eBook Hitler: The Pictorial Documentary of His Life ePub

I first read this book in the early 1980s. It was my first big read (+1,000 pages - an impressive paperback to carry around). I recently saw that it was an exceedingly economical Kindle purchase and decided to read it again (over 30 years later). It is still an incredible work. I got more out of it the second time. The best reason to read it is that the author (now deceased) conducted numerous interviews in the 1960s and 1970s with various individuals that interacted with Hitler and around him, sources now also deceased. That detail comes through clearly in the narrative. I wouldn't suggest this as a first introduction to World War II. The various battles, operations, and actions are secondary to what was going on directly in Hitler's inner circle. So for example, you don't get a good overview of the Holocaust and its victims, but you are provided with remarkable detail on how various forces in the German hierarchy enabled it and contrasting opinions from individuals involved in the decision-making or on the sidelines. This doesn't diminish the evil, but it does provide insight on those that knew, those that were active in pursuing it, and those who were opposed, but helped enable it. I was particularly struck by how many of those people thought that England and the United States would approve because of anti-Semitic views voiced in those countries. It is not the complete story, but a vital piece for readers who want to know more.

I have read over 280 books on WWII in trying to understand why Hitler did what he did. I rated Laurence Rees book as the best I have ever read. One of the readers of my review of Rees book "The Nazis" said that Toland was the best and should be number one on a readers list. I decided to read Tolands book to compare to Rees book to decide for myself. I am now about a third through the 1200 page book and I have to agree that Tolands book is the best and most authorative of the Hitler period. It's like being there. I recommend Tolands book wholehardedly. Hard to put down but you need to take it slow to absorb the whole thing. In the book is a list of interviews with people around Hitler who he interviewed. In many cases it required several interviews with the same person to verify info obtained from a third source. It is no wonder that this book got a Pulitzer Prize for this meticulous researcher that was a just reward for five years of detailed research!!!!

A Review by Anthony T. Riggio of the book, “Adolph Hitler: The Definitive Biography, written by John Toland.

I purchased this book from Amazon in the Kindle edition. This book was well over a thousand pages and probably would be very intimidating in its bound edition. Reading this book took a bit longer than usual as I had to stop and research via other sources word, phrases and geographical locations. This is one of the limitations of reading a historical or nonfiction book where you cannot easily flip to an index, glossary or map renditions.

People asked me why would I read a book about such a monstrous character in history and my response was as simple as “this is history” and it relates to events before and after World War II and it also impacted on me personally when my time in the Army was extended due to the Berlin Wall crisis in 1961.

Mr. Toland related the life and rise to power of a very interesting historical person who accumulated power by sheer will power. Hitler was a very average German character in his beginning life. He had, like most families, issues that did influenced his adulthood but the experiences were not unlike many Germanic people of his era. While born an Austrian, his affinity was to the German heritage and the future of Germany as he imagined it at that time. His veterancy of the Great War (World War I) effected his life and future actions in no small way.

His early goals were to be an artist but he was denied entrance to the Art University as his talents were not recognized worthy enough (though in any other country or time, he had enough skills or natural abilities to make a fairly good living). While his passions were toward politics, they were negatively impacted by his near do well attitude may have slowed his advancements in this or any vocation.

World War I sensitized his dreams of having political influence on his adopted country of Germany and as his adult life progressed he adopted a Bohemian life style and was influenced by some emerging thoughts of government and began socializing with some of these radical thinkers.

Once he realized where his skills and abilities were, he progressed at record speeds to positions of political notoriety by sheer will power and his incredible ability to be an orator. His speeches were both hypnotic and motivationally forceful enough to develop a hard core of followers who recognized his leadership abilities.

At one point his thoughts and ideas put him in conflict with government and was convicted of social disruptions and sentenced to jail. Because his crimes were political in nature, he was allowed certain privileges denied to common criminals. During this period he wrote his plan for government “Mein Kemp”. Had the people read this before his meteoric rise to power they may have thought twice about promoting his political aspirations. After, he became powerful, he was like a “rock star” and his book became most popular and enhanced his wealth.

Through pure force of character and oratory skills he wooed the German people into accepting his vision of Germany and his view of the stringent and punitive reparations imposed on Germany after the Great War.

Central to his philosophy of rule was the almost universal blaming of Germany’s suffering to the Jews, not only of Germany but of Europe and even the United States of America. This Anti-Semitism lubricated the operations of government and the social order to negative heights and thoughts. The Jews became the accepted scapegoat for all the woes resulting from the Great War and Hitler’s imagined view of both governmental and economic life in Germany.
As Hitler accumulated increasing power that the people gave him, he became a megalomaniac and believed he was destined by divine right to rule Germany and her expanding Reich. Through his belief in the need to increase geographic growth needed for the German people , it became the Genesis for the most horrific conflict in the history of man.
Hitler’s manipulation of his own people grew so did his ability to leap diplomatic hurdles and intimidated many countries and because many of these countries were cognizant of the abusive reparations from the Great War, there was this sense of guilt of the treatment of Germany and an almost unconscious acceptance of Germany’s martial spirit and expansion of her boarders.
The control of Germany’s military further enhanced his self-importance and his war decisions impacted on Germany’s abilities to make war and ultimately to defend her nationhood.

While many dwell on Hitler’s megalomania, it is evident that his far reaching thoughts of political ambitions were to some extent, nationalistic in nature. His pathological views of the Jews would be judged subsequently by both man, history and God.

I believe this book is a worthy study of both Germany and the history of World War II; it is also a study of human nature and corruptibility of absolute power.

I rated this book with five stars and recommend it highly as a definitive work of both biography and history.

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.

This book is as relevant today as when it was written decades ago. It's most fascinating for the way that it illuminates the people around Hitler as utterly unable to deal with a sociopath; despite their worldly experience and great savvy, they just can't seem to believe that Hitler is not sincere - that he can't be reasoned with. Astonishingly, we have not learned this lesson.

As a work of journalism, It's finely balanced. It depicts Hitler as a human being with a childhood and friends. It's as close to judgment-free as anything I've ever read, leaving the reader to draw his own conclusions. You could be a Jew or a Nazi and read this with equal satisfaction.