Post: #1

Any really good books about Hitler?

I don't read much history - and it is hard trying to pick one out because there are so many.

If possible - I would like a book that tries to get inside his head and explain his strategy and thinking. I know the dude was evil - but I want to get into what made him tick as a politician and as a military leader.

Post: #2

The biographies written by Joachim Fest and Ian Kershaw are generally considered to be the standard works, but they are very long.

In Germany, Sebastian Haffner's "The Meaning of Hitler" was also very successful and rightly so. It is a rather short essay and only 176 pages long but it captures the most important facts of his biography and his ideology in a succinct manner. I highly recommend this classic if you don't have the time to read the big volumes but want to have a basic understanding of the topic. It is also a good source to debunk stupid arguments that go along the lines "He may have been evil and cruel but at least he was objectively a powerful statesman and military leader"

Post: #3

Good recommendation - I have never heard of that book.

I will check it out.

Post: #4

(04-21-2014 04:07 PM)cardguy Wrote:  Good recommendation - I have never heard of that book.

I will check it out.

I wouldn't if I were you. IDK how it is in England but in America, you get put on some list if you purchase any books related to Hitler. I learned this from my history teacher who wanted to get a copy of "my struggle" but didn't because someone advised him not to get it.

Post: #5

Really? I can see that 'My Struggle' is controversial. Since it was written by Hitler and is still a controlled publication in Germany. But I would still read it if I felt like it.

As for books about Hitler in general? Well - most documentaries in the UK are about Hitler and most books in the History section of shops are about Hitler as well.

I think you are being a bit paranoid. :-)

Post: #6

Erich Fromm's The Anatomy of Human Destructiveness contains a fascinating psychological study of Hitler, explaining e.g. why his facial expression was always that of someone smelling something foul.

Post: #7

Two excellent recommendations in this thread. I would never have come across these these books without you guys.

Thanks!

Post: #8

Explaining Hitler by Ron Rosenbaum. Disects Hitler really well. Entertaining as hell, too.

Post: #9

(04-21-2014 05:04 PM)L M McCoy Wrote:  

(04-21-2014 04:07 PM)cardguy Wrote:  Good recommendation - I have never heard of that book.

I will check it out.

I wouldn't if I were you. IDK how it is in England but in America, you get put on some list if you purchase any books related to Hitler. I learned this from my history teacher who wanted to get a copy of "my struggle" but didn't because someone advised him not to get it.

Even hypothetically, how do you get put on a "list" if you pay cash? Your history teacher was paranoid? What kind of school did you go to?

Post: #10

(04-21-2014 09:17 PM)Sp5 Wrote:  

(04-21-2014 05:04 PM)L M McCoy Wrote:  

(04-21-2014 04:07 PM)cardguy Wrote:  Good recommendation - I have never heard of that book.

I will check it out.

I wouldn't if I were you. IDK how it is in England but in America, you get put on some list if you purchase any books related to Hitler. I learned this from my history teacher who wanted to get a copy of "my struggle" but didn't because someone advised him not to get it.

Even hypothetically, how do you get put on a "list" if you pay cash? Your history teacher was paranoid? What kind of school did you go to?

NSA, your phone, cable box, internet modem all record what you say.

Post: #11

oops, double post.

Post: #12

^^To imagine you'd be put on a watch list for walking into a store and paying cash for a certain book is pretty out there, "Person of Interest" stuff.

Post: #13

If you want to understand Hitler's military strategy, you must read "The Chief Culprit: Stalin's Grand Design to Start World War II" by Viktor Sukorov. Sukorov was a high ranking Soviet intelligence officer who had access to classified Soviet documents.

The book is absolutely fascinating and explodes many myths about WWII, including why Hitler did many of the highly controversial things that he did. For example, in Mein Kampf Hitler stated that it would be suicide for Germany to attack the Soviet Union. Yet he did it, with the very result that he had predicted. This book explains why.

http://www.amazon.com/The-Chief-Culprit-...ef+culprit

Post: #14

Looks like another winner - thanks for that.

As for the Ron Rosenbaum book. I have read it but didn't really like it. I am a big fan of Ron Rosenbaum - but sometimes his writing is a little stuffy (like when he writes about Shakespeare). And I remember being a bit disappointed with the book - and also disappointed that the book essentially threw its hands up without coming to a conclusion.

I did skip parts of the book - so maybe I didn't give it a fair chance.

Post: #15

I've got the Official Nazi Translation of Mein Kampf

Its pretty shit.

Post: #16

Has anyone read 'The dark charisma of Adolf Hitler'? Apparently there is a BBC documentary that goes with it.

Post: #17

I have never heard of that series. Just looked it up - it came out in 2012. And was produced by Sir Lawrence Rees. He is the world's greatest documentary maker when it comes to the Nazis.

You can watch 'The Dark Charisma of Adolf Hitler' series here:

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=The+da...al&tbm=vid