A very good look at the beginnings of the Hitler years and ...
931897
A very good look at the beginnings of the Hitler years and how the Jews were eliminated without even realizing they were being exterminated .
3174651
A great overview of the early days of WWII.  The second book in series is even better.
4846121
This is a very good video to explain the whys of the immense popularity of Hitler and is helpful for young people to understand how he came to power.
1400948
This book provided more insight into a period of history that I know well than I could have imagined. I am very familiar with the basic storyline... Hitler's rise to power, the Western powers' willful disregard followed by the folly of appeasement. But this gave me context and behind the scenes insight that broadened my understanding. And it is a very good read!
1383171
This is a great read. Having read "Rise and Fall of the Third Reich" by Shirer several times, this book fills a number of gaps of that book. (Not that this is a criticism of that book.) This first half of Adolf Hitler goes into detail more of his personal life as a youth and his "alone" life in Vienna in his late teens and twenties. Extremely well done by the personal interviews of those who knew him. The war years give more personal insight into him than Shirer's book as I expected. A very good read to understand a totalitarian dictator.
4805418
This is the first book of a two volume biography of Adolf Hitler.  This is an outstanding pair, although the first volume is better than the second.  This first book covers the period from Hitler's birth in 1889 up to the reoccupation of the Rhineland in 1936; the second the period from 1936 until the end of WWII.  This pair (but particularly the first volume) is more than just a biography of Hitler:  Kershaw also weaves a detailed synthesis of how and why the Nazis came to power in Germany.  It is the latter aspect that really gives this pair enduring value.  As a biography, little new ground is covered, but as a description (and interpretation) of events, particularly between the wars, that led to Hitler and the Nazis taking power, this book may be unparalleled.

This is a well written, engaging book, and although dense and packed with information, is quite readable.  All of the major events of Hilter's early life are described (to the extent that specifics are known) including his early life and family, his aspirations of becoming an art student and life in Vienna, and his service in WWI.  It is after this introductory material where the real meat lies.  Much of the rest of the book is spent describing the political machinations of Hitler and the German Worker's party (NSDAP) as they transform themselves from a fringe ultra-nationalist party after WWI to seizing (or being given) power approximately 15 years later.  Kershaw outlines how the combination of cold calculation, ruthless action, indecision and hesitation by opponents, and simple luck all worked toward Hitler becoming the Fuhrer of Germany.  Many other aspect of Hitler's life and events surrounding his life are described including his time in prison, writing Mein Kampf, his relationship with Geli Raubal, and the destruction of Ernst Rohm and the SA.

There are several individual points of interest brought up by Kershaw that I think are particularly compelling.  First, Kershaw argues that while both Hitler and the Nazi party were products of their time, neither would have achieved their positions without the other.  In particular, national socialism probably would not have become a serious political force in post-WWI Germany without the demagogic oratory of Hitler, but Hitler was also a product of his times and reflected the hopes and desires of a larger group.

Second, I found it interesting that the National Socialists (and the right-wing ultranationalists in general) were looking toward a military dictatorship immediately after WWI.  They viewed themselves as preparing the way for a military hero from WWI to seize power, probably Ludendorff, and `save' Germany.  It wasn't until the mid-20s that Hitler really started to view himself as this leader.  Hitler's fervent belief and fiery oratory made it simple for him to step into this role, there were already a large group of followers waiting for the leader.

Third, another theme that Kershaw pursues is the idea of the `Fuhrer Cult'.  Once the Nazis became a national political force, there was a clear effort to paint a very positive image of Hitler, one of a great leader above politics who has the good of the country at heart and therefore should be trusted and not questioned.  The picture of the postcard `The Fuhrer as animal lover' is just ludicrious.

Overall, this is an outstanding book.  If you are looking for a biography of Hitler coupled with a clear explanation of how and why he and the National Socialists came to power in Germany, this book is what you are looking for.  This is a scholarly book, so it is rather dense, but well written and compelling.  It is easy to read and well worth the money.
2451134
an interesting and in depth look at canaris. a good read and gives an inside look at the inner workings of the nazi party, i highly recommend it
2372555
This book is brief, but has all the key information on the life of Hitler. The author does a good job at presenting the facts and stories in a very short snippets and you can easily read this in under an hour. There is much more interesting stuff about Hitler that did not make it in this book, but I think that this is a good concept and it has its value. This is more for the casual readers, history buffs will probably look for something more detailed.
2481922
If like me before I read this book, you don't know much about pre-WWII Germany, this is a good quick read on the social setting and politics of the time
474091
World War II and the rise of Nazism in Germany are certainly two very well covered topics. However, most history books pertaining to them deal with Germany on the national level, and so skim over or skip many of the details and minutia that contributed to their development. This book fills that gap by providing a detailed account of the rise of the Nazi party in a single town, and what happened to it after Hitler came to power.

