Adolf Hitler

Rating:
Summary: The Definitive Hitler
Review: Historian John Toland's "Adolf Hitler" stands as the greatest of the many works that have been published about the 20th Century's most fascinating and diabolical leader. Toland doesn't content himself by merely reporting the facts, rather he makes a real effort to get inside the man's head and determine how he came to be such an explosive package of brilliance and insanity. The story of Hitler the man is so improbable that had this been a work of fiction, no one would have found it plausible. He was a self-man who, against all odds, seized absolute power in a Europe in which until his own adulthood, heredity usually dictated one's station in life.

Though daunting at over 100 pages, Toland has a good stroytelling touch, making the book quite readble. Toland thoroughly chronicles Hitler's life, from his abused upbrining, through his service in the First World War, to his rise as a young politician, and finally his seizure of power and all the evil that followed. The book is generously sprinkled with photographs and other illustratins to help the reader.

Overall, an outstanding historical biography that is as monumental as its subject.

Rating:
Summary: Best ever biography of Hitler!
Review: This book has to be one of the longest biographies ever written about a historical figure, but it is greatly the worth the effort expended to read it. John Toland is as good a historian as one will ever experience in the modern era. His books, to a one, are eminently readable. There is no historian who has the ability to make his subjects appear so lifelike, even to those who lived long after the events he writes about. By taking actual quotes and putting them into proper context, Toland marinates a genre long known for its aridity. Hitler the man was as complex a person on the political stage as any that preceded him, or have followed. Toland wades through Hitler's many complexities and seeming contradictions, and sheds light on what drove the Fuhrer's madness and his need to bring Europe (and later the world) to the brink of destruction. Toland offers plausibility to what drove Hitler to vilify and massacre the Jewish race in Europe, his goals of conquest, and his political system...areas in which historians have argued about for generations. We learn many things about Hitler's childhood and early adulthood, things which may shed some light on the future dictator's raison d'etre. From a disappointing childhood to dreams of being an artist and architect in Vienna, Austria, to his service in the German army during World War I, Hitler's dreams of a Germanic empire are mapped out every stage of the way. Toland's treatment of Hitler is fair, which is deeply hard to do, as the leader of Germany's Third Reich has caused much misery and destruction to people all over the world. His detachment makes Hitler appear much more scarier. It is hard to envision a man who would hold so true to his demonic visions over a span of twenty years, as Hitler did with his blueprint for domination of Europe and the Soviet Union. If you love twentieth-century history, particularly that of World War II, this book will satisfy your craving...and then some! I highly recommend all of Toland's books relating to the World War II era, particularly "The Last 100 Days" and "Infamy," which is about the Pearl Harbor attack by Japan on the U.S. on December 7, 1941, and the apparent subsequent cover-up by the government of its foreknowledge of the attack. Toland has also written a couple of fictional books that are not quite as good, but worth a look-see.

Rating:
Summary: Of the ones I've read this is the DEFINITIVE one!
Review: As an amateur student of WWII history I have tried hard to understand more about how the major "players" came to be, thought, and operated before, during, and after (when applicable) the war. John Toland's biography of Hitler is an amazing piece of historical literature!! If you've ever read any of Toland's books (I've read "Battle: The Story of the Bulge" and "The Last 100 Days" - both excellent) you know he can convey a story that makes the words feel alive. He does that here equally as well in a 900 page masterpiece. He starts with a historical background of the Hitler lineage (and possible Jewish blood!) and ends in with various Nazi elites and their capture, deaths, etc after the fall of Berlin and Hitler's suicide. In between we get a marvelous picture of a child Adolf - his closeness to his mother and estrangement from his father; a young man searching for his place - time spent in Vienna flop houses struggling to survive, failing to acheive and finding his place in the political upheaval leading to the Great War; his time at the front - from runner to gassed Iron cross winner; his "Time of Struggle" in forming the NADSP and leading a failed putsch, prison, and release to a country ready to embrace him; to his rise to Chancellor, dictator, statesman, warlord, self-proclaimed Christ, mass murderer; to a broken, pre-aged, sickly man how ultimately takes his own life to avoid paying the butchers bill. Toland weaves a story that is both easy to read and historically engaging. I learned a lot and had fun doing it - just the way I love history!!!

Highly recommended.

