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Heydrich: The Face of Evil
This meticulously researched biography creates a complete and balanced picture of Reinhard Heydrich. A leading figure within the Nazi Party, he was responsible more than Himmler for the planning and execution of the Holocaust. Having joined the Nazi Party in 1931, Heydrich rose quickly through the ranks of the SS. By the age of twenty-nine he had become an SS Brigadier General, and his ruthless ambition led many senior Nazis to believe that he was the natural successor to Hitler. It was Heydrich’s initiative to create the Einsatzgruppen, paramilitary units which were established before Operation Barbarossa to murder Jews and political operatives of the Communist party. In 1941 Heydrich was made Protector of Bohemia and Moravia. Supremely confident of his authority within the province, he would often drive alone in an open-top car. British-trained Czech partisans took advantage of this gesture, and in 1942 carried out a daring assassination attempt. Heydrich was mortally wounded in the ambush and died a week later in hospital. The reprisals that followed were brutal: more than 15,000 Czechs were murdered and the town of Lidice was razed to the ground. This book examines Heydrich’s meteoric rise to power, his complex personality, and the aftermath of his death: Hitler’s vengeance and the postwar fortunes of Heydrich’s widow and descendants.
240 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2005
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
May 2, 2008
Biography of one of the truly nastiest senior figures of the Nazi Regime in World War II. Good for anyone who is interested in the period and decently written.
February 12, 2025
Little Good Info - Significant Historical Inaccuracy
Free on Kindle: A ripoff because it stole my time. This book gives virtually no significant insight into what made this man "tick." There are statements about the Nuremberg defendents that are flagrantly historical lyrics false (...e.g. staating only Frank was repentant which ignores von Schirach and the 3 found innocent who all were). You'd come out with wrong beliefs about the whole evil regime if you were not already a scholar, or well read researcher. I wanted to know more about the "most evil Nazi. " I gained NOTHING I didn't know, and would have misconstrued history to my detriment had I read and believed this. It tells of his evil acts but you learn little that is truly insightful. One of the weakest of the many books I've read. My family worked with Survivors in school classrooms, developing curriculum for years.
Free on Kindle: A ripoff because it stole my time. This book gives virtually no significant insight into what made this man "tick." There are statements about the Nuremberg defendents that are flagrantly historical lyrics false (...e.g. staating only Frank was repentant which ignores von Schirach and the 3 found innocent who all were). You'd come out with wrong beliefs about the whole evil regime if you were not already a scholar, or well read researcher. I wanted to know more about the "most evil Nazi. " I gained NOTHING I didn't know, and would have misconstrued history to my detriment had I read and believed this. It tells of his evil acts but you learn little that is truly insightful. One of the weakest of the many books I've read. My family worked with Survivors in school classrooms, developing curriculum for years.
June 25, 2016
Heydrich was one of Hitler's loyal supporters. I became aware of his part in carrying out the despicable act of the NAzi regime when I read Madeline Albrights memoir. I must admit that I skimmed a good bit of the book. It is well documented but is very dry to read. I learned about Heydrich's early life and his rise in the Third Reich where he worked under Himmler. It's difficult to understand how someone could become so evil and immune to human suffering--to cause it. Not a pleasant book, but it broadens my knowledge of how the Nazis carried out their mission of hate.
September 18, 2023
great book i don't have much to say just that the story was shocking to know more about this character
Thank you, NetGalley and Pen & Sword, Greenhill Books, for the advanced copy of Heydrich in exchange for my honest review.
Thank you, NetGalley and Pen & Sword, Greenhill Books, for the advanced copy of Heydrich in exchange for my honest review.
August 23, 2024
Psychologist John Watson once said that if you gave him a dozen infants and his own worlds to raise them, he could mold them into anything he desired, from doctors and artists to thieves and beggars. Today, we understand that human “nature” has more nuances. Far from Watson’s pure behaviorist perspective, a person’s nature combines their genetics and their experiences. Understanding the interplay helps us understand how people can be monsters or mice.
Enter Reinhard Heydrich, one of the most ruthless monsters of the Third Reich, an ambitious mass murderer who killed thousands and who saw himself as Hitler’s successor. Had he not lived when he did, Heydrich may have nurtured a different talent and excelled as a violinist or an athlete. His bullying streak and psychopathic personality would probably have exerted some pressure, earning him enemies and impeding his grasping attempts at success.
I have never read a biography of Reinhard Heydrich before, so I cannot make comparisons. Heydric: The Face of Evil is well-researched and takes pains to present the man in a rounded light, looking at his family life and talents as well as his role in the ‘final solution.’ I found the book interesting and had trouble putting it down. It seemed a little disjointed and became challenging to read at times, almost like a late draft rather than a finished product. (I understand that the author died before finishing the book, which goes far in explaining this issue.) Well written and researched, chocked full of information about a man who committed unspeakable acts, and an excellent attempt to understand the motivations for a member of one of the heinous regimes of the 20th century. Just don’t expect to be able to consume the material in one sitting. It’s too disturbing.
Enter Reinhard Heydrich, one of the most ruthless monsters of the Third Reich, an ambitious mass murderer who killed thousands and who saw himself as Hitler’s successor. Had he not lived when he did, Heydrich may have nurtured a different talent and excelled as a violinist or an athlete. His bullying streak and psychopathic personality would probably have exerted some pressure, earning him enemies and impeding his grasping attempts at success.
