend it.
September 19, 2018
In 2003, Richard Evans published the first book of his trilogy on the history of Third Reich. 12 years later, he is back with this book, a historian’s critical overview of recent works on the same history by leading specialists (Ian Kershaw, Christopher Browning, Zara Steiner, etc.). Points of view have sharpened, evolved and been made clearer. For example, early histories of Nazism have tended to believe that the German public was not informed about the dark side of their government; now, historians realize that “Nazi Germany as a political system [was] based on popular approval and consent”. Evans writes so convincingly about Ms. Steiner’s books that I ordered and read them (and hefty books, they are, too)! as a follow-up to this work. In essence, Nazism is now described in its international context, and not as the solitary quirk of dark history it was usually made out to be.
February 25, 2021
Um livro com teor bem mais técnico mas ainda assim de linguagem acessível, composto de alguns textos de característica ensaística, J. Evans aborda o Terceiro Reich tanto da perspectiva da memória publica, quanto da histórica, a partir de obras de outros historiadores, assim fazendo críticas a outros trabalhos de certo renome sobre o assunto.
O Ponto forte da obra é a diversidade de tópicos abordados, como por exemplo um capítulo sensacional abordando exclusivamente a questão da fome durante a guerra, não só na Europa como nos países asiáticos, um capítulo sobre a arquitetura do pós guerra, sobre a o império alemão, a relação do nazismo com as empresas alemãs, a criação do fusca como "o carro do povo", um capítulo sobre as pilhagens e a arte nos tempos de guerra, entre outros, outro ponto muito positivo é o destaque dado a União Soviética e sobre o absurdo da comparação entre o Holocausto e o Holodomor, discutido atualmente por muitas vezes de maneira torpe e desrespeitosa.
O Ponto forte da obra é a diversidade de tópicos abordados, como por exemplo um capítulo sensacional abordando exclusivamente a questão da fome durante a guerra, não só na Europa como nos países asiáticos, um capítulo sobre a arquitetura do pós guerra, sobre a o império alemão, a relação do nazismo com as empresas alemãs, a criação do fusca como "o carro do povo", um capítulo sobre as pilhagens e a arte nos tempos de guerra, entre outros, outro ponto muito positivo é o destaque dado a União Soviética e sobre o absurdo da comparação entre o Holocausto e o Holodomor, discutido atualmente por muitas vezes de maneira torpe e desrespeitosa.
May 15, 2022
Having read an excellent trilogy of 3rd Reich by Richard Evans, this collection of essays on the same subject about the books written by different authors, shows his mastery of the subject when discussing their works. Some of his opinions may be controversial, like for example his opinion that Timothy Snyder's Bloodlands whilst limiting its area to the Eastern pre-war Poland and Western pre-war CCCP should also cover areas outside them for the proper assessment of the scale of sufferings inflicted by the occupants. Not sure, as I don't know if Timothy Snider would be able to present such a level of details with the extended scope. An interesting fact about Eva Braun that she twice attempted to commit suicide while in relationship with the main devil.
December 7, 2025
Scholarly book reviews.
February 18, 2017
Very interesting insight into the Third Reich from an intentionalist point of view... Because it's such a recent analysis (2015) it is great to look at it in relation to other historians. Recommend!
May 7, 2015
This book is a collection of essays, many previously published as book reviews, about the recent scholarship on the Third Reich by one of the subject's foremost experts, Richard J. Evans.
In short, it is superb. As I have pursued my study of this subject, the historiography of the Third Reich has become as interesting as the history itself. There are few scholars as capable of weighing in on where historians are directing their focus as Evans, who has mastered the spate of scholarship on 20th century Germany. His grasp of the primary sources and secondary literature shines through in these essays -- and he is rather unsparing of his criticism of work that, in his view, does not measure up. As he should be.
Subjects as complex and important -- as relevant -- as the rise of Nazism, the popularity of Hitler, the Holocaust, etc., are often misunderstood and plagued by errors of interpretation.
Five stars for Evans, whose prior trilogy on the Third Reich will remain unsurpassed for generations. This collection of essays is illuminating and will lead to further reading, because many of the reviewed books are still in print.
You will come away with an understanding not only why the study of the Third Reich remains relevant, 70 years after its short existence expired with the end of the Second World War, but why getting it right is as important as ever.
In short, it is superb. As I have pursued my study of this subject, the historiography of the Third Reich has become as interesting as the history itself. There are few scholars as capable of weighing in on where historians are directing their focus as Evans, who has mastered the spate of scholarship on 20th century Germany. His grasp of the primary sources and secondary literature shines through in these essays -- and he is rather unsparing of his criticism of work that, in his view, does not measure up. As he should be.
Subjects as complex and important -- as relevant -- as the rise of Nazism, the popularity of Hitler, the Holocaust, etc., are often misunderstood and plagued by errors of interpretation.
Five stars for Evans, whose prior trilogy on the Third Reich will remain unsurpassed for generations. This collection of essays is illuminating and will lead to further reading, because many of the reviewed books are still in print.
You will come away with an understanding not only why the study of the Third Reich remains relevant, 70 years after its short existence expired with the end of the Second World War, but why getting it right is as important as ever.
February 23, 2020
Hey, World! I cannot just let this book go. There is no room in your lives for smug moral superiority defending your country. Holocaust museums are not enough, but they focus too narrowly and ignore the millions of people who were intentionally murdered through starvation, illness, and cramped carriage in crowded railway cars. The Colonialsts and triumphant Allies were as blood-soaked as were the Germans.
I have some more post-partum remarks about the scholarship manifest here. After as I pull my rating back from 5 to 4 stars. re-reading in Chapter 11 I went to the back of the volume to learn more about sources of the material. After searching for a Bibliography, I determined to read the notes hoping to find what I sought. I found n
No notes between chapters 7 to 17! What is a feller to do? I am greatly frustrated.
