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A review by davehershey
The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich: A History of Nazi Germany by William L. Shirer
5.0
If you are a student of history, or merely want to learn more about how tyrants come to power, this is a book you need to read. That said, it is long and INCREDIBLY detailed. Shirer was using loads of captured Nazi papers so there are times when he can tell the story nearly minute by minute, including journal entries, memos and messages being sent and recorded by top Nazi leaders. Yet I have to admit that as I read, the detail started to wear on me. By the time I got to the beginning of WWII, around the Nazi invasion of Poland, I began skimming.
The best parts of this book are the rise and the very end of the fall. Reading the story of Hitler as a youth, his beginnings, time in prison and rise to power was fascinating and eye-opening. When you see how Hitler came to power legally and once in power he ended free elections and took over all media so it became mere Nazi propaganda is chilling. We live in a world, in America today, of arms of media that often sound like propaganda (on both sides), with the president coming to popularity by decrying fake news, and people questioning the validity of elections with the myth of millions of illegals voting. Am I saying tyranny will result? No. But if the story of Hitler teaches us one thing, it is that tyranny is never too far away.
When I got to the chapter on the Nazi new world order, I began reading closely again. This chapter documents some of the horrors of the Nazi regime, from the Holocaust to war crimes and more. I've been to the Holocaust museum in DC and learned about the Holocaust a lot, but it is the sort of thing we must never forget. Especially as the years pass and memories fade, we must constantly remind ourselves of the evil capabilities of humanity.
Finally, I was struck by how most Germans just kind of went along with Hitler. There were plots to assassinate him from time to time, but few became very serious. He faced opposition, but most went along because they loved their country and he promised to bring it back to greatness. Again, is this possibility ever that remote? I just heard on the radio yesterday a guy talking about the Confederacy during the Civil War and how most who fought for it were just defending their state; they didn't think about slavery or other big issues. They just were loyal. Loyalty is not a bad thing, but it is also not something to justify much, let alone evil. I am not saying I'd do much better, for our culture and community greatly influence us: I assume and fear if I had been living in Georgia in 1860 or Germany in 1935 I may have gone along with the flow. I'll never know. That said, as I lament the lack of courage from those in our history, I pray we have courage in the future to not just go along with tyrants who have a message we like to hear.
I also want to add, if you have never read a history of WWII, you may want to read a general one before you read this. Or at least, dig out your notes from high school or college. This book focuses on the Nazis, so we only hear about Japan and the US and other events of the war as it pertains to the Nazis. Basically, you need a knowledge of the war to follow along.
The best parts of this book are the rise and the very end of the fall. Reading the story of Hitler as a youth, his beginnings, time in prison and rise to power was fascinating and eye-opening. When you see how Hitler came to power legally and once in power he ended free elections and took over all media so it became mere Nazi propaganda is chilling. We live in a world, in America today, of arms of media that often sound like propaganda (on both sides), with the president coming to popularity by decrying fake news, and people questioning the validity of elections with the myth of millions of illegals voting. Am I saying tyranny will result? No. But if the story of Hitler teaches us one thing, it is that tyranny is never too far away.
When I got to the chapter on the Nazi new world order, I began reading closely again. This chapter documents some of the horrors of the Nazi regime, from the Holocaust to war crimes and more. I've been to the Holocaust museum in DC and learned about the Holocaust a lot, but it is the sort of thing we must never forget. Especially as the years pass and memories fade, we must constantly remind ourselves of the evil capabilities of humanity.
Finally, I was struck by how most Germans just kind of went along with Hitler. There were plots to assassinate him from time to time, but few became very serious. He faced opposition, but most went along because they loved their country and he promised to bring it back to greatness. Again, is this possibility ever that remote? I just heard on the radio yesterday a guy talking about the Confederacy during the Civil War and how most who fought for it were just defending their state; they didn't think about slavery or other big issues. They just were loyal. Loyalty is not a bad thing, but it is also not something to justify much, let alone evil. I am not saying I'd do much better, for our culture and community greatly influence us: I assume and fear if I had been living in Georgia in 1860 or Germany in 1935 I may have gone along with the flow. I'll never know. That said, as I lament the lack of courage from those in our history, I pray we have courage in the future to not just go along with tyrants who have a message we like to hear.
I also want to add, if you have never read a history of WWII, you may want to read a general one before you read this. Or at least, dig out your notes from high school or college. This book focuses on the Nazis, so we only hear about Japan and the US and other events of the war as it pertains to the Nazis. Basically, you need a knowledge of the war to follow along.