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Hitler, 1936-1945: Nemesis (Allen Lane History)
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ASIN:
0140272399
Avg Rating
[5.0 Stars]
11 Reviews
Pub. 25-Oct-2001;
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£16.99
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Authors/Performers
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Ian Kershaw;
Product Description
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George VI thought him a "damnable villain" and Neville Chamberlain found him not quite a gentleman, but to the rest of the world Adolf Hitler has come to personify modern evil to such an extent that his biographers have always faced an unenviable task. The two most renowned biographies of Hitler--by Joachim C Fest (Hitler) and by Alan Bullock (Hitler: A Study in Tyranny)--painted a picture of individual tyranny which, in the words of AJP Taylor, left Hitler guilty and every other German innocent. Decades of scholarship on German society under the Nazis now make that verdict unsafe, and so the modern biographer of Hitler must account both for his terrible mindset and his charismatic appeal. In the second and final volume of his mammoth biography of Hitler, covering the climax of Nazi power, the reclamation of German-speaking Europe, and the horrific unfolding of the final solution in Poland and Russia, Ian Kershaw manages to achieve both these tasks. Following on from Hitler: Hubris 1889-1936 the epic Hitler: Nemesis 1936-1945 takes the reader from the adulation and hysteria of Hitler's electoral victory in 1936 to the obsessive and remote "bunker" mentality which enveloped the Fuhrer as Operation Barbarossa (the attack on Russia in 1942) proved the beginning of the end. Chilling yet objective: a definitive work.--Miles Taylor
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What can be said about this book that hasn't already been said? When partnered with it's counterpart, 1889-1936: Hubris, this represents the best, most definitive account of Hitler. The scale and scope of both of these books is tremendous, and covers every detail about his life in an exhaustively researched & accurate way.
Some reviewers have given negative reviews on this book, but these are mainly in relation to the military and events of the second world war. As Kershaw states in the introduction to these books, they are not an account of the second world war and how certain battles faired. As he states, there is already an exhaustive amount of work in relation to these out there, and besides, this is a book about Hitler, not what divisions the Waffen-SS was fielding on the Eastern Front in August 1944, for example. This is about Hitler and his actions/reactions to what was happening around him. In that respect, this book is flawless and also makes it slightly more interesting than the first book. Whilst the first book helps to explain Hitler himself a little more, it is the war-hitler that everyone seems to be interested in, which is where this books triumphs.
If you have even the slightest interest in this area of history, and even if you already own a Hitler book, I can still recommend this. It makes even more sense to buy it in conjunction with it's predecessor and make a discount!;
[Rating: 5 Stars]
As the book was published already some years ago, I have read it many times since. It certainly is the definitive account of Germany's war-years and Hitler's downfall. I enjoyed most Kershaw's healthy detachment from his subject - I would, maybe wrongly, ascribe it to what we believe is British coolness; more probably it is due to the advantage of being a foreigner and retelling some of another country's darkest hours. It can't be done well from within, you're getting too much involved with what it all meant to those who survived. But history is one thing and post-war ideological strife another, and it is best to keep both separate. Meanwhile, Kershaw's study of Hitler has been recognised as the standard account in Germany as well. In any case, when looking at Kershaw's achievement which must have cost him many years, I freeze in awe and ask myself: Who am I to praise his work? But certainly it merits only praise, because it is, not only for the moment, the most detailed, reliable, thoughtful and readable biography of Hitler; there is nothing more to be said for a long time to come. It is a irony of history that persons who least deserve it sometimes find the finest biographers. So it is in this case.;
[Rating: 5 Stars]
Having read both books I found this to be the more engaging but that is no reflection on the quality of the first. Rather I found as I assume most people would Hitler is at his most interesting and puzzling during the period 1936 - 1945. Together they form a superb and comprehensive biography on Hitler but they are also fine as stand alones. This is not a book about WWII but the events of WWII in relation to Hitler so people expecting a comprehensive summary of the war will be dissapointed. Some of the most significant events are covered in only a few pages i.e. the fall of France and the Ardennes offensive. However this is probably my only criticism and one which I have no right to make given that this is a biography of Hitler and not a history of the war. However it gives an superb 800 page insight into the man and the world he was surrounded by. Kershaws writing style is engaging and the level of research he has undertaken makes this a credible document. I would certainly recommend it as being the ultimate biography of a man who has his fair share of them. The world can be thankful that Mr Kershaw had no need for a third book on Hitler (1946 - ????) although its absence is a loss to readers of fine historical writing.;
[Rating: 5 Stars]
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