I have some more post-partum remarks about the scholarship manifest here. After as I pull my rating back from 5 to 4 stars. re-reading in Chapter 11 I went to the back of the volume to learn more about sources of the material. After searching for a Bibliography, I determined to read the notes hoping to find what I sought. I found n
No notes between chapters 7 to 17! What is a feller to do? I am greatly frustrated.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 7, 2018
An interesting book for two reasons. Since it consists primarily of Evans' reviews of other historians work, it allows one to gain a better appreciation of Evans' scholarship while reading a precise of other historians' work. He is not an easy grader-- his critique of Timothy Snyder's Bloodlands being a good case in point. Many of the essays are interesting-- like those about the VW Bug (the KdF Wagen or Strength Through Joy Car). Definitely not for the casual reader, but interesting for a reader with a broad knowledge of the subject looking for something beyond a survey.
January 28, 2017
Provided new knowledge to me wrt how the Nazi's gained and wielded power. And how they were focused on race more then anything - with no tolerance for races outside their group. Also, noted that they used coercion to get support of the people - basically submit or your life is ruined. Interesting history.
March 2, 2015
The Third Reich in History and Memory is an interesting book. There was a lot of information I had not known before. I think this is a definite read for those who are into history and World War II history. Five stars
June 2, 2021
British historian of modern Germany and specialist in the Nazi period Richard J. Evans's 2015 collection of book reviews and essays penned over the previous 20 years and published as 'The Third Reich in History and Memory' is a learned, enlightening introduction to the rise and fall of the Nazi regime. The author's encyclopaedic knowledge, detailed scholarship, and lucid marshalling of facts and arguments make the book compellingly readable, and provide a striking example of history writing at its most intelligent and useful.
The collection is organised thematically, which provides a strong narrative of the rise and fall of Nazi Germany, as well as an overview of the evolution of historical interpretations of the rise and significance of the Nazis.
The initial reviews and essays examine the hints of genocidal ambition in Germany's colonial past, and the treatment of social outsiders in the 1930s, followed by examinations of the devastating inflation during the Weimar Republic, and the later economic recovery from the First World War.
The coercive violence used by the Nazis to assume government and suppress opposition from unions, social democrats and Catholics is examined in detail, with the suggestion that the majority of citizens democratically endorsed the Nazis rebutted convincingly. The facilitative role of Germany's diplomatic corps once the Nazis are entrenched is disinterred from previous tendentious suggestions that the diplomats were not complicit.
The discussion of the war effort and related military strategies focus primarily on the disastrous and highly costly Eastern Front, with some emphasis on Hitler's naive belief that Germany could dispel Slavic people much as the European expansion in North America displaced native populations, in the quest for 'Lebensraum.'
The Holocaust is dealt with in the context of reviewing recent books suggesting the genocide was comparable to other historical abuses, with Evans noting the strong Nazi belief that 'Judentum' was a global menace that needed to be eradicated universally, and which gave the genocidal policy towards the Jews its unique and dispiriting place in history.
The book concludes with reviews of recent work on the savage treatment of the Germans in the East after the war, the legacy of urban architecture from the Nazi period, and the massive theft of art and cultural artefacts by the Nazis, despite protective international treaties dating back to the nineteenth century.
A pervasive theme in the book is the transformation of interpretive approaches to the history of the Nazis. Previous suggestions that qualities unique to German history and culture had made the rise of the Nazis inevitable have given way to more nuanced appreciations of the force used by Nazis to seize government, to isolate and destroy opposition, and to manipulate the general population, particularly as more primary documentary evidence has emerged after the collapse of communism in the early 1990s. Hitler's overriding authority, power, and force as a leader is perhaps the one traditional explanation of the durability of the Nazi path to government and war that remains relatively unchanged.
Evans is a writer of considerable authority on German history and the Nazis. His trilogy on the history of the Nazis is regarded by many as the foremost work to date on that era. The reviews and essays in this book reveal a superior commentator able to professionally assess an extraordinary breadth of writing on the era with relative ease, and in many instances correct omissions and simplistic interpretations.
As with all books on the Second World War, the occasional allusions to the savage treatment of civilians and prisoners of war are sobering, and force the reader to question whether humanity will ever be rid of impulses to treat their own kind with shocking barbarity. Evans does not dwell on the details of these events, but it is impossible to avoid observations on miseries such as the Babi Yar massacre of the Jews of Kiev, and the repeated murders of innocent men, women, and children in retaliation for setbacks forced on the Germans war effort.
One minor reservation about Evans's general judgement: I noticed when googling Evans's work that he gave an interview to an American journalist just after the 2016 American presidential election expressing not just distaste for Trump, but comparing him to the fascists of last century. For those like me who consider the Trump ascendancy a relatively rational reaction to the cultural Marxism increasingly rampant in the US (albeit a political career that crashed and burned when confronted by the pandemic chaos induced by the Chinese virus), this footnote to Evans's obviously illustrious career is a bit unsettling.
The collection is organised thematically, which provides a strong narrative of the rise and fall of Nazi Germany, as well as an overview of the evolution of historical interpretations of the rise and significance of the Nazis.
The initial reviews and essays examine the hints of genocidal ambition in Germany's colonial past, and the treatment of social outsiders in the 1930s, followed by examinations of the devastating inflation during the Weimar Republic, and the later economic recovery from the First World War.
The coercive violence used by the Nazis to assume government and suppress opposition from unions, social democrats and Catholics is examined in detail, with the suggestion that the majority of citizens democratically endorsed the Nazis rebutted convincingly. The facilitative role of Germany's diplomatic corps once the Nazis are entrenched is disinterred from previous tendentious suggestions that the diplomats were not complicit.
The discussion of the war effort and related military strategies focus primarily on the disastrous and highly costly Eastern Front, with some emphasis on Hitler's naive belief that Germany could dispel Slavic people much as the European expansion in North America displaced native populations, in the quest for 'Lebensraum.'
