This biography looks beneath the usual assessment of Adolf Hitler the monster, digging deeper into his life and examining his successes alongside his many failings. Through his meticulous research and illuminating writing, Stone reveals a man who was surprisingly not the clear-sighted decisive leader he seemed, but rather plagued by doubt and often uncertain about his next course of action.
Norman Stone was a Scottish historian and author, who was a Professor in the Department of International Relations at Bilkent University, Ankara. He is a former Professor at the University of Oxford, Lecturer at the University of Cambridge, and adviser to Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.
A lot of political details which I did not particularly care for and some of the more mundane everyday details (isn't this how you can tell what kind of a person someone is?!) which I would have liked to know more about were missing. I might have appreciated this book more, had I been more aware of the war situation and German public figures specifically (Their foreign names made it even more confusing for me). Looking forward to reading more WW2 books - fiction or biographies!
An easily digestible, enjoyable overview of the man's life, questionable accomplishments, struggles, obsessions and ultimate undoing. Does not burden the reader with excessive detail, but covers the key events and contains enough salient information to unravel the progress of events and understand the key factors of Hitler's rise, his hold over people, and the lust for power and fanatical nationalism that drove him. Recommended for people who want to learn more about this unavoidable historical figure without delving into some of the weightier tomes; also helpful helpful in understanding the trajectory of WW2.