“Magisterial . . . anyone who wishes to understand the Third Reich must read Kershaw.â€â€•Niall Ferguson “The Hitler biography of the twenty-first century†(Richard J. Evans); Ian Kershaw’s Hitler is a one-volume masterpiece that will become the standard work. From Hitler’s origins as a failed artist in fin-de-siecle Vienna to the terrifying last days in his Berlin bunker; Kershaw’s richly illustrated biography is a mesmerizing portrait of how Hitler attained; exercised; and retained power. Drawing on previously untapped sources; such as Goebbels’s diaries; Kershaw addresses the crucial questions about the unique nature of Nazi radicalism; about the Holocaust; and about the poisoned European world that allowed Hitler to operate so effectively. 151 photos; 8 maps
#1201700 in Books 2002-11-17 2002-11-17Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 8.30 x 1.00 x 5.50l; .71 #File Name: 0393323633368 pages
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Past and PrologueBy demarus "angstrom buff"Well written - by a scholar whose comprehension of the various topics is excellent.On the other hand; he has put many disparate things into the same pot.It's clear to me that the author is more at home in historical matters thanin literary ones. It wasn't "Schnitzler's Century". As the author himself made clear;Schnitzler was one of many outstanding creative writers who passed over the continentalstage in Europe in those hundred years The author has dealt frankly with Schnitzler's extensiveliaisons; and more generally with socio-sexual matters in this period; and with the devastatingeffects of STDs when there was little effective treatment. An interesting book; worthwhile reading.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. and I recommend it to the lay readerBy DAVID K ROGERSBy utilizing Mr. Schnitzler's biographical info; Gay tells the story of his century in a most personal way; while never losing touch of the institutional matters that are needed to round out the study.Gay is an accomplished and versatile writer; plus being an historian of impeccable qualities. This is a book which is both interesting and highly informative; and I recommend it to the lay reader.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. An overview of an overviewBy Adam HPeter Gay gives the reader a quick breeze over the psyche of the middle classes across industrialized Europe during the latter half of the long 19th century (despite the years given on the cover.) The book categorizes the various aspects that historians often consider the main themes of bourgeois experience; and then expounds upon each of them in a concise manner (albeit filled with detail and two-sentence anecdotes.) The reader should be prepared with a wealth of resources - namely Google - if he or she is unfamiliar with 19th century European literature; because Gay makes frequent references to works that extend beyond the basic oeuvre of common knowledge. Overall; it is a fairly light read and incredibly enlightening not just about people of the past but also about the becomings of our own psychosocial state; all without making one feel he or she is reading a textbook.
