Rating: 
Summary: A convincing, fascinating read
Review: Another Hitler book? Aren't there enough already? That's what I thought, til I read this. This is a fascinating story about the Vienna in which Hitler created his vision and plans. This is the Vienna of Adler and Freud, of coffee houses and intellectual debate. But did the young Hitler live in this mileiu from 1908 - 1913? Or was he relegated to Vienna's lower class and working class neighborhoods. What was life like there among the poor, single men? Were there any Jewish professors at the Visual Arts school he attended? (no) With the newly won right to vote, what kind of pan-German politicians caught the attention of the poor masses and of a young Hitler? What books and newspapers would he have read? How did Vienna's architecture influence Hitler's ideas symbolic art? How did Georg Schonerer affect Hitler's later ideas? Is this where he learned about anti-Semitism? A fascinating read that just draws you in.
Rating: 
Summary: The key to Mein Kampf
Review: Brigitte Hamann has done a remarkable thing with this book. By examining Vienna during Hitler's formative years, she has unlocked a lot of mystery surrounding the great man himself. While it is true that she uncovered discrepancies in Hitler's description of those years in Mein Kampf, her real contribution is in helping the reader to understand what Hitler was talking about, and why he said the things he said. Particularly useful is Hamann's analysis of the prominent politicians of the day. She first described these leaders and their political ups and downs. Then, with the testimony of the witnesses who knew Hitler during those years, she deftly draws a picture of the formative influences that helped shape the mature dictator. Hitler was obsessed with politics and he learned what worked and what did not work during those early years in Vienna. Many of his later policies first saw the light of day in the Vienna of his youth. There is a chilling passage about the problem of gypsy pickpockets expected for the 60 Anniversary Parade in honor of Emperor Franz Joseph, in 1908. One solution, seriously presented in Parliament at the time, was to tattoo a number on the forearm of every gypsy. Hamann also provides an in-depth analysis of the Austro-Hungarian attempt at a multi-ethnic parliamentarism, the chaos and the inefficiency that it brought, and the consequent neglect for the common people. The Pan-German movement, which clearly influenced the young Hitler is clearly explained in considerable detail. At times while reading this book, I had to pause and remind myself that the period under review presaged the rise of Adolf Hitler to power by some 20 years! Out of the murk emerges Hitler as a young man obsessed by politics, hot tempered, forceful in argument, with poor work habits, odd hours, and a penchant for talk. Hamann's decision to look at the politics that helped him to formulate his world view is brilliant history. This fascinating book is very worthy of your attention.
Rating:
Summary: The key to Mein Kampf
Review: Brigitte Hamann has done a remarkable thing with this book. By examining Vienna during Hitler's formative years, she has unlocked a lot of mystery surrounding the great man himself. While it is true that she uncovered discrepancies in Hitler's description of those years in Mein Kampf, her real contribution is in helping the reader to understand what Hitler was talking about, and why he said the things he said. Particularly useful is Hamann's analysis of the prominent politicians of the day. She first described these leaders and their political ups and downs. Then, with the testimony of the witnesses who knew Hitler during those years, she deftly draws a picture of the formative influences that helped shape the mature dictator. Hitler was obsessed with politics and he learned what worked and what did not work during those early years in Vienna. Many of his later policies first saw the light of day in the Vienna of his youth. There is a chilling passage about the problem of gypsy pickpockets expected for the 60 Anniversary Parade in honor of Emperor Franz Joseph, in 1908. One solution, seriously presented in Parliament at the time, was to tattoo a number on the forearm of every gypsy. Hamann also provides an in-depth analysis of the Austro-Hungarian attempt at a multi-ethnic parliamentarism, the chaos and the inefficiency that it brought, and the consequent neglect for the common people. The Pan-German movement, which clearly influenced the young Hitler is clearly explained in considerable detail. At times while reading this book, I had to pause and remind myself that the period under review presaged the rise of Adolf Hitler to power by some 20 years! Out of the murk emerges Hitler as a young man obsessed by politics, hot tempered, forceful in argument, with poor work habits, odd hours, and a penchant for talk. Hamann's decision to look at the politics that helped him to formulate his world view is brilliant history. This fascinating book is very worthy of your attention.
Rating:
Summary: Lots of information, that is often overlooked...
Review: Hitler's Europe was frightful and real. Was Hitler the incarnation of evil? Hamann is trying to let us all know that a desperate young man created a role for himself and then became its prisoner. The monster. A monster is very powerful. There are lots of wanna-be's, and that's the real trouble. Worse, lots of people try to create scary roles for themselves; that's why this book is so valuable. It may set your teeth on edge to read that as a boy Adolf Hitler was frail, gentle and had Jewish friends. He was so poor he had to borrow shoes to go to a lecture about his fictional hero, an American Indian. He was devoted to his mother - and she to him - and they often went hungry. His way out was acting, which involved self-consciously hypnotic gestures and diction. And catch-phrases. Of course that's not the image the world now has - the super-fiend born directly from hell. But we would all be better off with the truth.
Rating:
Summary: History's Boris Karloff
Review: Hitler's Europe was frightful and real. Was Hitler the incarnation of evil? Hamann is trying to let us all know that a desperate young man created a role for himself and then became its prisoner. The monster. A monster is very powerful. There are lots of wanna-be's, and that's the real trouble. Worse, lots of people try to create scary roles for themselves; that's why this book is so valuable. It may set your teeth on edge to read that as a boy Adolf Hitler was frail, gentle and had Jewish friends. He was so poor he had to borrow shoes to go to a lecture about his fictional hero, an American Indian. He was devoted to his mother - and she to him - and they often went hungry. His way out was acting, which involved self-consciously hypnotic gestures and diction. And catch-phrases. Of course that's not the image the world now has - the super-fiend born directly from hell. But we would all be better off with the truth.
Rating:
Summary: Unexpected new information.
Review: I have spend a couple of years researching Hitler. I began to stop when I found that none of the books was giving me any new information. Hamann's book is an exception. She has researched extensively in Vienna and found records and witnesses that no other book in English has reported. An excellent book.
Rating:
Summary: Lots of information, that is often overlooked...
Review: I oftened wondered about Hitler's upbringing in the men's hostels, and this vividly tells how that episode of his life may have been. There is also a section called THEORETICIANS OF RACE AND EXPLAINERS OF THE WORLD (one of the shortest chapters)which might be of interest to anyone who has read _Occult Roots of Nazism_,with a short description of Guido von List, and Lancz von Liebenfels. Good for the number of first hand accounts and cross-references that establish a credible history of who Hitler was around 1910.
Rating:
Summary: A great book
Review: I read this book in German and I found it to be one of the most insightful books on Hitler ever. Having lived in Vienna myself, it was fascinating to see the influence of the city on him and how his speeches and writing reflected what he read in the newspaper during his time in Vienna. The book does not, however, solve the mystery of his evilness.
Rating:
Summary: Good book, but the original is better!
Review: I really liked this book as it offered some new facts as opposed to regurgitating the same points already in circulation about Hitler and his youth. Hamann is a great historian of our time, and those of you fluent in German would be well advised to get ahold of this book in the original.
Rating:
Summary: Good book, but the original is better!
Review: I really liked this book as it offered some new facts as opposed to regurgitating the same points already in circulation about Hitler and his youth. Hamann is a great historian of our time, and those of you fluent in German would be well advised to get ahold of this book in the original.
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