Rating:
Summary: Adolf Hitler
Review: No book written before "Adolf Hitler" ever presented the positive sides of Adolf Hitler. John Toland does an excellent job of removing the normal evil and hate thoughts from the facts. Mr. Toland presents Adolf Hilter in a very fair way and provides a good insight to people to consider. The book leaves no doubt that Adolf Hilter was wrong in his ideas and take over of Germany. This book should be read by any person that truly wants to gain the truth of the years between 1933 and 1945 and of Germany. This book provides the elements that are missing from such books as "The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich" by William Shirer. It is written without the normal emotions. I recommend reading this in order for the individuals to come to a more fair and unbiased judgement of the German people. People that read this book should also read "Inside the Third Reich" by Albert Speer and "The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich". I beleive that a person can then come to a better understanding of the power and hate which was created in Germany during the Third Reich. Yes, John Toland has accomplished what very few historians ever do. He has written an unbiased book that is not that difficult to read. Like most historical books, the book is not for a person that is wishing to just relax and read for pleasure. Instead, John Toland's "Adolf Hilter" is a book to learn of how history is created and tyrant's can rise to power.

Tom

Rating:
Summary: One of History's most Reviled, yet Intriguing Leaders
Review: Ever wonder what made Adolf Hitler one of this century's most reviled, yet powerful political leaders? Ever wonder what drove Hitler to his incessant desire to rid the world of Jews and all people of the "non-Aryan" race?

Well, if these questions continually vex you, you ought to read John Toland's splendid and provocative biography on Adolf Hitler. It is well-written, and very thorough, as it chronicles Hitler as a young boy growing up in Austria, to the founding of the Nazi party, and culminating with Hitler's ascension and command of the Third Reich. Toland provides probing insight into the forces (both in his personal life and the external political environment in Germany) which drove Hitler to relentless anti-Semitism, and the reasons for his obsession to rid the world of Jews.

He also delves into Hitler's troubled personal life, detailing his close relationship with his mother, and his somewhat ambiguous relationship with his wife, Eva Braun.

But Toland also describes other elements of Hitler's life which were more positive, such as the construction of the autobahnen (auto routes) for military transport, and the founding of the Volkswagen (the People's Car). While these are rather prominent cultural icons in today's society, who would attribute them to a man as hated and reviled as Hitler?

For anyone interested in obtaining a "complete" and "objective" picture of Adolf Hitler as a man who achieved great power and influence in one of the most economically advanced countries in the world, and not just a chronicling of his anti-Semitic actions (which should not be minimized), then I would strongly recommend John Toland's fascinating biography,"Adolf Hitler."

Rating:
Summary: It all started with a twisted dream...
Review: John Toland is a highly regarded,
well-rounded historian who made a serious effort to
write a fairly unbiased book on the public and private
life and times of Hitler. Some of the most revealing
accounts are taken from interviews Toland conducted of
people who knew him and were opening up for the first
time on the subject. Toland acknowledges when
any of his sources, such as personal interviewees, may
be biased.
Prior to this the most thorough and readable work on the subject was RISE & FALL OF THE THIRD REICH.
William Shirer had a very personal style of writing, unlike dry historians such as Trevor-Roper. Shirer was an American radio correspondent who wrote his powerful and highly regarded book soon after the first mountain of captured documents was opened to researchers.
Toland's style is personal yet offers attention to detail, which helped me plow through the heaviness of the subject. He was able to clarify previously sketchy accounts such as who really started the Reichstag fire, with much more information at his disposal than Shirer though to his credit he often refers to Shirer's personal observations of Hitler.
Tolands book reads well, is as definitive a picture of the man as is needed for the average reader.

Some of the things I learned from Toland that I had not grasped from Shirer are for example, a better understanding of Hitler's early years in Vienna and Munich, not as miserable as is commonly believed.
During those learning years he was very human, certainly a lot more connected to humanity.
His magnetism "act" took years to master. Early on he
learned a lot from the one or two certain
intellectuals he discussed the topics of the day,
especially music and architecture with.
He had a few close friends - Kubizek and Hanisch, who
looked out for him, that he never forgot, and he
warmly welcomed Kubizek informally to his mountain
retreat and Munich apartment on a few occasions until
the war years. In Mein Kampf he said those early years
included some of his happiest moments.
The unpretentious male and female friends he had then
were quite open and honest with him, he enjoyed their
lack of pretense and let them speak freely.
All too soon however, It became nearly impossible for his genuine friends to gain access to him once he surrounded himself with the motley crew he became identified with.
He maintained his own power by allowing his dogs to snap at each other and thus never gaather enough power to directly challenge him, which is how little he really thought of Goebbels, Goering, Himmler and even crasser
cronies vying for his benediction.
These men would ultimately prove worthless when the chips were down, as they may have been of use getting in power. By and large they were political hacks who had no business running a war, cheering on Hitler's
disintegration into total emotion and intuition.
Before corrosion of his judgement set in Hitler knew better than to listen to either his watchdogs or his own lies. He could be utterly brilliant, as a speaker in public and in private with his almost photographic memory he impressed many who were more professional such as the Generals.
He attracted a lot of different people to him from different walks of life, from ordinary shopkeepers who would give him food in the early days...to the unemployed fellows who argued with him but who respected him for his willingness to pass the hat for anyone without food for the night in the hostels where they stayed.... to international corporations who thought their money could buy him.
Hitler often had to survive on a miniscule budget before investors with Wall Street connections funded the Nazis, but this was not the cause of his anti-Semitic feelings anymore than his failed art career was.
Hitler's pastiche of racial theories were based on the
flimsiest of pamphlets, occult philosophies and
obvious forgeries (such as the Protocols of Zion).

