Hitler"The leading nonfiction best seller in Germany since its publication, with translations in preparation in seventeen countries, Mr. Fest's monumental work on the most fateful historical figure of our time stands out as a towering achievement. Absorbingly readable, it tells and interprets the extraordinarily dramatic story of a man's and nation's rise from impotence and insignificance to a brief period of absolute power, as Germany and Hitler, from shared premises, entered into their covenant. Convincingly, Fest exhibits the true source of Hitler's overwhelming dynamism, the basis of his stupendous initial success in peace and war, and finally the real effects of his policies to this day ... The Germany of the times comes vividly alive with its contrasts of misery and grandiosity, with its fierce strife and the varied company of both is good and evil figures. The preliminaries of World War II are unraveled with skillful lucidity, Hitler's purposeful actions contrasted with the hesitancy or hubris of his opponents. In the last analysis, however, Fest uncovers in Hitler a constantly destructive personality who aimed at and achieved destruction on an unprecedented scale, not least because an insecure world gave him opportunities. In a final irony, he changed the world irrevocably, though now as he wished or foresaw, for all of us."--Jacket |
Contents
Background and Departure | 13 |
The Shattered Dream | 24 |
The Granite Foundation | 36 |
Copyright | |
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Common terms and phrases
Adolf Hitler Albert Speer alliance Allied anti-Semitism army attack Bavarian began Berlin bourgeois British Brüning cabinet called campaign Chancellor commander Communist decision declared defeat Dietrich Eckart early election enemy England Ernst Röhm Europe fact fear force foreign France front Führer Gauleiter German Germany's Goebbels Göring Gregor Strasser headquarters Himmler Hindenburg Hugenberg idea ideological Jews July Kahr Kampf later leader leadership March masses meeting Mein Kampf military Minister mood movement Munich Mussolini National Socialism National Socialist nationalist Nazism never November NSDAP Obersalzberg officers once organization Papen plans Poland political President propaganda racial radical regime Reich Reichstag Reichswehr remark republic revolution revolutionary Richard Wagner Röhm Rudolf Hess Russia Schleicher seemed sense slogans Social Democratic Soviet Union speech Speer spoke struggle tactical tion took Treaty troops turned victory Vienna Völkische wanted whole