The Holocaust is dealt with in the context of reviewing recent books suggesting the genocide was comparable to other historical abuses, with Evans noting the strong Nazi belief that 'Judentum' was a global menace that needed to be eradicated universally, and which gave the genocidal policy towards the Jews its unique and dispiriting place in history.
The book concludes with reviews of recent work on the savage treatment of the Germans in the East after the war, the legacy of urban architecture from the Nazi period, and the massive theft of art and cultural artefacts by the Nazis, despite protective international treaties dating back to the nineteenth century.
A pervasive theme in the book is the transformation of interpretive approaches to the history of the Nazis. Previous suggestions that qualities unique to German history and culture had made the rise of the Nazis inevitable have given way to more nuanced appreciations of the force used by Nazis to seize government, to isolate and destroy opposition, and to manipulate the general population, particularly as more primary documentary evidence has emerged after the collapse of communism in the early 1990s. Hitler's overriding authority, power, and force as a leader is perhaps the one traditional explanation of the durability of the Nazi path to government and war that remains relatively unchanged.
Evans is a writer of considerable authority on German history and the Nazis. His trilogy on the history of the Nazis is regarded by many as the foremost work to date on that era. The reviews and essays in this book reveal a superior commentator able to professionally assess an extraordinary breadth of writing on the era with relative ease, and in many instances correct omissions and simplistic interpretations.
As with all books on the Second World War, the occasional allusions to the savage treatment of civilians and prisoners of war are sobering, and force the reader to question whether humanity will ever be rid of impulses to treat their own kind with shocking barbarity. Evans does not dwell on the details of these events, but it is impossible to avoid observations on miseries such as the Babi Yar massacre of the Jews of Kiev, and the repeated murders of innocent men, women, and children in retaliation for setbacks forced on the Germans war effort.
One minor reservation about Evans's general judgement: I noticed when googling Evans's work that he gave an interview to an American journalist just after the 2016 American presidential election expressing not just distaste for Trump, but comparing him to the fascists of last century. For those like me who consider the Trump ascendancy a relatively rational reaction to the cultural Marxism increasingly rampant in the US (albeit a political career that crashed and burned when confronted by the pandemic chaos induced by the Chinese virus), this footnote to Evans's obviously illustrious career is a bit unsettling.
September 22, 2020
3 stars [History]
(W: 3.13, U: 2.17, T: 3.48)
Exact rating: 2.93
#71 in genre, out of 89
Unlike his magisterial trilogy, this is a collection of essays and speeches critiquing, affirming, or correcting recent publications on the Third Reich. The extent of this was almost enough to classify the book in the Literary genre, but Evans frames it in an eclectic History instead.
Reading the book is to watch a master historian at work: someone who appears to be acquainted with the entirety of literature on the Third Reich in English and in German, expertly disassembling the reasonable-sounding suppositions or conclusions of other historians. Its academic style ranges from tight to excellent [3.5-4], but is hampered by overlength (440 pages), and lack of organization and cohesiveness [2.5]. Its use is Specialized [1.5] as a review of WWII historical criticism, Limited [2] due to its origin as eclectic essays and speeches, but parts within it are worthy of underlining [3].
The truth is both the highest rating, and the most mixed. Notable to rare truths fill much of the book, though due again to the nature of essays, few were exposited at the necessary depth. Also, Evans had pockets of minor to serious missteps. He swerved into economics to denounce Götz Aly's description of the Nazis as "socialists," calling it baldly a "mislabeling." If Evans had tempered his reaction a bit, he would have struck closer to truth, which is between their two positions: the Nazis were in fact socialists in the 1920s, and John Hughes-Wilson contends that the most penetrating pro-Soviet spy was Martin Bormann himself! But a key economic point keeps getting missed by so many: not all socialism was Leninism, and one of socialism's crucial elements is a command economy (vs. a market economy). Replace "Nazi functionaries" with "proletariat" when talking about "seizing the means of production," add it to the failed but nevertheless attempted "People's Community" and the leveling of class distinction, and you have socialism indeed. Apparently many historians, even eminent ones, cannot be bothered to apprehend this.
On p163, Evans ends his chapter on Eva Braun with another digression into a field in which he is not competent: philosophy. He says, "For if a man like Hitler was capable of ordinary human love for another person, then what power does love possess?" Evans even seems to be critiquing the statement, and those who portray Hitler as a madman or mindless actor; nevertheless, Evans provides no answer. "Quite a lot" might be a minimum response, but discussion ends as Evans ends the chapter. It would have been better to leave this out.
Several times in the book, Evans hints at an American genocide of Native Americans. On p384, he finally states, "The extermination of Native Americans or the Australian Aborigines was no less a genocide simply because it was achieved mainly by disease." I don't know whether to laugh or to cry. A point of 0.5 Truth for this facile stereotype of an incredibly nuanced topic stretching over 200 years of American history. On p398, Evans rightly dresses historian Timothy Snyder down for too much conflation of Hitler and Stalin's genocides, but Evans has weakened his own authority by implying false moral equivalencies between Hitler on the one side, and American pilgrims and U.S. federal expansionism on the other.
Thankfully a few points of bravery are peppered in, too. Evans was right to continually point to the critical Social Darwinist underpinning of behavior from Hitler and the SS. And denouncing the most catastrophic foreign affairs policy of the last 120 years, Evans says of Wilsonianism on p412, "the principle of national self-determination proclaimed at Versailles in 1919 led to untold suffering in Europe during the following thirty years—suffering that underlines the need for all states and societies to be tolerant of ethnic, religious and other minorities rather than trying to expel, convert or suppress them."
Takeaway
A decent historical-literary survey, but not recommended unless one reads everything salient on The Third Reich.
(W: 3.13, U: 2.17, T: 3.48)
Exact rating: 2.93
#71 in genre, out of 89
Unlike his magisterial trilogy, this is a collection of essays and speeches critiquing, affirming, or correcting recent publications on the Third Reich. The extent of this was almost enough to classify the book in the Literary genre, but Evans frames it in an eclectic History instead.
