Volker Ullrich Books

"This is a Borzoi book published by Alfred A. Knopf"--Copyright page.

Selected as a Book of the Year by the New York Times and others, this monumental biography addresses the surprising scarcity of serious works on Hitler since the 1930s. Most biographers have focused on his rise to power and leadership style, often portraying him as a political figure devoid of personal depth. This view overlooks the complex individual behind the infamous persona, failing to account for the profound impact he had on those around him and the German populace. In this first volume, Volker Ullrich aims to reshape our understanding of Hitler by exploring his life from childhood to the brink of World War II, contextualized within the political landscape of the time. Ullrich reveals the multifaceted nature of Hitler, showcasing his charm alongside his repulsiveness, his talents and flaws, as well as his deep insecurities and violent tendencies. Utilizing a wealth of previously overlooked sources, this comprehensive study presents the most nuanced portrait of Hitler to date. Rather than depicting him as a mere psychopath, Ullrich illustrates him as a master of seduction and manipulation, suggesting that the complexity of his character offers a more compelling explanation for his hold on the German people than the conventional image of a monster. This definitive biography promises to transform our perception of the man who led the world into darkness.

The book provides a compelling narrative of the tumultuous period during the Weimar Republic, highlighting the political and social crises that nearly led to its collapse. Through detailed analysis and vivid storytelling, the author explores the challenges faced by Germany in the aftermath of World War I, including economic turmoil and rising extremism. This historical account delves into the key figures and events that shaped this critical moment in history, offering insights into the fragility of democracy and the factors that can lead to its downfall.

'Superb' David Aaronovitch, The Times 'A punchy account that is a proper page-turner' Financial Times 'The last days of the Third Reich have often been told, but seldom with the verve, perception and elegance of Volker Ullrich's rich narrative' Richard Overy, author of The Bombing War 1 May 1945. The world did not know it yet, but the final week of the Third Reich's existence had begun. Hitler was dead, but the war had still not ended. Everything had both ground to a halt and yet remained agonizingly uncertain. Volker Ullrich's remarkable book takes the reader into a world torn between hope and terror, violence and peace. Ullrich describes how each day unfolds, with Germany now under a new Fuhrer, Admiral Doenitz, based improbably in the small Baltic town of Flensburg. With Hitler dead, Berlin in ruins and the war undoubtedly lost, the process by which the fighting would end remained horrifyingly unclear. Many major Nazis were still on the loose, wild rumours continued to circulate about a last stand in the Alps and the Western allies falling out with the Soviet Union. All over Europe, millions of soldiers, prisoners, slave labourers and countless exhausted, grief-stricken and often homeless families watched and waited for the war's end. Eight Days in May is the story of people, in Erich Kastner's striking phrase, stuck in 'the gap between no longer and not yet'. 'A fast-paced, brilliant recounting of the turbulent last days of the Third Reich, with all the energy and chaos of a Jackson Pollock canvas' Helmut Walser Smith, author of Germany: A Nation in its Time

From a New York Times best-selling historian comes a gripping account of the crisis that threatened to unravel the Weimar Republic

Following German reunification in 1990 there has been a reassessment of Bismarck's role in European history

Microsomes and Drug Oxidations is a record of the proceedings of the Third International Symposium on Microsomes and Drug Oxidations, held in Berlin, Germany in July 1976. The compendium provides an overview of knowledge on the oxidative metabolism of drugs, carcinogens, and various other environmental chemicals. Topics discussed include lipid structure of liver microsomal membranes; interactions between cytochrome p-450 and nadphcytochrome p-450 reductase in the microsomal membrane; impact of drug monoxygenases in clinical pharmacology; and the manner in which oxygen participates in mixed-function oxidation reactions. Pharmacologists, toxicologists, biochemists, and researchers in the pharmaceutical industry will find the book highly insightful.

Aż pięć lat czytelnicy musieli czekać na drugi tom słynnej biografii Hitlera autorstwa Volkera Ullricha. Ale czekać było warto. Uznana w Niemczech za najważniejszą biografię Hitlera dla następnych pokoleń, książka Volkera Ullricha to pierwsze monumentalne studium osobowości, która leżała u podstaw aspiracji politycznych i zbrodniczych działań przywódcy III Rzeszy. To właśnie Ullrich, jako pierwszy spośród historyków mierzących się z życiorysem Fhrera, postawił tezę, że nigdy nie uda nam się zrozumieć fenomenu Hitlera, jeśli odmówimy mu ludzkich cech, skupiając się jedynie na wizerunku potwora. Obalając mity i unikając pułapek, w które niejednokrotnie wpadali poprzednicy, Volker Ullrich tworzy zupełnie nowy, odkrywczy portret Adolfa Hitlera.

Im «Kreisauer Kreis» um die führenden Köpfe Helmuth James Graf von Moltke und Peter Graf Yorck von Wartenburg schlossen sich entschiedene Gegner des Nationalsozialismus zusammen. Liberale, Gewerkschafter, Sozialdemokraten, Wissenschaftler und Geistliche erarbeiteten ein Programm für Deutschland nach dem Umsturz. Die Verbindung zum 20. Juli 1944 besiegelte das Schicksal dieser lange verkannten Widerstandsgruppe.