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The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich

A History of Nazi Germany

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The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich

By: William L. Shirer
Narrated by: Grover Gardner
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About this listen

Since its publication in 1960, William L. Shirer’s monumental study of Hitler’s German empire has been widely acclaimed as the definitive record of the twentieth century’s blackest hours. The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich offers an unparalleled and thrillingly told examination of how Adolf Hitler nearly succeeded in conquering the world. With millions of copies in print around the globe, it has attained the status of a vital and enduring classic.

Now, years after the end of World War II, it may seem incredible that our most valued institutions, and way of life, were threatened by the menace that Hitler and the Third Reich represented. Shirer’s description of events and the cast of characters who played such pivotal roles in defining the course Europe was to take is unforgettable.

Benefiting from his many years as a reporter, and thus a personal observer of the rise of Nazi Germany, and availing himself of some of the 485 tons of documents from the German Foreign Office, as well as countless other diaries, phone transcriptions, and other written records meticulously kept at every level by the Germans, Shirer has put together a brutally objective account of how Hitler wrested political control of Germany, and planned and executed his six-year quest to dominate the world, only to see Germany go down in flames.

The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich is a vast, richly rewarding experience for anyone who wants to come to grips with the mysterious question of how this menace to civilization ever came into being, much less was sustained for as long as it was. The answer, unfortunately, is that most of Germany, for a whole host of reasons, embraced Nazism and the fanaticism that Hitler engendered.

©1990 William L. Shirer (P)2010 Blackstone Audio, Inc.
Germany Military War Hungary Interwar Period Prisoners of War Imperialism Scary Thought-Provoking Royalty Holocaust Refugee Winston Churchill King Self-Determination
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Editor reviews

Beautifully crafted prose and an astounding degree of research have been put into one of the leading Nazi Germany audiobooks written to date - The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich: A History of Nazi Germany by well-known and respected American journalist, war correspondent and historian, William L. Shirer. Shirer’s deeply informative and absorbing writing is narrated by prominent American audio performer Grover Gardiner. Listeners are given a thoroughly researched and hugely informative look at the factors that contributed to the rise of Hitler’s Third Reich, of the resulting atrocities and the events that caused its ultimate downfall. Available now from Audible.

Critic reviews

“One of the most important works of history of our time.” ( The New York Times)
”A splendid work of scholarship, objective in method, sound in judgment, inescapable in its conclusions.” ( The New York Times Book Review)

What listeners say about The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich

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Not to be forgotten

There can be no greater horror than that of Nazis Germany, the words in this book tell that story.

Read and never forget.

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Magnificent Account of Humanity's Darkest Days

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

You may have thought that you'd heard everything there was to hear about this period but I have never come across such a complete account. What makes this book particularly powerful is that Shirer was actually in Germany at the time. This is not just a rehashing of books and films that we all know. He uses a lot of first hand sources and his personal perspective really brings the whole thing to life. He is merciless in his analysis but I enjoyed the fact that he doesn't mince his words. Despite its length, this is a compelling listen that nobody who is interested in 20th Century history should miss.

Who was your favorite character and why?

William L.Shirer. I love his personal assessment of those involved on all sides. He is not afraid to judge. It's very well written book and Shirer comes across as a very intelligent commentator.

Which character – as performed by Grover Gardner – was your favourite?

Well this is not a fiction but obviously the central character is Adolf Hitler.

If you made a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

You couldn't make a film. It would have to be a series.

Any additional comments?

I was worried that it might seem dated and that much might still have been unknown when it was written, but this was not an issue for me. The fact that Shirer had seen these people in the flesh was more than adequate compensation for any missing details that were not known at the time. This was a powerful listening experience that I will never forget. I would recommend it to anyone.

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Brilliant historical book

Despite the grisly story of the 3rd reich, this book was fascinating and so thorough. The narration was perfect for the subject matter.

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Great history

A bit dated. Some new facts have emerged since it was written but still a great book.

The fact that he knew most of the leading historical characters and lived in Nazi Germany and saw events personally gives it an edge over purely historical histories of the Third Reich.

Would recommend this without hesitation.

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A Seminal Work, Well worth the time spent

William L. Shirer was a uniquely placed individual. As CBS's European correspondent he met the Nazi leadership and observed the events leading up to war. He witnessed the French surrender. He escaped from mainland Europe when he was tipped off that the Gestapo were preparing to arrest him for espionage. After the war the Allies captured tons of documents that the Nazis failed to destroy and his work is based on these documents, dairies and witness accounts of the barbaric occupation of Europe. Even as an avid student of this period of history I still came away with new insights on the conduct of the war. Hitler doomed his invasion of Russia when, in a fit of pique, he turned his forces against Yugoslavia in revenge for an uprising. The rest, as they say, is history. Shirer relates well the evidence of Hitler's mental breakdown as he approached his final, well-deserved demise.

Two minor criticisms. The narrator's American pronunciation was a little grating at times especially of place names (Moss-cow instead of Moss-co for example. Also, it is really annoying (and this is with all Audible Books) that the chapters are not named but numbered. This makes it impossible to navigate your way through the book and if you were using it as a reference then be prepared to spend many hours going back and forth until you reach the period in time that you are looking for.

At 57 hours, this is a major listen but well worth the effort

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A True Classic !

Any additional comments?

I really enjoyed this book. It goes into the history of the Third Reich in detail. Unfortunately it is still very relevant today. It was a long listen (57 hrs) but well worth it. I often went for a walk outside or stayed in my car longer just to listen to the story.

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Hghly reccommended

The book is for people that want to learn in detail the history of Nazi Germany. It 's a must for those who want to know / understand why we make wrong decisions at all levels. Hitler could have been stopped at a very early stage, both within Germany and later by the French and the British. Wrong decissions let to the 2nd world war.

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Outstanding and Essential

One of the most important history books based upon captured documents written. The audible version is narrated with care and brings atmosphere to its content.

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Best history book

The best history book I’ve ever read! I learnt a lot about Nazi Germany and WWII. The details of some dialogues make them very real and I could imagine many situations. Franz Halder with his diaries helped a lot.

Grover Gardner narration is superb as always.

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A fantastic read!

This is my first Audible purchase and it's wonderful! I read this book in hard copy many years ago and Grover Gardner's narration really brings it alive, with no annoying mispronunciations. This book has been my companion on many running sessions and has helped the miles fly by. It is also incredibly good value especially when bought via subscription - I would recommend it to anyone!

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