Rating: 
Summary: Excellent book, well researched.
Review: I found this book to be fascinating. Ms. Sereny provides a great deal of additional information not given by Mr. Speer in his Inside the Third Reich and Secret Diaries. I would recommend reading Mr. Speer's books first then this one. Her research is exhaustive and thorough and the book provides a great insight into the mind of Mr. Speer.
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Summary: The title tells it all.
Review: I have a deep interest in World War II and read this book hoping to find out more about Speer's architecture and German war production, etc. The book doesn't get into that topic much but concentrates, as the title suggests, on Speer's battle with truth. Very good analysis of what Speer knew and when he knew it. Good insight into the top ranks of Nazi Germany and how Speer fit into it, even though he was not really into the politics of the movement.
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Summary: By far the best review of Albert Speer I have read as yet
Review: I have found, in my recent fascination with Albert Speer, that most books (including the ones Speer has authored) on the Third Reich, Nuremberg, and Speer in particular are biased, in that they start from a particular assumption of Speer's character and then set out to prove that assumption. After a while of reading such books, I had begun to despair of reading anything truly objective in its approach to this controversial subject.
This book, therefore, came as a pleasant surprise to me. Sereny starts from no assumptions about Speer (except the assumption that Speer did in fact know about the Jews), and through a series of in-depth interviews with Speer, his family, and just about anybody who had ever encountered him in his lifetime (both favorable and unfavorable), shows perhaps the most comprehensive and (I believe) accurate portrayal of Speer that it is possible to achieve, as told by people who are in a position to know.
Despite the fact that it is occasionally difficult to read (there is often a lack of transition), I would recommend this book, above all others, to anybody who wishes to learn the truth about Speer and his writings.
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Summary: excellent biography of former nazi
Review: I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the Third Reich. Contains exhaustive interviews with speer, former nazis, etc. Gives a good idea of Speer's thoughts, motives, etc. at various stages of his career and imprisonment.
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Summary: Albert Speer: Neither godlike nor demonic
Review: I loved this book so much that I find it difficult even to review it. There is little I can add to what previous reviewers have said--Sereny's biography is meticulous, always intriguing, and sometimes breathtaking. The two most outstanding aspects of the book were Sereny's close contact with the older Speer and the completely fascinating subject, Speer himself. Sereny manages to do the impossible--get close enough to the subject to occasionally shock the reader, while retaining a sort of neutrality. Sereny, who actually lived in Speer's home over a period of several weeks and maintained a friendship with him for the last few years of his life, readily acknowledges that she liked Speer, and her vivid portrayal of Speer's charming, elusive personality and profoud intellect shows why. At the same time, she is utterly honest about confronting the darkest aspects of Speer's life and his involvement in the Holocaust. This is a biography that almost reads like a novel, particularly the scenes of interaction between Sereny and Speer, in which she gradually and tantalizingly brings him closer to admitting the truth. While it is true that Sereny occasionally goes off on tangents, I did not find this aspect of the book to be a negative, and certainly not enough to warrant anything less than a five star rating. While I primarily read the book to learn about Albert Speer, Sereny's writing and analysis are so good that I didn't mind seeing them applied to other aspects of a very compelling period of history. In many ways, this biography is something of a history of the Third Reich from the perspective of Albert Speer, particularly highlighting his important role. Sereny ultimately presents a portrait of a man whom the reader cannot help but empathize with; however, she is honest enough that the reader also cannot help but disapprove of him. She maintains a careful balance between these two aspects, and avoids falling into the same unfortunate trap as many Nazi biographers of glorifying the subject matter. At the same time, she avoids the temptation to take the easy way out and present an outright condemnation of one of the highest ranking Nazis in Germany. Sereny's Speer is neither godlike nor demonic; he is profoundly human, and her portrayal of his humanity is a magnificent achievement.
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Summary: A Formidable Man Is Confronted By A Formidable Biographer
Review: In the course of his interviews with Gitta Sereny, Albert Speer remarked that had she been a prosecutor at the Nuremberg trials, he would have hanged. How many biographers have had the opportunity to actively challenge their subjects' veracity? Not content to leave even the (seemingly) most minute details to chance, Sereny conducted exhaustive archival research and background interviews with Speer's family, friends, former associates, and enemies. This allows her to face Speer on equal footing -- and thus reveals new insights on the most enigmatic of Hitler's ministers. While the central theme of the book revolves around the question of what Speer knew about the Final Solution, and when he knew about it, the story of how one man could be almost wholly seduced by evil is also investigated. The reader will learn that Speer, unloved as a child, came under Hitler's influence in the way that many young men with lacunas in their souls will come to misidentify membership in a collective enterprise with their own self-worth. In fact, if, as William Manchester said, Speer's 'Inside the Third Reich' "takes us through the looking-glass," then Sereny's book represents the adventures in Wonderland itself. The history of Hitler's Germany is seen from the unique context of the Hitler-Speer relationship. Far from relying on one-dimensional oversimplification, though, Sereny explores just how masterfully the Nazi hierarchy came to power and prosecuted a war -- proving once again that evil is not always overt and monstrous, but subtle and palliative. Was Speer a dissembler? Was he sincere in his attempt to atone for his particpation in an evil regime? I will leave the reader to his own conclusions. However, it is worth noting Sereny's charitable conclusion about this truly historical figure: "It seemed to me it was some kind of victory that this man -- just this man -- weighed down by intolerable and unmanageable guilt, with the help of a Protestant chaplain, a Catholic monk, and a Jewish rabbi, tried to become a different man." This is perhaps the most fascinating one-volume account of Nazi Germany to appear in recent years, and will enrich our knowledge of that particularly dark time in history. Highly recommended.