I have never read a biography of Reinhard Heydrich before, so I cannot make comparisons. Heydric: The Face of Evil is well-researched and takes pains to present the man in a rounded light, looking at his family life and talents as well as his role in the ‘final solution.’ I found the book interesting and had trouble putting it down. It seemed a little disjointed and became challenging to read at times, almost like a late draft rather than a finished product. (I understand that the author died before finishing the book, which goes far in explaining this issue.) Well written and researched, chocked full of information about a man who committed unspeakable acts, and an excellent attempt to understand the motivations for a member of one of the heinous regimes of the 20th century. Just don’t expect to be able to consume the material in one sitting. It’s too disturbing.
January 20, 2024
I've owned a copy of this book for a while, but I've put off reading it until now for some reason.
If I hadn't read Nancy Dougherty's The Hangman and His Wife: The Life and Death of Reinhard Heydrich before this one, I may have enjoyed it more. But in spite of the flaws in Dougherty's book (like Dederichs, she died before completing her manuscript, which didn't leave it as crisp and tight as one could desire), that book provided a much more thorough picture of Heydrich.
This book, in comparison, almost felt like the Cliff Notes version of Heydrich's life. And while I tried to keep in mind that Dederichs died before completing his book and was, therefore, not responsible for at least some of the finished product, I just felt like this book was a disorganized mess much of the time. Heydrich, arguably the subject, takes a backseat in his own life for much of the book. He's more like a shadow than anything, never truly there, rarely making an affirmative appearance on the pages.
If I hadn't read Nancy Dougherty's The Hangman and His Wife: The Life and Death of Reinhard Heydrich before this one, I may have enjoyed it more. But in spite of the flaws in Dougherty's book (like Dederichs, she died before completing her manuscript, which didn't leave it as crisp and tight as one could desire), that book provided a much more thorough picture of Heydrich.
This book, in comparison, almost felt like the Cliff Notes version of Heydrich's life. And while I tried to keep in mind that Dederichs died before completing his book and was, therefore, not responsible for at least some of the finished product, I just felt like this book was a disorganized mess much of the time. Heydrich, arguably the subject, takes a backseat in his own life for much of the book. He's more like a shadow than anything, never truly there, rarely making an affirmative appearance on the pages.
January 25, 2019
Blond, yeux bleus, haute stature, physique athlétique, uniforme noir, casquette à tête de mort vissée sur la tête, Reinhard Tristan Eugen Heydrich (1904-1942) a été, de 1933 à sa mort en 1942, l’incarnation paroxystique, et presque caricaturale, de la terreur nazie. Bras droit du Reichsführer SS Himmler, il dirige d’une poigne de fer l’appareil répressif nazi. À la tête du service de sécurité de la SS (SD), de la police criminelle (Kripo) et de la Gestapo, il transforme les visions haineuses de Hitler en actes barbares. Planificateur de l’Holocauste, Heydrich organise les massacres de masse à l’Est avec les Einsatzgruppen, puis préside la conférence de Wannsee du 20 janvier 1942, point de départ de la « solution finale ». Il disparaît lors d’un attentat perpétré en mai 1942 par des résistants tchèques.Mario R. Dederichs explore les abîmes intérieurs de celui que Hitler décrivait comme « extraordinairement doué, extraordinairement dangereux ». Un homme mû par une volonté froide d’affirmer sa puissance, exécutant les ordres les plus inhumains avec un maximum d’efficacité. Un « diable à forme humaine » n’ayant jamais hésité à concurrencer Himmler dans l’horreur.
June 30, 2023
I was so excited to receive this book for review and could not put it down once I started. It is a comprehensive, no holds barred analysis of one of the most influential members of the Nazi party. Heydrich’ s cruelty and crimes are well known but this book brings new depth to the subject. Well researched and written, this is a must-have addition to the library of any WWII history buff. By creating books such as this, authors help ensure the Holocaust is not forgotten and perhaps humanity can learn from its history.
July 4, 2023
Amazing book on one of the most coldblooded figures within Nazi Regime: Reinhard Heydrich. As the chef of SD, The Secret Police and the Gestapo he was responsible for the death of thousands of Jews. The book is well-written and well-researched. The must-read for all interested in the history of WW2.
August 14, 2023
I wasn’t familiar with Heydrich and his role before reading this book. I had to read in several sittings. The evil deeds of men like Heydrich can’t be forgotten.
Thank you to the author, Pen & Sword Publishing, and NetGalley for the Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) copy of this book and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
Thank you to the author, Pen & Sword Publishing, and NetGalley for the Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) copy of this book and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
December 30, 2020
Pretty good for an overview but using Felix Kersten and other unreliable sources knocks it back a bit for me, don't think including a reference to the source potentially being unreliable is good enough and should only be used (Like Robert Gerwarth in Hitler's Hangman) if you are then using better evidence or facts to refute it.
June 25, 2023
This is a reprint of a work about one of the architects of the Final Solution. It is astonishing how a simple, if bratty child became the cold blooded of people he’s never met and hadn’t done anything wrong to him, and yet thought people loved him.
November 13, 2025
a very good very insightful look at Reinhard and his wife and his descendants and how some ignore the past while some try to acknowledge it and some just hide it from others. very enigmatic very interesting book.
July 13, 2013
Well-done, but unable to explain what motivated Reinhard Heydrich. Surprisingly skimpy on the Wannsee meeting, and his tenure as governor of Bohemia. Dederich complains about the lack of cooperation from members of the family and various archives, which hampered the work. Still, the only comprehensive biography of Heydrich in English.
June 1, 2014
Read this for my undergrad. thesis - interesting read on one of the main designers of the holocaust. Shame the author died before he could finish the book.
July 5, 2014
Hard to read at times. This guy, like many of the Nazi hierarchy, was a psychopath.
May 26, 2009
Even the most fierce of men are not inextirpable.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews