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Summary: A Response...
Review: I have just finished reading Mr. Shirer's work. I found it utterly fascinating on many levels...- the author's prejudices, foibles, weaknesses AND strengths are out front on every page. For me, the inhumane horrors of the Third Reich become more real as seen through the eyes of the all too human Mr. Shirer.
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Summary: History In The Making
Review: Since the time of Herodotus, the debate has always raged as to the distance someone must have from an event in order to objectively cover it historically.
If too far away in time or place, the historian cannot be expected to fully grasp what has happened. He or she would probably not have the right access to the documents and wouldn't truly know what it was like.
On the other hand, if you live during an event, you develop biases. Other reviewers have often commented (either favorably or not) on Shirer's biases in this book. Some are explicit, such as when his repeated value judgments on the evil nature of the Third Reich. Others are more insidious, such as when he refers to Hitler's cronies as bungling, stupid, piggish, etc. when these characteristics have nothing to do with the event he is describing.
Shirer makes very clear his bias in his introduction when he states that totalitarian dictatorships are abhorrent to him. They are, in truth, abhorrent to almost everyone nowadays, yet most modern historians would not portray the facts with quite so much bias, in this case directly as a result of the author's terrible experiences living in the Third Reich.
In addition, his biases towards others also sometimes raise their heads. He is very quick to point out the homosexuality of early Nazis, as if this is a universally acknowledged weakness in their character. He describes them as therefore perverted and even at one point makes reference to their inability to adequately lead directly due to their sexual "perversions." While garrishly outdated, this particular bias serves to outline some of the others that Shirer, albeit not purposely, sprinkles through the book.
However, while biases in this book do sometimes color the facts, the sheer number of facts is staggering and completely convincing. The access Shirer had to important people who lived through (and died during) the Third Reich is simply astounding. While I might not believe Shirer when he says that Foreign Minister Ribbentrop was a bungling arrogant stupid diplomat, I certainly believe it after getting a glimpse into diaries such as Italian Foreign Minister Ciano's and German General Staff Chief Halder's.
His access to facts and his knowledge about where to look for them is a direct result of his closeness to the events as they were taking place. This access and presentation is the victory of this book and what makes it a triumph and the definitive work on the Third Reich.
One other small point. I am a little bit confused as to where Shirer was able to get his numbers as to number of victims, particularly the number of Jews that died in the Nazi Holocaust. It is today accepted that 6 million were killed, yet Shirer repeatedly mentions the figure of 4.5 million. What facts did he not have that we have today? I would like to point out that this may be a result of the insurmountable difficulty for someone writing a political and military history to comb through the records of the Final Solution and a bit too much of a reliance on that work by others, who vary widely in their reports.
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Summary: Still the definitive standard
Review: I'd known vaguely about WWII, the same way many people do, when I picked this book up several years ago. I remember it from my father's book collection. Anyway, it held my attention and I finished it about four days. William Shirer spent many years in Germany until about half way during WWII. His experiences during that time as a reporter allowed him to tell a more-or-less accurate story and tell it in a fashion that, unlike many historical books, is enjoyable to read.Some would argue as to the 100% accuracy of the book or to it's relevence to history. Personally, having read (and I'm not exaggerating) most of the so called "classic" biographies on the Nazi leadership, philosophy, policatal system and anything else, I think it is a very important contribution that covers the important parts of the Third Reich (1933-45) in detail. I think, given when it was written, that it is surprisingly unbiased and fair and Shirer has done his best to keep his personal feelings out of the book. He does make observations from time to time, but usually only in situations where he was actually present at the event. If you are new to the subject of the Nazi rise to power and the subsequent 12 years, then I cannot think of a better place to start. There are other books on the subject, but few that are as easy to read and cover quite as much as this one.
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Summary: Still relevant
Review: A must read if you want to know about Nazism and the powerplays of the Nazi stalwarts. Very detailed, very informative and frightening. Too bad the author is dead. He could have updated this book with all the newly released information; especially from the former Soviet Union.
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Summary: Essential to mankind
Review: This book is essential to mankind. Along with several other books that cover the holocaust, this book will be read by future generations to remind them of how some of the worst criminals in history came to rule a continent. Why you should read this book: Like I mentioned in the title of this review, it is essential to mankind. This is the foremost history of the Third Reich from a perspective inside the Third reich. The perspective of the events is at times cold, but its was written with the greatest attempts at objectivity. The reader is not automatically forced to make moral judgements by the author; Shirer gives the reader the cold facts and the reader can feel the sorrow of Germany and the world at the evil that thrived on the ignorance and naivete of pre-war policy makers. At times it can be dry and long-winded, but for the most part this book was hard to put down (I read the unabridged version in under 2 weeks). The reader will not be disappointed in this book. Shirer painstakingly studied thousands of captured Nazi documents, memorandums, orders and news releases to come up with this detailed history. What you should expect to see in this book: This book chronicles the life of Hitler from his ancestors to his final hours in the Berlin Chancellory bunker. The main players throughout the Nazi party are given detailed historys alongside Hitler's. Most importantly this book shows the failures of the Treaty of Versailles, the League of Nations and the Weimar Republic and shows how an Austrian tramp rose to the Dictator of Europe. Mussolini and Italy's dealings with the Third Reich is also given a lot of attention. The details of the diplomatic dealings with the Allies in Munich and the events that led up to the invasion of Poland on September 1, 1939 are thoroughly described (I counted approixmately 100 pages on the events that led up to that invasion). The accounts of the holocaust are well detailed, but are not definitive. Shirer describes the holocaust some, but the reader might desire more. What you should not expect to see in this book: There are no maps to speak of in this book. I would suggest that you have a few historical maps on WWII when you read this because the action can become fast paced and it might be a little hard to understand without a thorough knowledge of the geography of Europe. This book is not a military history, so don't expect it to go into detail about the weapons or other aspects of the military. I think only about 20 pages talked about Hitler's invasion of Poland, and that was mostly about his dealings with Stalin in carving Poland up. If you are looking for a military history of WWII, I would suggest Chester Wilmot's _The Struggle for Europe_ (which starts during the Battle of Britain), or Liddel Hart's _History of the Second World War_. In addition, this is not a history of the holocaust. Shirer gives an account of it, but it is by no means comprehensive of definitive. Lastly, this book was written before 1960, and a lot of new information, especially from the former Soviet Union has been uncovered which will be able to shed more light on the Eastern front.