Reading the book is to watch a master historian at work: someone who appears to be acquainted with the entirety of literature on the Third Reich in English and in German, expertly disassembling the reasonable-sounding suppositions or conclusions of other historians. Its academic style ranges from tight to excellent [3.5-4], but is hampered by overlength (440 pages), and lack of organization and cohesiveness [2.5]. Its use is Specialized [1.5] as a review of WWII historical criticism, Limited [2] due to its origin as eclectic essays and speeches, but parts within it are worthy of underlining [3].
The truth is both the highest rating, and the most mixed. Notable to rare truths fill much of the book, though due again to the nature of essays, few were exposited at the necessary depth. Also, Evans had pockets of minor to serious missteps. He swerved into economics to denounce Götz Aly's description of the Nazis as "socialists," calling it baldly a "mislabeling." If Evans had tempered his reaction a bit, he would have struck closer to truth, which is between their two positions: the Nazis were in fact socialists in the 1920s, and John Hughes-Wilson contends that the most penetrating pro-Soviet spy was Martin Bormann himself! But a key economic point keeps getting missed by so many: not all socialism was Leninism, and one of socialism's crucial elements is a command economy (vs. a market economy). Replace "Nazi functionaries" with "proletariat" when talking about "seizing the means of production," add it to the failed but nevertheless attempted "People's Community" and the leveling of class distinction, and you have socialism indeed. Apparently many historians, even eminent ones, cannot be bothered to apprehend this.
On p163, Evans ends his chapter on Eva Braun with another digression into a field in which he is not competent: philosophy. He says, "For if a man like Hitler was capable of ordinary human love for another person, then what power does love possess?" Evans even seems to be critiquing the statement, and those who portray Hitler as a madman or mindless actor; nevertheless, Evans provides no answer. "Quite a lot" might be a minimum response, but discussion ends as Evans ends the chapter. It would have been better to leave this out.
Several times in the book, Evans hints at an American genocide of Native Americans. On p384, he finally states, "The extermination of Native Americans or the Australian Aborigines was no less a genocide simply because it was achieved mainly by disease." I don't know whether to laugh or to cry. A point of 0.5 Truth for this facile stereotype of an incredibly nuanced topic stretching over 200 years of American history. On p398, Evans rightly dresses historian Timothy Snyder down for too much conflation of Hitler and Stalin's genocides, but Evans has weakened his own authority by implying false moral equivalencies between Hitler on the one side, and American pilgrims and U.S. federal expansionism on the other.
Thankfully a few points of bravery are peppered in, too. Evans was right to continually point to the critical Social Darwinist underpinning of behavior from Hitler and the SS. And denouncing the most catastrophic foreign affairs policy of the last 120 years, Evans says of Wilsonianism on p412, "the principle of national self-determination proclaimed at Versailles in 1919 led to untold suffering in Europe during the following thirty years—suffering that underlines the need for all states and societies to be tolerant of ethnic, religious and other minorities rather than trying to expel, convert or suppress them."
Takeaway
A decent historical-literary survey, but not recommended unless one reads everything salient on The Third Reich.
May 4, 2021
Quando li esse livro, eu não era muito mais do que um iniciante nos meus estudos a respeito do que chamam de nazismo. E digo que, em razão de eu ter uma curiosidade gigante sobre o assunto, a abordagem acadêmica não prejudicou a leitura. Recomendo o livro apenas para acadêmicos ou para pessoas "fanáticas" no tema. Não é um livro que irá lhe acrescentar muito caso você não se enquadre em algumas dessas duas condições.
A escrita do Evans é bastante gostosa de se ler, e o fato de ele não hesitar em ser ácido para com seus colegas acadêmicos torna o livro ainda mais interessante. Cada capítulo é uma espécie de artigo, que faz uma resenha a respeito de um livro científico sobre o nacional-socialismo. Confesso que existem, sim, uns quatro ou cinco capítulos que são extremamente chatos, além de inúteis. Mas o restante compensa imensamente essas falhas. A informação transborda de cada página. Evans aborda temas que vão desde a relação de Adolf com Eva Braun, o amor de sua vida, até as grandes expulsões dos alemães do Leste Europeu após a Segunda Guerra Mundial. É um ótimo livro para te apresentar um panorama geral sobre Hitler, o nacional-socialismo, a Alemanha antes, durante e após o nacional-socialismo e a Segunda Guerra. Logicamente que ele não se aprofunda em nenhuma dessas abordagens, mas em um momento ou em outro, Evans acaba discorrendo sobre esses temas.
Eu tenho uma visão já bem formada sobre o tema, após minhas longas pesquisas. Então, naturalmente, existem várias opiniões do Evans que conflitam com o que acredito. Nem todas as interpretações deles e de seus colegas acadêmicos me parecem verídicas. Mas, no todo, a experiência de ler essa obra foi fantástica, e valeu cada momento, por isso não tirarei uma única estrela sequer. Saboreei esse livro durante semanas e creio que tive a chance de sentir que partes eram mais amargas, doces ou salgadas.
Minha grande crítica é a seguinte: a parte destinada à análise econômica foi uma completa decepção! Eu esperava encontrar textos destrinchando o funcionamento da economia da Alemanha DURANTE o nacional-socialismo, mas os textos analisam sua economia APÓS o nacional-socialismo! Isso foi, para mim, inaceitável. Os historiadores raramente fazem uma análise da economia da Alemanha entre os anos de 1933 até 1939. Para falar a verdade, nunca vi um livro sobre o assunto. E o nacional-socialismo não foi, diferente do que muitos pensam, um movimento puramente ideológico. Eles possuíam uma estratégia econômica, e o maior expoente da teoria econômica deles foi Gottfried Feder. Ele defendia uma reforma financeira. Minha dúvida era, e ainda é, se eles de fato fizeram dita reforma, pois isso seria algo de extrema importância todos nós sabermos. Eu ainda espero algum dia encontrar um livro que esmiuce cada uma das políticas econômicas dos nacionais-socialistas, antes da Segunda Guerra estourar, trazendo leis, documentos, propagandas, políticas públicas, criação de empregos... pois é sabido que a Alemanha estava no buraco no início da década, mas nos anos seguintes, pelo menos aparentemente, o desemprego foi controlado e o país começou a surfar enquanto o resto do mundo afundava. O que houve? Foram implantadas políticas realmente eficazes? Ou foi apenas uma grande fachada propagandística?