His hostel friend who tried to manage him for a share of profit named Hanisch helping market his drawings
with moderate success to beer halls and little curio shops.
He never thought of his postcard and poster art as
important or underrated. He had no interest in collecting them back later, though obviously values went up later, he dismissed them as poor....he had few illusions of artistic grandeur as many might presume.
He composed overtures and played the piano, sure it must have been second-rate Wagner imitation, but he wasn't bereft of options besides the failed art
career. He really wanted to be an architect.

Toland excises parts of Mein Kampf that he must have
spent long hours sifting through to get the few paragraphs of meaning and brief flashes of incite and
clarity.
Hitler expressed himself best as a public speaker, but
by 1942 had lost all interest in that. His last speech to have a world-wide broadcast It was also the last important speech he delivered at the Reichstag, broadcast worldwide shortly before America entered the war.
William Shirer who was present claimed that speech was also one of his most popular, at least with the German audience, and that he had his audience in stitches, eating out of the palm of his hand while maintaining mock seriousness.
The real Hitler, especially before his inner demons devoured his hold on reality, was much deeper and more interesting than most people would care to believe. Toland provides more details about his duty in the army tha prrevious biographers. He risked his life many times on the frontlines in the service of his regiment.
He had a dog in the trenches who was very loyal to
him, that he showed much care for. Someone swiped the
dog that he wouldn't sell it to, a pivotal step towards his anger at humanity.
To learn what made him hate Jews and want revenge, you
must read the entire book, every chapter is important
history.
There was more than the charicature that we think of from the dramatized Hollywood movies, light weight cable documentaries, and the Nazis own propaganda. Look for the John Toland book, a vivid and honest portrait of his incredible life.
It was also, by Hitler's own standards, a wasted life as well.
He privately acknowledged in late 1941 that victory was no longer possible - he began to see it in terms of a decade long stalemate - and he later said that the gods of war had switched sides. Anything but accept the blame for his blunders.
He threw away any chance to pull off a decisive pre-winter 1941 victory in Russia all because of a personal whim to veer off schedule and punish Yugoslavia for preferring to remain a soveriegn nation instead of bowing to his offer of joining the Axis satellite. Mussolini had to be rescued from the soup at the same time for foolishly attacking Greece with no word to the Germans about it beforehand.
Hitler quickly over ran Greece and Yugoslavia but it further tied up his forces thereafter, dealing with the resistance skilled in guerrilla warfare.
An even graver blunder then invading Russia in late June, Hitler refused to accept the initally friendly Ukrainians as allies... and as a result gave his armies over a million more enemies to fight.
He pumped the weary Wehrmacht with words alone to suffer through the conditions he steered them into. Somehow his resove managed to provide his soldiers at their bleekest hours with hope.
Hitler's steadfast refusal to throw in the towel well before "midnight" was all that prevented Europe from being completely overrun by the Red Army. Had instead total panic taken hold, with the Germans running right behind the Italians in full scale retreat, the defeat would have been far worse than the Stalingrad disaster and subsequent slower retreat all along the Russian Front.
His fanatic determination to win on his own terms
despite the impossible odds... a tragedy but otherwise
the end would have come much sooner.
If the Nazis and Soviets had negotiated a peace
before Russia gained the full initiative, many lives might have been saved, including brave Germans who would have spawned a worthy generation had they not been erased from history, along with all the others who died. The offer was put on the table by Stalin secretly and was good for many months...until there was no more stopping the Red Army.
It was to be the most ignominious collapse, squandered successes such as North Africa might well have devastated England, but Hitler could only focus
on Russia. He left his ace in the hole - Field Marshal Rommel - a man's man, without enough petrol to fire up the tanks one last time... El Alamein was the end of the line, and never again did Hitler have a chance to reverse his worst blunders, which he barely noticed at the time they occured. The Ardennes counter-offensive was little more than a desperate gamble, a last gasp that could have at best only prolonged the inevitable collapse. He had already blown the slim possibility of stopping the Allies from establishing a beachhead on June 6th, not so much because of the surprise but because he couldn't be woken for the first hours of D-Day. No serious action was taken for several more days either, in spite of his suspicion that Normandy might be the place to keep an eye on, he ignored his own warning and dismissed the seriousness of the subsequent breakout from the coast until several days later when it was by then too late.
Thus the fate of the Fatherland and nearly the world was in the hands of a man who reversed the stunning success that came easily by bluff alone, and all of the hard fought fleeting victories.
The inevitable capitulation he refused to accept in the final days is covered in this book but now there is Toland's focus on the final 100 days, which I hope to read - the "battiness" as Shirer termed it of the political leaders of the 3rd Reich to
deal with reality is amazing.
I doubt anyone else in history ever fell that far,
that fast, from such a lofty perch... to sink so low
after nearly pulling it off, he must have been totally devastated moment to moment, in sheer mental agony the final months.
Once Hitler died, Nazism effectively died with him. Isolated fanatics who continued then or now to go on believing in it have had little if any actual impact on world events.
Toland's book is here for good to solve the riddle by uncovering the enigma wrapped in mystery so we won't get fooled again.