This book, while very interesting and informative, is not meant to be read cover to cover by someone simply wanting to learn about history. Because of the limited scope of the book's study, no detail is omitted, so that much of the text deals with the back and forth of rallies and counter-rallies held by the NSDAP, the SPD, and the various other German parties. Such level of detail is hardly necessary for the average reader, but these parts can easily be skimmed, and overall the book paints a very detailed and informative picture of what life in late Weimar era Germany, the later the Third Reich, was like. It provides detailed explanations of the workings of the Nazi propaganda machine, of what politics were like in that period, what the divisions in German society were and how they shaped events, and so forth. Things that would only be mentioned in overview in a typical book on German history are given the space they deserve here, and so provide a much better understanding of the lives and motivations of ordinary Germans. Furthermore, the book gives brief summaries of what events were happening on the national level at the time, so you always have a clear understanding of the larger forces which drove local sentiment and activities.

I highly recommend this book to those interested in German history, just be aware of the specific focus of this book, as this level of detail may be unnecessary in some cases. Otherwise, enjoy. On the whole, this book reads pretty easily and is much more enjoyable and less dense than most history books I've read.
1085524
This was a first read from German point of view on the war for me. It shows how a dictator can fool the people but also how the people remain true to themselves.
227507
This is a good account of the early stages of Nazism.  Shirer was a complex guy albeit an excellent reporter.
3306469
This is a good story set against the backdrop of the rise of nazi Germany. What I found most interesting was the description of how they got the young people involved and how things went from bad to absolute tyranny. Good read.
2249556
This book is a fascinating collection of two major speeches by top Nazi leaders Adolf Hitler and Heinrich Himmler. These were secret speeches made to other Nazi commanders, not public ones, so it gives amazing insights into how these men really thought.

The first speech is by Himmler about Eastern Europe, focusing on Poland and the Ukraine. He discusses the history of the region in great detail, and Nazi fears that the people there will betray them. It shows how the Nazis were obsessed with strength and control over others, and feared that if they helped other regions develop, these areas would try to do the same to them.

The second speech is by Hitler, and is mostly about his goals as a leader and the challenges Nazi Germany faced. What shocked me most was when he said Jewish people were racially superior to Germans, because he believed they could destroy Germans. It shows how far Hitler took social darwinist, might-makes-right ideas, that he even labeled his own people as "inferior." He comes off here as having no affection for the German people themselves, only seeing them as tools to build his empire. I took some of his remarks as a sign that he was losing respect for the Germans because they were losing the war, since the speech is from 1944. I would say that Himmler comes off as more sympathetic in his speech (perhaps that's too strong a word!) than Hitler.

I thought the translations were easy to read, and the introductions were helpful. There is also a concluding chapter by the author,
discussing how Nazi Germany was defeated because its racist ideology isolated it, while the Allies had an international network of support
and many freedom fighters helping them. She describes how Communist leaders like Mao and Stalin tried to help their citizens, unlike Hitler
and the Nazi leaders, and so enjoyed much broader support and appeal. At the end, there are some interesting quotes from veterans about why the Nazis needed to be stopped. This chapter was worth the price of the book alone.

All in all I highly recommend this book. The author and translator here have done a great job of bringing to light these old speeches, and
reminding people of the evil these men will always represent.
776026
A good story of the pre WW II  days and the rise of the Third Reich. Bonhoeffer offers a look at the cruel persecution of the Jewish people and the harassment of most religious groups. The story was told in way that the reader could feel the
pain and frustration of the masses. It reminded me of another story based on history from the WW II era, Shindlers List
2649715
When I first started the book, I was not sure I wanted to read more about Nazi Germany and the horrible treatment of the Jews by Hitler and many German citizens. As I got further into the story, I kept reading because I liked the main characters in the book and wanted to know what happens to them.
4327199
Fascinating account of what it was like in Berlin during Hitler's rise to power and how these events were perceived to the outside world.  Given what we know now, it's easy for us to judge the German people who let such an evil man come to power.  This book makes it clear that this was not obvious to all at the time and many were inclined to give Hilter the benefit of the doubt when he claimed people were distorting his policies.  Overall, I enjoyed the perspective that I hadn't considered before and Larson's approach to telling the store.

I was not a fan of the ambassador's daughter - I'm not sure of Larson gave her an unsympathetic portrayal or if she really was the kind of person that the book depicted.  I thought there was a bit to much focus on her and her love-life.