A escrita do Evans é bastante gostosa de se ler, e o fato de ele não hesitar em ser ácido para com seus colegas acadêmicos torna o livro ainda mais interessante. Cada capítulo é uma espécie de artigo, que faz uma resenha a respeito de um livro científico sobre o nacional-socialismo. Confesso que existem, sim, uns quatro ou cinco capítulos que são extremamente chatos, além de inúteis. Mas o restante compensa imensamente essas falhas. A informação transborda de cada página. Evans aborda temas que vão desde a relação de Adolf com Eva Braun, o amor de sua vida, até as grandes expulsões dos alemães do Leste Europeu após a Segunda Guerra Mundial. É um ótimo livro para te apresentar um panorama geral sobre Hitler, o nacional-socialismo, a Alemanha antes, durante e após o nacional-socialismo e a Segunda Guerra. Logicamente que ele não se aprofunda em nenhuma dessas abordagens, mas em um momento ou em outro, Evans acaba discorrendo sobre esses temas.
Eu tenho uma visão já bem formada sobre o tema, após minhas longas pesquisas. Então, naturalmente, existem várias opiniões do Evans que conflitam com o que acredito. Nem todas as interpretações deles e de seus colegas acadêmicos me parecem verídicas. Mas, no todo, a experiência de ler essa obra foi fantástica, e valeu cada momento, por isso não tirarei uma única estrela sequer. Saboreei esse livro durante semanas e creio que tive a chance de sentir que partes eram mais amargas, doces ou salgadas.
Minha grande crítica é a seguinte: a parte destinada à análise econômica foi uma completa decepção! Eu esperava encontrar textos destrinchando o funcionamento da economia da Alemanha DURANTE o nacional-socialismo, mas os textos analisam sua economia APÓS o nacional-socialismo! Isso foi, para mim, inaceitável. Os historiadores raramente fazem uma análise da economia da Alemanha entre os anos de 1933 até 1939. Para falar a verdade, nunca vi um livro sobre o assunto. E o nacional-socialismo não foi, diferente do que muitos pensam, um movimento puramente ideológico. Eles possuíam uma estratégia econômica, e o maior expoente da teoria econômica deles foi Gottfried Feder. Ele defendia uma reforma financeira. Minha dúvida era, e ainda é, se eles de fato fizeram dita reforma, pois isso seria algo de extrema importância todos nós sabermos. Eu ainda espero algum dia encontrar um livro que esmiuce cada uma das políticas econômicas dos nacionais-socialistas, antes da Segunda Guerra estourar, trazendo leis, documentos, propagandas, políticas públicas, criação de empregos... pois é sabido que a Alemanha estava no buraco no início da década, mas nos anos seguintes, pelo menos aparentemente, o desemprego foi controlado e o país começou a surfar enquanto o resto do mundo afundava. O que houve? Foram implantadas políticas realmente eficazes? Ou foi apenas uma grande fachada propagandística?
November 30, 2019
I thought this book was the author's thesis on how the Third Reich is viewed in the current collective memory. It was not. It was a collection of works published by the author probably as scholastic papers or book reviews. I have to admit that this was clearly stated on the back cover of the book and it was my own oversight.
As a result, after the first couple of chapters, I began asking myself what I was actually reading. However, after recognising my own mistake, I started treating the book as what it was meant to be and it became a really enjoyable and educational read.
Based roughly in a chronological order, the author covers various aspects of the rise through the fall of the Third Reich by reviewing books and works by other authors addressing each of the eras. Being an accomplished historian himself, the author's review of the works is critical and comprehensive. He used his knowledge of available sources that he himself had consulted and the skills required of good historical research to cast an interrogating eye on the works. There were times when I felt that I was again the PhD candidate standing in front of the examination panel defending my thesis.
There are also a couple of chapters which are not reviews. These are his own works that are published in journals. For those who are not acquainted with the author's works, these are the chapters that give you a taste of his academic prowess. One in particular came to mind, The Fellow Traveller. This chapter is the author's critical assessment of Alfred Toepfer, who launched a foundation that offered a scholarship of which the author was one of the recipients. Alfred Toepfer was accused by some of having been a beneficiary of the Nazi regime. The author explored meticulously the history of the man and came into a lively debate with his accusers in this chapter. If for nothing else, this chapter is well worth reading to learn how a robust academic debate is done.
I enjoyed the book and found myself benefitting much from it. However, my experience (and it could be just me) is that we must set our expectations right. If you think this book is a continuation of the author's *trilogy on the Third Reich, you will be disappointed.
*Interested readers can check out the author's website for information on his works.
As a result, after the first couple of chapters, I began asking myself what I was actually reading. However, after recognising my own mistake, I started treating the book as what it was meant to be and it became a really enjoyable and educational read.
Based roughly in a chronological order, the author covers various aspects of the rise through the fall of the Third Reich by reviewing books and works by other authors addressing each of the eras. Being an accomplished historian himself, the author's review of the works is critical and comprehensive. He used his knowledge of available sources that he himself had consulted and the skills required of good historical research to cast an interrogating eye on the works. There were times when I felt that I was again the PhD candidate standing in front of the examination panel defending my thesis.
There are also a couple of chapters which are not reviews. These are his own works that are published in journals. For those who are not acquainted with the author's works, these are the chapters that give you a taste of his academic prowess. One in particular came to mind, The Fellow Traveller. This chapter is the author's critical assessment of Alfred Toepfer, who launched a foundation that offered a scholarship of which the author was one of the recipients. Alfred Toepfer was accused by some of having been a beneficiary of the Nazi regime. The author explored meticulously the history of the man and came into a lively debate with his accusers in this chapter. If for nothing else, this chapter is well worth reading to learn how a robust academic debate is done.