Rating:
Summary: Good first biography
Review: I read this book behind Mein Kampf (MK) in 1991. I was 16 then, and much of what was in MK was confusing and hard to understand. Hitler meant MK to be read by adherents to the Nazi party and, therefore, those people would know the history behind what was written in the book. John Toland does a wonderful job in writing an easily accessible and understandable biography for the person who is just beginning to study this complex era in our world's history. His research is well documented throughout the book, and one can get a good sense of what Hitler was like and how life was under his rule from 1933-1945. Also, this book gives a good insight into the men and women who supported the National Socialist movement and how their influence dictated the rise and fall of the Third Reich. One can easily find themselves studying other influential people in Hitler's circle as well as Hitler himself. Toland does a very good job of not painting a judgemental picture of the subject of which he is writing about.

I would highly recommend this tome for anyone who is interested in learning the basic information regarding Hitler and the Third Reich. (Of course, it should be no substitute for Mein Kampf. If you want to know what Hitler was thinking....why not read his own words for yourself?)

Rating:
Summary: FROM SOUP TO NUTS!
Review: Whew! This was quite a long biography, but how can a person like Adolf Hitler be written in a short and sweet version. This is without a doubt, one of the best biographies I have ever read, this book deals with Hitler from before birth until after his demise. We are not just shown the war time Hitler, we are shown Hitler the Artist, Poet, Architect, the homeless man (yes he was broke living on the streets at one point folks) and Hitler the demigod. There are no sides taken in this novel it plays out to you like a whirlwind of information getting stories from various people within his inner circle.
This book is very easy to read, and not too heavy with names nor does it dwell on just one topic of his life. I thought it was a very good depiction of the dictator. I especially liked how Jon Toland would describe Hitler's demeanor when he would receive news of victory or defeat.
After reading this book I can see parallels between Hitler and Saddam Hussain. These men have been in power so long that they come to believe that they are Gods to there people and that only they can lead them to glory, despite the obvious doom and destruction that will eventually occur.
After reading the book, I have to say, the early Hitler had some good points, had he only stayed in Germany and made it a great nation he would have gone down in history as one of the greatest leaders. However what he later did can never be forgiven. Well, the guy never got a college degree, what can you expect. He died a madman no doubt about it.

Rating:
Summary: Used to be in two volumes...
Review: When this book was released in 1976 it came in two volumes. The first pertained to hitler's early years to his rise to power, the second pertained to the war years. It was perhaps the best biography of hitler available in the english language. You could actually read it as two seperate books!

I wish it still was offered that way but this version provides the reader with a more concise history and still makes for interesting reading. The quality of research still comes through. Toland's wrote beautifully about hitler's early days and provides some insight into how hitler became the monster he was and why so many believed in him.

..............socks

Rating:
Summary: Hitler, Who was He Really?
Review: The other day, I was wondering how dictators are created. Where do these individuals that rise to power come from? And do they have any thread of commonality running through them. The individual I started with was Hitler. I've heard many things about Hitler, but I have never actually read a biography. And when I searched for a book on the topic. I found many about World War II and the results of his policies, but few about the man himself. Then I happened upon Toland's book. Literally was at the bottom of a search I had made. There was very little written about what the book was about. But, because it said nothing, and the book was lengthy, I purchased the book. It has been a fascinating read. It tells you about his entire life, and doesn't cast him in an unfavorable light throughout. In fact, you find out quite a bit of the better parts of his personality, and in some ways is almost sympathetic, although the author clearly says he had to ignore his own feelings while writing this book. It definitely has done a superior job of outlining Hitler's Life, particularly who and what were the driving forces of his life.