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A review by myreaderacct
The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich: A History of Nazi Germany by William L. Shirer
challenging
informative
medium-paced
4.25
The book is a fantastic and comprehensive overview of the rise of Hitler, and a a solid exploration of the fall. Shirer was a journalist in the lead up to America entering WWII, and it shows through his first hand accounts. The book is also meticulously documented with other first hand accounts and primary documents.
I was a little nervous about how enjoyable this book would be, given its length and the fact that it's 60 years old. That was largely unfounded. Shirer is an excellent writer, able to convey a large, complex body of information in an entertaining and engaging way. Further, the issues of antisemitism and fascism in Nazi Germany are eerily reminiscent of a lot of the issues we face in America today. Shirer pulls no punches in his criticism of the Nazi ideology. The only thing that hasn't aged well is the books fleeting discussion of some of the Nazi leadership being gay--it's tinged with the homophobic mindset of the 60's when the book was written. But this is fleeting and the book overall has held up incredibly well.
My main criticism is that the back half of the book feels a bit rushed, as much as anything 30 hours long can be rushed. I suspect this has to do with when Shirer was forced to flee Germany. The early life of Hitler and the lead up to WWII is covered in extraordinary detail, and the war itself and the defeat of the third Reich is comparatively thin.
I listened to the audiobook. The narrator was absolutely fantastic and obviously put a lot of work into pronunciation. Again, the audiobook is close to 60 hours long, a seemingly daunting task that ended up flying by.
I was a little nervous about how enjoyable this book would be, given its length and the fact that it's 60 years old. That was largely unfounded. Shirer is an excellent writer, able to convey a large, complex body of information in an entertaining and engaging way. Further, the issues of antisemitism and fascism in Nazi Germany are eerily reminiscent of a lot of the issues we face in America today. Shirer pulls no punches in his criticism of the Nazi ideology. The only thing that hasn't aged well is the books fleeting discussion of some of the Nazi leadership being gay--it's tinged with the homophobic mindset of the 60's when the book was written. But this is fleeting and the book overall has held up incredibly well.
My main criticism is that the back half of the book feels a bit rushed, as much as anything 30 hours long can be rushed. I suspect this has to do with when Shirer was forced to flee Germany. The early life of Hitler and the lead up to WWII is covered in extraordinary detail, and the war itself and the defeat of the third Reich is comparatively thin.
I listened to the audiobook. The narrator was absolutely fantastic and obviously put a lot of work into pronunciation. Again, the audiobook is close to 60 hours long, a seemingly daunting task that ended up flying by.
Content Warnings
Minor: Homophobia
Mild homophobia indicative of the time.