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Summary: Mesmerizing account of the Third Reich
Review: In the December issue of American Spectator there is a "Books for Christmas" list of recommendations that I always use as a guide for my reading in the upcoming year.
James Rosen (Fox News White House correspondent) recommended this book as "the best nonfiction book I have ever read on any subject." And while I don't necessarily agree entirely with this characterization I can heartily recommend this book as one you will not soon forget. Sereny is an Austrian native who actually saw the 1934 Nuremberg rally which was captured unforgettably by Leni Reifenstahl in her Triumph of Will.
Sereny gained the confidence of Albert Speer over many years and had basically unfettered access to him throughout her research, and it shows. The insights thus gained allow for an unusual glimpse into the inner workings of the Third Reich and all of its principal players.
Sereny conducted interviews with numerous "players" in the life of Albert Speer and the Third Reich. Her meticulous research methods and eye for detail allow for a glimpse into the heart of darkness the likes of which you will likely never again see.
She avoids the pitfalls of many who succumb to the temptation to oversimplify, mis-characterize, or accept the prevailing facile dismissals of those who participated in the "Final Solution." She attempts, at least partially successfully, to gain a broader understanding of just how such evil as occurred in the Third Reich came about. But she fails, as we all must eventually, in penetrating this odious darkness.
At the end of the day, the light of her analysis falls upon the black hole of evil which absorbs nearly all attempts to understand it. I enjoyed this book tremendously, but it is difficult slogging. Of one thing there can be no doubt however, Albert Speer did obviously have knowledge of the evil that surrounded him. That he could have remained oblivious to all that transpired is simply not credible. Even the effort not to confront this evil was, in itself, a tacit acknowledgment of what was transpiring. He used forced labor in his enormously successful efforts to keep the German war production going despite overwhelming losses to Allied bombing.
My wife, who reads to me on road trips, could not bear to read this book. It is not for the faint of heart. But it is well worth the effort. I heartily recommend this book.
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Summary: Readers will get to know the real Albert Speer.
Review: One of the best combination history and biography books ever written, and done in a very readible style. I could hardly put the book down. The research is thorough and comprehensive. The author has interviewed almost every living person who knew Herr Speer, including extensive interviews with Speer himself. The story never drags inspite of its more than 700 pages. This book challenges the reader to look beyond the simple historical facts. Speer was truly a remarkable personality. The world is better off that he was not executed after his Nuremberg trial. His intimate knowledge, organizational skills, and willingness to document and talk about it, has enabled us to understand and learn valuable lessons about this period in history that would have otherwise been lost forever. This book helps explain how an entire nation and many good people were seduced and strung along on the tide of Hitler's leadership. The lesson for all citizens of every nation is to be aware of government actions, and to not permit the government to control the media.
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Summary: Incredible! How was she able to write this book?
Review: Sereny approaches history through individual perceptions, which are what really define history, to understand how the holocaust could have happened. I've never read anything else quite like it.
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Summary: Most telling of all Speer interviews - compelling.
Review: Sereny captures a man dancing with the truth, and inviting the author to join him. He is an old master at this game - the dance saved his life at one time; yet the time has come for the last dance on the card. I find Sereny's personal observations of Speer most compelling, even more so as this is one of the few (if only) biographies of Speer penned by a woman; therefore we feel his legendary charm and coyness come through. Sereny is uncompromising in her approach, yet one cannot but feel that she does come away with some closeness to the old man. Above all; one reads this excellent book and at the end does feel that the truth - finally - has come out. Her revelation about the South African Connection and his inherrent admission was mindblowing; even more so when one considers that he was such a carefull man, such a slip must have been pre-mediatated. As a scholar/playwright I warmly welcome any comment on Albert Speer, I am currently writing a stage play about him, and need all the information and comment I can gather; email me down here in beautiful New Zealand!
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