I enjoyed the book and found myself benefitting much from it. However, my experience (and it could be just me) is that we must set our expectations right. If you think this book is a continuation of the author's *trilogy on the Third Reich, you will be disappointed.
*Interested readers can check out the author's website for information on his works.
February 6, 2024
先說在前頭，寫這本書的書評壓力其實頗大，因為這本《歷史與記憶中的第三帝國》，實際上是講稿跟書評組合而成的文集。替眾多書評寫書評，尤其是這位作者，頗有班門弄斧之感。
理查·埃文斯爵士(Richard J. Evans)是英國著名的德國近現代史研究者，他的作品目前有引進華文的有《企鵝歐洲史‧競逐富強》跟本書，未來還有所謂的“第三帝國三部曲”。《歷史與記憶中的第三帝國》是埃文斯爵士撰寫的一些書評跟講稿，按照主題分門別類編輯而成的。這樣的作品乍看之下可能會有點無趣，但其實不然，主要是作者的書評是真的細緻而深刻的去評論，而非一些泛泛，客氣走過場式的稿子。該讚賞的時候舉出了例子，該批判時也講的很直接。對像我這種看完書會亂寫一通的人而言，則是做出了一個好書評該怎麼寫的最佳示範。能夠把作者要表達的融會貫通，然後根據自己的思想加以論斷，才是真正的“評論”。埃文斯爵士做到了。
本書雖然已分門別類，但他應該是作者非出於特別目的而做的文集，比較沒有一個核心，至多是圍繞在“第三帝國”這個主題之上；選書以政治、外交與社會方面較多，軍事在戰史上幾乎不談，算是符合埃文斯爵士本身的研究取向。不過，作者有幾本選書讓我印象很深刻。
開篇開始討論的是德國的帝國主義，他選了Sebastian Conrad的《German Colonialism》跟Shelley Baranowski的《Nazi Empire》。埃文斯爵士從這兩本書著手，一邊評論其內容，一邊討論納粹德國的帝國主義淵源。他引用兩位作者的研究指出，那些惡名昭彰的“種族滅絕”、“集中營”等，都是其來有自。十九世紀末，社會達爾文主義盛行，優生學蓬勃發展，但卻走上了一條殘酷的道路。歐洲人把“物競天擇”運用在帝國主義上，變成了壓迫被殖民者的理由。德國在這方面也毫不遜色，甚至更有甚之。Sebastian Conrad 即指出，德國起步較晚，僅在非洲跟太平洋奪得了一些殖民地，都是“比較難治理”的，德國殖民者惱羞成怒，索性將當地住民集中起來展開屠殺跟滅絕，這就是後來納粹黨針對猶太等各少數民族所為的雛形。可怕的是當時的德國精英並不以此為罪惡，而希特勒的一些思想正是受此影響而來。Shelley Baranowski 則更直接，她從納粹的那些種種政策中去回溯其淵源，都是早在第二帝國時期跟戰間期就已萌芽。這並不讓人意外，歷史一種漸進累積的，忽然的異想天開或橫空出世都是少見的。埃文斯爵士推薦這兩本作品，但似乎都沒有引進中文版。
另外一本也是有趣的題材：《The Taste of War》，作者是Lizzie Collingham。埃文斯爵士挑選的它的原因，在於這本書的切入點是常被忽略但卻是最重要的關鍵：糧食。我們常聽到一句軍事上的俗語：“三軍未動，糧草先行”，沒有補給，戰爭就無法持續。Lizzie 指出，希特勒基於自己在一戰末的挨餓經驗得出結論，“下一場戰爭中，德國最優先要保證的，就是糧食無虞”。所以他心心念念的，就是要向東爭奪“生存空間”，把斯拉夫人奴役、驅趕，好讓德意志民族占有烏克蘭糧倉，以確保食物不匱乏，才有“爭奪霸權”的本錢。當然，這本書同時也討論了各個參戰國在這方面的作為，非常有意思。從糧食的確保角度來看二戰是個有趣的視點，埃文斯爵士評論“雖非全面，但這���個很重要的補充視角”。目前也沒中文版。
最後一本是R. M. Douglas的《Orderly and Humane》，它是講述講述戰後在歐洲各處的德意志人被“遣返”回德國的經過，這是一個冷僻的主題，但卻被作者討論的非常有趣且有意義。其實歐洲在二戰前，特別是多瑙河流域及以東，各地都是民族成份複雜，在威爾遜提出“民族自決”後，糾紛就再也沒有歇息的一天。納粹德國更是火上加油，尤其是他們在二戰期間的大量殖民移居，戰敗後，原主人新仇舊怨一起清算，於是大量在民族上被歸類為“德意志民族”的人群，就通通被趕回了“祖國”。他們某種程度上也算是難民，扣掉原本從德國移出去的，有很多本身就常居於“境外”，例如戰前糾紛的蘇台德地區德意志人，當他們被剝奪財產驅趕回德國時，就變成了“祖國的陌生人”，四處流浪，飽受歧視，心懷怨忿，在當時是很大的政治問題。幸好，由於冷戰的迅速降臨，美國從清算轉向重整包容，加上當時德國領導阿登納的敏銳政治直覺，很快的將這些人安頓下來，才順利重建“新德國”，沒有變成一場大災難。Douglas 以這段歷史導出結論，主張對多元文化的包容與寬待才是和平的正途，他舉出一段故事為例，有些在波蘭殖民的德意志人被蘇聯紅軍迫害時，當地居民還加以庇護，真是以德報怨！埃文斯爵士盛讚本書是研究二十世紀歐洲史必讀的作品，目前也沒中文版，惜哉。
總的來說，埃文斯爵士這本《歷史與記憶中的第三帝國》是很實用的文集，看他評論這些作品本身就頗有所得，藉由他的介紹可以擴展深入研究的範圍，對這個主題有興趣的人是很推薦的。這次的翻譯也是相當流暢，沒啥問題。
