While this biography of Hitler—published in 1973 it was the first ever by a German writer—fell into my hands as serendipitously as such books always do (my reading is planful and curricular only when it comes to New World slavery, and Virginia Woolf), I did open it seeking answers to some definite questions. One of which is: in what milieu, and under what conditions, was Adolf Hitler considered not only a serious statesman, but a National Redeemer, and an inexorable Man of Destiny? And yeah, we

UPDATE 10-31-17 ...Today's research for the sequel to A FLOOD OF EVIL ... In July 1939, Adolf Hitler said to Admiral Donitz: on no account must a war with Great Britain be allowed to develop .. A war with England would mean nothing less than "finis Germaniae" ... in September 1939, Germany invaded Poland, after which England (and France) declared war on Germany ... This is the way dictators end up killing 60 million people and destroying their own countries ... we must never forget that Trump wa...

This really is a biography of Hitler, not a history of WWII draped over the events of his life. Indeed, only the last 150 pages or so of this 875 page book (not counting the many pages of photographs) cover the war years and those are substantially treated insofar as they inform us as regards his character. That, as one might imagine, was flawed, in part because of Hitler's meager education, in part because of class resentment, in part because of his growing up during war, defeat, revolution and...

Great book, right up there with William L. Shirer's "Berlin Diary" and "Rise and Fall of the Third Reich." A must-read for those interested in how Hitler came to power in Germany and the lessons and relevance to modern political demagogues and movements. Very long (700 pages) but it flies by if you're interested in the topic.

We might have a Hitler at the helm in Pakistan sometime soon. This is what I inferred by Joachem Fest's classic biography by connecting the dots in Pakistan's political landscape. There was constant interference in the politics of the Weimer republic (unofficially) by the Reichwehr (the German military) ala Pakistan Army in Pakistan today. Hitler with his past of being a decorated corporal, a populist orator pandering to a defeated populace, a failed artist, but as unbalanced that typically arti...

Just in case you feel compelled to read through the nightmarish rise and catastrophic fall of history's most infamous person, here you go. Five stars for this doorstop work of non-fiction personality horror. Joachim Fest's 1973 bio, the only Hitler bio I've read, is an impeccable analysis of the times, the man, the mood of the age, the nature of totalitarianism and dictatorship, and the social psychology of leader-narcissism and mass-delusion. The nightmare that descended upon Germany, and then

3.5 Stars really - a comprehensive look at the life and deeds of one of the central figures of World War II. We all know about the concentration camps, the Holocaust, the forced sterilization and elimination of those considered "weak" or "feeble-minded". However, to characterize Adolf Hitler as just "evil" or "crazy" is a gross over-simplification. To justify Germany of that time accepting his leadership as somehow, being under hypnosis or trickery is also a disservice to history. The author ex...

A penetrating portrait of evil by a former youth who fought in the Wehrmacht who later became a psychoanalyst. This book was so well researched and written that I may read it again. I did re-read sections on several occasions which will lead me to take on Ian Kershaw's most thorough biography.

When your bravery makes a team with your intellect and that sits for a discussion with your supreme emotion for something you want, you just get that and you become what you are/were supposed to be. Everyone knows who Hitler was, but how he became what he always wanted is extremely impressive when at the same time his whole political life's every incident carries depression towards your beautiful thought for mankind. wonderfully written.

In the introduction of Volker Ullrich's Hitler: Ascent 1889–1939, the author describes the only four seminal biographies of Adolf Hitler.Of Fest's book he writes: The thesis that Hitler was basically a power-hungry political opportunist came in for some heavy historical revision in the following decades. Above all, historian Eberhard Jäckel convincingly demonstrated in the late 1960s that Hitler did indeed maintain a consistent world view, no matter how extreme and insane, and that this perspect...

This book is quite daunting-- I mean, who wants to spend hours reading over 800 pages about someone as shitty as Hitler? But on the other hand, aren't you curious how an average, solitary Austrian kid became the ruler of the third Reich and a conductor of genocide? Well, I was a little curious, and my Papa left this book behind when he passed away, so I decided to ruin a number of summery days reading about Adolf Hitler. This is a remarkable biography, probably the best ever written of Hitler an...

4 stars [Biography]Exact rating: 3.75#8 of 43 in genre#2 of 18 on the Third ReichWriting: 3.25The prose is above-average [3] to memorable [3.5], and inducing heavy annotation. Fest achieves an uncommon feat for a biographer by sticking mainly with his subject (Hitler), and not getting carried away with surrounding history (extensive war narration). Use: 4Fully qualifies as an authoritative source, but it is not smooth enough to warrant frequent re-reading (an element of my 4.5 rating). It is als...

