Rise And Fall Of The Third Reich

Great book but really inconvenient to read

At more than eleven hundred pages, this is the lengthiest book I have ever read.As the book cover says, this is an epic which everyone should read. The author described vividly and in a lucid language the rise of Hitler, the governance of his regime for twelve years and his fall when Hitler committed suicide in his bunker in Berlin. It is fascinating to know how Hitler lied all along to the world and his people, typical of any dictator. My request to any person who even remotely thinks positively about authoritarian government, read this book, contemplate and introspect.

A comprehensive review of the rise and fall of the most evil empire ever to inhabit this world. Written clearly from that of an eye witness, Shirer was a CBS correspondent in Berlin, the author lays bare the morally weak ruling class of Germany. The German generals and the Prussian aristocracy, from which many of them came from, were no match for the wily and sinister Austrian corporal. Shirer's gift is his ability to show how a man hellbent on destruction was able to make mincemeat of a morally weak elite. The tragedy is how easily such an evil man as Hitler was able to manipulate the German ruling class for his own ends and in doing so bring a whole nation to its knees - and the Prussian Generals beloved Germany to complete destruction. In once sense this book is very sad because as you read it you can see a nation, not unlike our own, heading towards destruction with no one able to put the brakes on. With many of Hitler's enemies locked up or killed in the early years of the Third Reich it was impossible for the Germans to do it. In England, Baldwin and Chamberlains pathetic whimpers and overtones played into the hands of Nazi foreign policy. They were no match for Hitler and served only to fuel the rise of Nazism. France was in turmoil with riots on the streets and successive governments coming and going. They had their chance to send Hitler packing during the occupation of the Rhineland but Paris was in turmoil. At that time the Wehrmacht was no match for the French Army. There were many chances to get rid of Hitler in his early years but as the years passed it became more and more apparent that only a war on a scale hitherto unseen was necessary - terribly frightening for peace loving people in Europe (incl. Germany). I think this book shows how often this world can teeter on the brink and how important knowing your history is - there are more Hitlers to come. As the old saying goes 'those who don't know their history are condemned to repeat it' rings so true. A great book well written.

Attention !!!! Vous ne sortirez pas intact de cet imposant ouvrage.L'oeuvre d'une vie, et un vrai ouvrage historique. Ecrit comme un roman, mais avec la précision chirurgicale d'un travail scientifique.Plusieurs constats à la lecture de cet ouvrage majeur. On y prend des leçons de vie fondamentales, notamment que le nazisme n'a pas été stricto senso "inventé" par Hitler: il a tiré profit d'un terreau historique vieux de plus de 70 ans. Un tel mouvement ne sait pas naître de rien.C'est une société dans son ensemble qui à permis cela, pas un seul homme. Dès lors, nous qui nous vivons si justes,de quels malheurs futurs sommes-nous aujourd'hui les géniteurs ?????Autre constat, et terrifiant, c'est la variabilité de la notion de droitesse. Cette histoire met en avant en effet ce terrible - et très bref - vers de Racine, "tout était juste alors". Etre antisémite à l'époque, "c'était juste". Envahir la Pologne, "c'était juste", massacrer les handicapés mentaux, "c'était juste".....Et puis 12 ans après, voila que ca ne l'est plus. Comment une population peut-elle aussi aisément se laisser entraîner ?Comment des êtres normaux peuvent-ils si aisément devenir des monstres, et puis redevenir "normaux"? Qui sommes-nous ?????Il serait salutaire de faire lire ce livre en humanité. Les jeunes doivent le lire. Aujourd'hui, analogiquement, beaucoup de facteurs sociologiques ayant permis ce désastre sont bien présents dans nos sociétés. la bête immonde n'est qu'assoupie, elle guête et attend son heure, celle que d'ignorants humains, oublieux de l'hsitoire, ne verront pas surgir. Christ vivant, pourquoi l'humanité t'as t'elle oublié ?

Excellent