理查·埃文斯爵士(Richard J. Evans)是英國著名的德國近現代史研究者，他的作品目前有引進華文的有《企鵝歐洲史‧競逐富強》跟本書，未來還有所謂的“第三帝國三部曲”。《歷史與記憶中的第三帝國》是埃文斯爵士撰寫的一些書評跟講稿，按照主題分門別類編輯而成的。這樣的作品乍看之下可能會有點無趣，但其實不然，主要是作者的書評是真的細緻而深刻的去評論，而非一些泛泛，客氣走過場式的稿子。該讚賞的時候舉出了例子，該批判時也講的很直接。對像我這種看完書會亂寫一通的人而言，則是做出了一個好書評該怎麼寫的最佳示範。能夠把作者要表達的融會貫通，然後根據自己的思想加以論斷，才是真正的“評論”。埃文斯爵士做到了。
本書雖然已分門別類，但他應該是作者非出於特別目的而做的文集，比較沒有一個核心，至多是圍繞在“第三帝國”這個主題之上；選書以政治、外交與社會方面較多，軍事在戰史上幾乎不談，算是符合埃文斯爵士本身的研究取向。不過，作者有幾本選書讓我印象很深刻。
開篇開始討論的是德國的帝國主義，他選了Sebastian Conrad的《German Colonialism》跟Shelley Baranowski的《Nazi Empire》。埃文斯爵士從這兩本書著手，一邊評論其內容，一邊討論納粹德國的帝國主義淵源。他引用兩位作者的研究指出，那些惡名昭彰的“種族滅絕”、“集中營”等，都是其來有自。十九世紀末，社會達爾文主義盛行，優生學蓬勃發展，但卻走上了一條殘酷的道路。歐洲人把“物競天擇”運用在帝國主義上，變成了壓迫被殖民者的理由。德國在這方面也毫不遜色，甚至更有甚之。Sebastian Conrad 即指出，德國起步較晚，僅在非洲跟太平洋奪得了一些殖民地，都是“比較難治理”的，德國殖民者惱羞成怒，索性將當地住民集中起來展開屠殺跟滅絕，這就是後來納粹黨針對猶太等各少數民族所為的雛形。可怕的是當時的德國精英並不以此為罪惡，而希特勒的一些思想正是受此影響而來。Shelley Baranowski 則更直接，她從納粹的那些種種政策中去回溯其淵源，都是早在第二帝國時期跟戰間期就已萌芽。這並不讓人意外，歷史一種漸進累積的，忽然的異想天開或橫空出世都是少見的。埃文斯爵士推薦這兩本作品，但似乎都沒有引進中文版。
另外一本也是有趣的題材：《The Taste of War》，作者是Lizzie Collingham。埃文斯爵士挑選的它的原因，在於這本書的切入點是常被忽略但卻是最重要的關鍵：糧食。我們常聽到一句軍事上的俗語：“三軍未動，糧草先行”，沒有補給，戰爭就無法持續。Lizzie 指出，希特勒基於自己在一戰末的挨餓經驗得出結論，“下一場戰爭中，德國最優先要保證的，就是糧食無虞”。所以他心心念念的，就是要向東爭奪“生存空間”，把斯拉夫人奴役、驅趕，好讓德意志民族占有烏克蘭糧倉，以確保食物不匱乏，才有“爭奪霸權”的本錢。當然，這本書同時也討論了各個參戰國在這方面的作為，非常有意思。從糧食的確保角度來看二戰是個有趣的視點，埃文斯爵士評論“雖非全面，但這���個很重要的補充視角”。目前也沒中文版。
最後一本是R. M. Douglas的《Orderly and Humane》，它是講述講述戰後在歐洲各處的德意志人被“遣返”回德國的經過，這是一個冷僻的主題，但卻被作者討論的非常有趣且有意義。其實歐洲在二戰前，特別是多瑙河流域及以東，各地都是民族成份複雜，在威爾遜提出“民族自決”後，糾紛就再也沒有歇息的一天。納粹德國更是火上加油，尤其是他們在二戰期間的大量殖民移居，戰敗後，原主人新仇舊怨一起清算，於是大量在民族上被歸類為“德意志民族”的人群，就通通被趕回了“祖國”。他們某種程度上也算是難民，扣掉原本從德國移出去的，有很多本身就常居於“境外”，例如戰前糾紛的蘇台德地區德意志人，當他們被剝奪財產驅趕回德國時，就變成了“祖國的陌生人”，四處流浪，飽受歧視，心懷怨忿，在當時是很大的政治問題。幸好，由於冷戰的迅速降臨，美國從清算轉向重整包容，加上當時德國領導阿登納的敏銳政治直覺，很快的將這些人安頓下來，才順利重建“新德國”，沒有變成一場大災難。Douglas 以這段歷史導出結論，主張對多元文化的包容與寬待才是和平的正途，他舉出一段故事為例，有些在波蘭殖民的德意志人被蘇聯紅軍迫害時，當地居民還加以庇護，真是以德報怨！埃文斯爵士盛讚本書是研究二十世紀歐洲史必讀的作品，目前也沒中文版，惜哉。
總的來說，埃文斯爵士這本《歷史與記憶中的第三帝國》是很實用的文集，看他評論這些作品本身就頗有所得，藉由他的介紹可以擴展深入研究的範圍，對這個主題有興趣的人是很推薦的。這次的翻譯也是相當流暢，沒啥問題。
May 17, 2024
(4.5 stars) Essential and illuminating reading for anybody interested in the Third Reich and some of the popular misconceptions surrounding it. This is a wide-ranging series of essays, mostly based on reviews and criticisms of other people's works (majority of which seem to be academic but sometimes not) as a way of disseminating updated concepts and discoveries in this field of historical research. There are many interesting links made connecting the National Socialist period to previous eras of German history which displayed similar ideas of racial violence, particularly in areas of Africa.