Astounding biography, also gigantic. The amazing thing after reading all 700+ pages is that I still don't understand the man very well, nor I think did anyone. But I understand Germany, and Europe, far better than before.

I think this is the definitive biography of Hitler.

This biography offers illuminating insight to those interested in the history of Adolf Hitler and the rise of the NSDAP in Germany.For me these were some of the questions begging for an answer:- how did the Nazis stole power legitimately?- how and why did the German population allowed themselves to be so deluded by these madmen?- why did the German High Command succumb so completely to Hitler’s whims?- why did Hitler never even considered a truce towards the end of the war, but rather chose the

A great and insightful biography. We take history for granted, after all it did happen, but this story as fiction would be unbelievable. I had a peculiar surreal dream-like feeling during the part of the biography covering the late 20s - you know, it's time to wake up now! I haven't read a lot of Hitler biographies, but this one certainly seems to give a coherent and consistent psychological picture. It makes you wish you could have been present (and had a revolver), and it makes me think agai...

A very very good read. tons of personal info and interesting facts. Spoiler alert: He's still a monster of unmatched magnatude!!!!!!

This book covers in alot of detail the early life of Hitler, an area I wasn't as familiar with.

Review from https://darrengoossens.wordpress.com/2015/09/07/the-hollow-man-filled-with-hate/.Hitler by Joachim C. Fest, Weidenfeld and Nicholson, London, 1974. 844 pages. Translated by Richard and Clara Winston. Title page of Hitler by J.C.Fest. Cancelled from the Monash University library. This is a biography, though after about 1933 it really becomes a history of the third Reich, albeit one that pays even more attention that usual to the Führer's quirks and foibles -- for Hitler is always,...

This is a must-read and is particularly relevant to current events.This is a "life and times" biography of a subject whose life was both deliberately obscured and propagandized, starting with Hitler himself, and later by the Nazi propaganda machine. Fest, a German historian writing in 1973, tries to analyse Hitler's rise despite knowledge of how things turned out - that is, it is hard to even begin to comprehend how this demagogue could have been elected Chancellor seen through the lens of the h...

This may be the best biography and history book I've ever read on any topic. I suffered from a paltry public school education where European history was glossed over, and WW2 was a few paragraphs. Aside from that, most of what I learned was from poorly written Hollywood movies and cold war-era documentaries, so digging deep into this period of German history -written by a German - was a real eye opener. This book will make you understand how an entire nation came under the Nazi spell, and how th...

Our fascination with Hitler continues. We've all had some experience with the neurotic, the personality disordered and sometimes the sociopath. What makes Hitler unique is that he managed to take control of a country then tried to take control of a good portion of the world. Fest, a German, who wrote this personality study in the seventies, has a unique and mostly objective take on the man. It turns out that Hitler, though he descended into madness, was a competent and effective politician who c...

Amazingly unbiased and unemotional narrative about the German years of the rise of Herr Adolph Scighelgrüber, AKA Adolf Hitler and the sole bearer of the jobtitle: Der Führer Die Grosses Deutches Reich...then including Austria, and other interesting places in Europe which the Brits and the French handed to Germany in blatant betrayal on their allies for their self national popularity for appeasment with Herr Hitler / Scighelgrüber and shirking confrontation that would start a rant. Even though G...

Fascinating! I thought there were parallels between Hitler abd Trump. There are bHitler did not connect with other people, except in how to use them or kill them. He was completely into himself and was able to intimidate others. I was unaware that there were many who were under him and hated him. There were several attempted or planned coups. This was well written. Of course, there was nothing written about Trump. That was my interest and surprisingly there were very clear parallels between them...

An excellent profile of Adolf Hitler, the worst criminal of all time. This book contains a wealth of information about Hitler's childhood, motivations, failures, triumphs, persuasion tactics, ideology (or lack thereof), mythologies, and much more. Perfect for refuting people who make erroneous comparisons to Hitler. Chessmate.

Hard book to read, I read a chapter at a time.The first part of the book is most important - showing how Hitler became Hitler.And it is an important read.

An absorbing, fascinating, detailed analysis of Hitler's life, political acumen, hatreds, and weaknesses. You won't be able to regard Hitler the same way after reading this book.

Enlighting

Was good in-depth book on the infamous leader of the Nazi party. Even though I had to read it for a class I really enjoyed learning more about the subject.

One of the best biographies. Not for beginners; A general understanding of the regime is a prerequisite. I found The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich to be a better introduction.