Goebbels: Mastermind of the Third Reich

Rating:
Summary: an unfairly criticised, in-depth biography of an evil man
Review: I found Irving's book to be well-informed and highly readable; criticisms of Mr. Irving's interest in Goebbels' private life fail to take into account the often crucial bearing Goebbels shortcomings and problems in his private life had on the decisions he made in his capacity of minister of the Third Reich, and are thus unfounded. Certainly anything which helps us to understand how a man can perpetrate such cruelty and suffering is welcome material. Also, Mr. Irving is criticsed for not adhering to the orthodox views passed down by historians on many crucial issues of Nazi history, but his conclusions are certainly supported by evidence (as his embarrasingly copious notation attests) and should be read widely and commented on, if only to refute with stronger evidence by other capable historians, not effectively barred from publication, as his book has been here in the U.S.A. After all, wasn't it helpful to have Daniel Goldhagen's book, "Hitler's Willing Executioners," published so that other learned men (e.g. N. Finklestein) could forcefully demonstrate the folly of Goldhagen's ridiculous thesis? For this reason alone, if not for many others, Irving's book deserves to be widely read.

Rating:
Summary: New insights into the Nazi hierarchy
Review: In his biography of Joseph Goebbels David Irving has provided some masterful and provocative insights into the inner workings of the Nazi hierarchy. However, the book is sometimes confusingly organized and Irving's use of the present tense when describing past events can be irritating and seem a bit amaturish in so seasoned a writer.

With these caveats in mind, this is still an important book and necessary reading for any student of World War II. Mr. Irving is neither a Holocaust denier nor a proponent of the Nazis or their ideology; he simply has a different point of view. It's amazing how vociferous and censorious the academic history establishment can become when their 'established' truths are challenged; and in this book, Mr. Irving has done just that.

Rating:
Summary: Europe's Machiavelli
Review: It's amusing in the extreme to see so many people froth at the mouth over David Irving. If he is "so discredited," why is he thrown such a fit about? The fact of the matter is that history should never be written about until fifty years after the occurences in question.

Remember, Watergate was first derided as lunatic conspiracy theory, and one that eventually toppled Richard M. Nixon...

Here, Irving neither "apologizes" for Nazi Germany or its architects, nor does he simply goose-step in unison with the current gospel according to the cereal box. What he has done was to obtain 1,200 plates of glass upon which were written heretofore unavailable Goebbels diaries entries, that were "missing" when Louis Lochner released his work of Goebbels' diaries circa 1943-1945, and utilize them to take the reader into the mind of the man who was Hitler's "false prophet."

A brilliant portrait of a perverse, twisted and sad soul that impacted the world in an (ultimately) destructive fashion.

I suggest you read, and judge for yourself.

I suggest you read, and decide for yourself.

Rating:
Summary: its fiction, not history
Review: Unfortunately, this interesting bit of history relies on fictional details to support its larger claims. There is documentation about the falsities in this volume that came to light at David Irvings libel trial in London that removes any value to this book other than the interesting and fascinating way that Mr. Irving is able to weave his stories. If you like other WWII fiction you might enjoy this. If you are looking for REAL history then you are better off reading Goebbels diary entries in their original German than relying on David Irvings misguided attempt to channel the Third Reichs thinkers in this book.