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Hitler
- A Biography
- Narrated by: Damian Lynch
- Length: 44 hrs and 7 mins
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Hitler
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Summary
Hailed as the most compelling biography of the German dictator yet written, Ian Kershaw's Hitler brings us closer than ever before to the heart of its subject's immense darkness.
From his illegitimate birth in a small Austrian village to his fiery death in a bunker under the Reich chancellery in Berlin, Adolf Hitler left a murky trail, strewn with contradictory tales and overgrown with self-created myths. One truth prevails: the sheer scale of the evils that he unleashed on the world has made him a demonic figure without equal in the 20th century.
Ian Kershaw's Hitler brings us closer than ever before to the character of the bizarre misfit in his 30-year ascent from a Viennese shelter for the indigent to uncontested rule over the German nation that had tried and rejected democracy in the crippling aftermath of World War I. With extraordinary vividness, Kershaw recreates the settings that made Hitler's rise possible: the virulent anti-Semitism of prewar Vienna, the crucible of a war with immense casualties, the toxic nationalism that gripped Bavaria in the 1920s, the undermining of the Weimar Republic by extremists of the Right and the Left and the hysteria that accompanied Hitler's seizure of power in 1933 and then mounted in brutal attacks by his storm troopers on Jews and others condemned as enemies of the Aryan race.
In an account drawing on many previously untapped sources, Hitler metamorphoses from an obscure fantasist, a "drummer" sounding an insistent beat of hatred in Munich beer halls, to the instigator of an infamous failed putsch and, ultimately, to the leadership of a ragtag alliance of right-wing parties fused into a movement that enthralled the German people.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- D. Kelly
- 20-12-15
Outstanding biography of a purely evil regime
In depth, Informative and compelling
This biography of Hitler and the third Reich surpasses anything else written previously about this man and this moment in history. The sheer barbarity of the regime is compelling and that a country as civilised and cultured as Germany could be enthralled by theses gangsters for more than a decade makes one fear that it could happen anywhere and again
A highly recommended read for anyone interested in history and the fragility of political life!
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4 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Jay
- 13-02-19
Essential reading for the generations
Thoroughly recommended, scholarly yet accessible. Free of hyperbole even when outlining the darkest moments of the third reich. A little disappointed that the far right canard is used when the text does clearly outline the toxic mix of germanic nationalism and revolutionary socialism, but that does not merit docking the rating in any way
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Tommy
- 07-12-17
Flawless and spellbinding
A flawless and spellbinding work, especially allowing for the repellent nature of its subject and his demoralising legacy. Even at 44 hours long, it was if anything too short.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- D.C.
- 10-04-20
A masterful work, excellently narrated.
Ian Kershaw's abridged biography of Hitler is a masterpiece of dispassionate, meticulous, scholarly - and nonetheless riveting - analysis of the life of one of the most controversial men in history. Damian Lynch's narration is pitch-perfect, suited to the academic nature of the work while adding life and colour to what is a marathon of a listen. I particularly enjoyed Lynch's use of a subtle change of inflection when reading the frequent direct quotations from Hitler himself and Goebbels's diaries, as well as superb American drawl when relating the reflections of William Shirer. All in all, an excellent work - well written and well read.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Rhys
- 23-04-19
Chilling book excellently written and read
Excellent book that is as chilling as it is informative. The reading of the book is excellent. Would highly recommend.
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- Weathers 83
- 23-10-19
Long but never dull
Astonishingly interesting, scary and terrifying in equal measure. Even after listening to this it's still hard to imagine how Hitler managed to hoodwink an entire nation into his warped beliefs. This book should help everybody in today's world understand the dangers of right wing popularism
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- C.i.lawson
- 16-02-19
Long Listen
Incredibly detailed account with a huge amount of detail from many sources but especially diaries. If you have an interest in this period of history the details of Hitler the man are impressive. His ability to inspire such loyalty & following through largely the power of oratory is astonishing. If social media had existed in the 1930s he probably wouldn’t have survived!
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- E P
- 19-03-19
Outstanding biography of Evil
This combining of two hefty volumes into one is a triumph. Gets under the skin of the man that defined the second half of the twentieth century, whose shadow still falls on us today.
Best explanation of how a civilised and cultured people could descend into inhumanity and depravity I have read
Great use of newly material
I think it will be a long time before a more compelling biography of Hitler comes along
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- WadeW
- 08-03-17
Hitler,The rise and fall
This book was amazing,it tells you the very beginnings of Hitler from his dad changing the family name,how Hitler was a bit of a dreamer in his younger days,His time as a homeless man,serving his time in the 1st world war,His rise in the nazi party,his relationships with the public and the people closest to him,and obviously the 2nd world war the victories and the crushing defeats.The Narrator Damian Lynch was brilliant very engaging,all in all this book hit the spot
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- Anna Gajecka
- 21-09-20
Great book, worth listening.
Great book, long - but worth listening. The only remark I would have is the pronouncing Polish cities names, that was not always correct.
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