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Summary: The first WWII text anyone should read.
Review: Quite simply, this book is a must. For someone interested in the Third Reich that does not plan on further study, this should be the first and last book you read. For someone that will continue to study the era, this should be the first book you read.
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Summary: A great book, get it and judge it!
Review: I am not a big historian or student of any means, but just a regular dude who knows how to read. :-) I mention this because some historical books tend to be so out of order and full of dates that skip back in forth through the years that you can't remember what happened the last time you read about that year. However, for those of you who have an interest in the Hitler- Nazi years but do not want to get a boring history book than this is the book to get. This book just flows very easily and you will not find yourself lost after every other page. It is very entertaining and in an easy to follow cronological order so that you might actually remember some of the dates. A great read; full of important and useful knowledge. Some people say that Shirer is biased! Biased against or for who? To me, he just seems to be telling a story as he sees it backed by plenty of documentation and even first hand knowledge. I don't see the "bias" point of view. Anyway, a great book for all who can read. Enjoy!
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Summary: A MAGNIFICENT MONSTER!!!!
Review: Without a doubt, this has to be one of the most important history books ever written! Let's look at why... 1)The author: His credentials to write this book are unbeatable. He lived among the Nazis as a correspondent from their birth till half way through the war. Because of this he got to see and hear all the key players and personally meet many of them. This gave him great insight into Germany and germans during the growth of the Nazi virus. Couple this with the fact that he was an action journalist, and was therefore an extremely gifted writer, and his credentials are truly unbeatable. 2)Subject: Although this subject is well covered, it has not been covered before or since this writing as thoroughly as in this book. Shirer had access to ALL of the Nazi papers, including diariers, memos and minutes, and you therefore get an insiders view on what was going on inside the top secret meetings of the Nazi leaders. Here, exposed for all to see, are the diablolical reasonings for everything they did or tried to do. Here spelled out step by step is the entire history from the youth of Hitler to the death by strangalation by the russian and allied armies. It has sections on the history of Germany back to Martin Luther, when the mindset of the german people was developed that would allow for a tyrant like Hitler. Sections of the book also give an insider's view into the combat decisions, Concentration camps, basic principles of Nazism, and the normal German's pied piper attitude. It cover's EVERYTHING! 3)Lessons: It is possible to draw lessons from this well of historical knowledge that will blow you away. It has been said that when we stop learning from history we are bound to repeat it and this book clearly portrays the evil that has already occurred and is possible if we don't watch world affairs closely. The U.S. may get derided for meddling in others' affairs, but this book shows the danger that is possible if we don't! We also need to learn not to nourish the seeds of racism as Hitler did in his youth that led to the eventualy death of 40 million people. So many great things can be learned from this book... Overall: It is simply a great book. One of the best I have ever read! It never bogs down...I finished it in a month, all 1500 pages. In conclusion: If you havn't read this book you absolutely must!!! You will not regret it!!!
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Summary: Excellent
Review: This book is truly amazing. It should be read by every human being on the planet. An unprecedented historical account about the gangsters of the third reich, their rise to power, the takeover of western europe, and the fall of one of histories darkest and most deceptive aggressors. The only complaint that I can see people having is the author's tendency to express his opinion on the tons of factual evidence presented. This did not bother me, firstly because the author was THERE to witness the rise and the fall of the third reich, which gives literary license to write about what he saw and expirienced, and secondly because his opinions are of a superficial and briefly stated nature. It is a long read, needing a fare amount of contemplation, but certainly worth it.
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Summary: I loved this book.
Review: I am by no means an historian, but I enjoyed this book as much as about any I've ever read. Shirer has deftly woven hard facts from captured Nazi documents, the Nuremberg trials and other sources with his own personal experience in Germany. Despite the ample supply of facts, he does a tremendous job of making his history an interesting story. It is truly a page-turner, as the reader wants to find out what happens next. I think his personal experience with some of the leading players allows him to make them human, easier to relate to than most historical figures. Shirer seems to have a keen grasp of the human psyche, and uses his perceptiveness to get frighteningly inside the head of men like Hitler. Reading "Rise and Fall" is much like reading a novel. The story is amazing, and because of the vast documentation available, we have as complete access to the events as possible. Some historians may shun this work, but I find it of immeasurable value and pleasure. A word of warning: The book is very long (1100 pages in the hardcover edition), and isn't exactly what I'd call quick reading, despite its intrigue. I'm a fairly fast reader, and it took me a long while to finish it. Even so, I would recommend this to any and everyone.
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