There were two things that did let down the quality of work for me, the main one being terminology. When we are studying areas in history that are based on discrimination and discriminatory violence, I believe it is even more important than ever to be mindful of the language that we use to refer to minority groups. Evans frequently uses the term 'mentally/physically handicapped' which personally I don't believe is very acceptable, as this has been offensive to disabled people for a long time now. Another term frequently used is 'Gypsy' or 'Gypsies', which I understand has only recently been more frowned upon, but this is an obsolete exonym as it is used for many different ethnic groups and is therefore not specific of Romani people. The second thing was that he seemed to have a rather British colonialist view of whether looted art should be returned to its rightful owners (according to him, it only should be returned if it was taken recently or has great cultural significance).
These are minor issues, but I believe it is important to keep vigilant about our attitudes within educational material as to not breed a culture of misunderstanding and systematic repression.
There were two things that did let down the quality of work for me, the main one being terminology. When we are studying areas in history that are based on discrimination and discriminatory violence, I believe it is even more important than ever to be mindful of the language that we use to refer to minority groups. Evans frequently uses the term 'mentally/physically handicapped' which personally I don't believe is very acceptable, as this has been offensive to disabled people for a long time now. Another term frequently used is 'Gypsy' or 'Gypsies', which I understand has only recently been more frowned upon, but this is an obsolete exonym as it is used for many different ethnic groups and is therefore not specific of Romani people. The second thing was that he seemed to have a rather British colonialist view of whether looted art should be returned to its rightful owners (according to him, it only should be returned if it was taken recently or has great cultural significance).
These are minor issues, but I believe it is important to keep vigilant about our attitudes within educational material as to not breed a culture of misunderstanding and systematic repression.
October 15, 2018
A collection of essays and book reviews from the last twenty (or more??) years, all on the Third Reich and arranged in historical chronological order. I read all of the first section and then a few here and there as the mood took me and altogether read about half the book. The first few essays were about Germany and it's colonial possessions pre-WW1 and possible links to how Germany operated under the Third Reich, and the Holocaust. While the theme is interesting the essays themselves were a drag. Providing lengthy arguments and examples only to back away and quibble at conclusions. I wanted to take a pen to it (library book) and write "what is your point?!" I think this is a case where an author becomes too popular that a book like this, of old publications crammed together, not fit for purpose, gets published.
June 5, 2020
This is a collection of in-depth book reviews by the scholar of the Nazi party and its role in history. I read it as a follow-up to his The History of the Third Reich series. I expected something between a bibliography or "further reading" suggestions. Of course each book reviewed goes in depth often more so than Evans' series on such topics as the tragically infatuated Eva Braun, the troubling history of Krupp and other industries, and ex-Nazis surfacing in the regime of Konrad Adenauer. The reviews are very thorough and detailed pointing out positive and negative aspects of the work under consideration, including errors and discoveries. This is full of sign posts for anyone wanting to read on the subject and it stands alone from the series.
January 26, 2024
Really helpful series of articles and reviews that serve as a good introduction to the scholarly debates in the historiography on the Third Reich over the past few decades. I read it as a historian but one who doesn't specialize in Nazi Germany, and found it really helpful.
The book's utility as a historiography class of its own may make it less helpful for people who are looking more for a history of the Third Reich as opposed to essays on debates among scholars. If you don't know who the various big players are, don't come in understanding the stakes or basic context, etc., you will probably still get a lot out of it, but it helps to not treat this as a starting place for learning the basics.
The book's utility as a historiography class of its own may make it less helpful for people who are looking more for a history of the Third Reich as opposed to essays on debates among scholars. If you don't know who the various big players are, don't come in understanding the stakes or basic context, etc., you will probably still get a lot out of it, but it helps to not treat this as a starting place for learning the basics.
February 17, 2022
An exceptional historiographical survey of WW2 history. Evans (who possesses an astonishing command of the literature in both English and German) is fair, but incisive--even devastating at times--in his analysis of other historians' work. Of particular note is his (very fair, but brutal) critique of the report by the German Foreign Service Office which was farmed out to graduate students without adequate supervision, his glowing account of Zara Steiner's work, and his open (and very amusing) disdain for Timothy Snyder's Bloodlands.
Also kinda pissed at Evans for adding several large books to my reading list. A must-read for anyone interested in European history of the era.
Also kinda pissed at Evans for adding several large books to my reading list. A must-read for anyone interested in European history of the era.
March 26, 2021
Why?
Richard Evans is an excellent writer and historian of the Nazi regime.
What I thought:
This is a compellation of short essays and book reviews, covering a wide range of subjects regarding Nazi Germany. The essays are all well written and I learned quite a bit through reading this book. Also, Evans manages to savagely roast authors whose books he found to be lacking, in such a way that I laughed out loud at points.
This is not required reading, but his Third Reich trilogy certainly is.
Richard Evans is an excellent writer and historian of the Nazi regime.
What I thought:
This is a compellation of short essays and book reviews, covering a wide range of subjects regarding Nazi Germany. The essays are all well written and I learned quite a bit through reading this book. Also, Evans manages to savagely roast authors whose books he found to be lacking, in such a way that I laughed out loud at points.
This is not required reading, but his Third Reich trilogy certainly is.
October 20, 2024
Colectânea de recensões críticas. O interesse é variável mas todas elas são férteis em informação. As criticas são por vezes acerbas e nem todas muito justificadas: o A. apraz-se claramente em entrar em polémicas, algumas delas muito bizantinas, e mostra-se frequentemente parcial para não dizer faccioso, deixando transparecer muitos preconceitos e interesses paroquiais. Mas a leitura é compensadora. De realçar os dois primeiros artigos sobre o império colonial alemão e a crítica do livro sobre a Volkswagen.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 53 reviews