This monumental biography delves into the life and rule of one of the 20th century's most infamous dictators. It meticulously examines his rise to power, his destructive ideology, and his profound impact on global history. The work offers deep insight into the psyche of a figure who shaped the destinies of millions. It stands as a crucial resource for understanding modern history and the nature of evil.
Kershaw presents an understanding of Hitler and of the sequence of events which allowed a misfit to climb to the leadership of Germany. As Hitler's pitiful fantasy of being Germany's saviour attracted more and more support, Kershaw conveys why so many Germans adored and connived with him or felt powerless to resist him.
Following the enormous success of HITLER: HUBRIS this book triumphantly completes one of the great modern biographies. No figure in twentieth century history more clearly demands a close biographical understanding than Adolf Hitler; and no period is more important than the Second World War. Beginning with Hitler's startling European successes in the aftermath of the Rhinelland occupation and ending nine years later with the suicide in the Berlin bunker, Kershaw allows us as never before to understand the motivation and the impact of this bizarre misfit. He addresses the crucial questions about the unique nature of Nazi radicalism, about the Holocaust and about the poisoned European world that allowed Hitler to operate so effectively.
Finally, the one-volume edition of Ian Kershaw's definitive and masterful biography of Hitler. "The Hitler biography of the twenty-first century" (Richard J. Evans), Ian Kershaw's Hitler is a new, distilled, one-volume masterpiece that will become the standard work. From Hitler's origins as a failed artist in fin-de-si_cle Vienna to the terrifying last days in his Berlin bunker, Kershaw's richly illustrated biography is a mesmerizing portrait of how Hitler attained, exercised, and retained power. Drawing on previously untapped sources, such as Goebbels's diaries, Kershaw addresses crucial questions about the unique nature of Nazi radicalism, about the Holocaust, and about the poisoned European world that allowed Hitler to operate so effectively. 151 photographs; 8 maps. "As close to definitive as anything we are ever likely to see."Jane Kramer, The New Yorker "A superb biography."Ian Buruma, New York Times Book Review "Massive, extensively researched, extraordinarily balanced, and remarkably judicious."Omer Bartov, The New Republic "Will become the classic Hitler biography of our time."Gordon Craig, New York Review of Books
Ian Kershaw's biography of Hitler is a definitive work that combines a personal history of the dictator with an analysis of the forces that enabled his rise to power. Kershaw explores Hitler's impact and the context of Nazi Germany, providing a vivid account of his ascent and the resulting atrocities of World War II.