Rating: 
Summary: In the kingdom of the Blind
Review: At the present Amazon price this book is a bargain, so despite my low star ranking, I would urge people to purchase.
The subject this book covers is so under reported that Lebert's book is compelling despite major flaws.
Like most WWII books this publication is compromised by historical orthodoxy, admittedly a particularly onerous burden for a German author.
The strictures of historical orthodoxy make Lebert a casualy unsympathetic biographer. It is impossible for Lebert to speculate as to whether Gudrun Himmlers fierce devotion to her father may have been consolidated by her treatment after the war. In Gudrun's case as in the case of the other "Nazikinder" there is a failure to regard the internment of the children and the deaths/imprisonment of their fathers as possible sources of psychological trauma which deeply influenced their adult lives and opinions.
On a broader note Lebert is not allowed to speculate that a General German insousciance, vis a vis German war criminals, may have it's origin in their own sufferings. Millions of German civilians were immolated in bombing raids, millions of Germans were expelled from their homes, and in the Soviet zone hundreds of thousands of girls and women were gang raped, perhaps their own personal trauma contributed to a tendency towards indifference among the German population to the terrible sufferings of others? Who knows? None can ask.
Although this is not a well written book, as a book, Lebert is a good writer with an easy prose style which means that My Fathers Keeper is by no means a chore to read. An interesting exploration for both the general reader and for those interested in this time period.
Rating: 
Summary: Captivating
Review: I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. I was concerned that the German translation would not come across well, but there was no problem. This book tells the story of the children of former Nazi leaders and their experiences after the war up to 1960. The son picks up the story in 2000 (or thereabouts). I would like to have seen a much more engaging update of the children's lives since this book was originally published. I think the son relied too much on his father's previous manuscripts. I would like to have seen more photos of the children as they appear today. Nevertheless, the stories about Edda Goring, the Franks, the von Shirachs et al were quite engaging. It appears that Gudrun Himmler has had the worst row to hoe during her lifetime. She comes across as a very sad, embittered person who has refused to refute her last name. Of this, it appears, she has paid a heavy price during her lifetime. The book has a good flow to it; is easy to read (light reading) and is certainly worth a read. You may not learn too much about these kids. I believe a much more in-depth study of these children would have made this book much better.
Rating:
Summary: Children of Nazi leaders...
Review: If you are interested in the history of the Third Reich and its terrible legacy, you should read this book. Even though, in many cases, their fathers have been dead for many years, the children of Nazi leaders have led difficult lives owning to the crimes of their fathers. These children, regardless of the fact that they owe no culpability themselves, have always lived in the long shadows of their infamous fathers. In some cases, this has enhanced their lives, but generally it has caused them many difficulties. The book, even though parts of it is a reprint of a 1959 edition, gives the readers some valuable insight into the legacy that Third Reich leaders left their children.
Rating:
Summary: Public Nazi, Private Father: The Child's View Now and Then
Review: If you are like me, you know relatively little about the lives of the children of the Nazi leaders. Although their fathers' names live in infamy, the children and their names often survived in obscurity and semi-privacy. This powerful set of interviews from 1959 and 1999-2000 provides a psychological lens to see the children, being a child in general, German society, and the actions of the Allies. In 1959 German journalist, Norbert Lebert, interviewed in a number of children of the Nazi leaders. After his death, Mr. Lebert's son, Stephan, chose to attempt to bring those interviews up to date in 1999-2000. Where he could not (as with Gudrun Himmler and Edda Goring), the younger Mr. Lebert provides a thumbnail history of what is known about the intervening years. To me, the most interesting parts of the book were 1959 interviews. Mr. Norbert Lebert did a sensitive job of considering the children of the leaders as people rather than as celebrities or subjects of a study. The information he developed was quite extensive, broad, and very interesting. In each case, the father cast a long shadow onto his children. While very young, these children were usually aware that their fathers were powerful and admired. Some, like Edda Goring, even had celebrity status in their own right. The Allied attempts to prosecute the fathers disrupted the lives of the mothers and their children. Some fathers died by their own hand (like Himmler and Goring), some were hung, while others languished in prison where there could be little contact (like von Schirach and Hess). So to a large extent, these children were fatherless after 1945. After World War II, their fathers' pasts continued to influence their lives, by causing some to be curious, some to scorn them, and others to approve. The private father was usually remembered with affection and nostalgia. The public father was often obscure, except for the older children (like Gudrun Himmler). The public activities were often caught up in having Hitler as a godfather, or other kinds of positive attention. The heritage of the Nazi past was accepted by some of the children as positive. Two sons broke strongly with what their fathers had done. The most interesting case is that of Mr. Niklas Frank who wrote a series of strong articles describing in explicit language his father (Hans Frank, governor of Poland) and his feelings about his father in very negative terms. Many Germans condemned Mr. Frank for being unfaithful to his father. Anyone who expects the children of a war criminal to be an ideal witness about that person's culpability is obviously mistaken. Some of the incidental stories though will shake you, such as the experience of being shown Himmler's collection of household items made from parts of human bodies. Hess's son and Himmler's daughter had great hopes of correcting what they believed to be major errors in the historical record about their fathers. Edda Goring claimed that her name was never a drawback to her, although several of the other children recount many times when their names caused problems such as not being accepted for schools or jobs. The book in many other ways is disappointing. Unless you are very familiar with the Nazis, you will receive less than the minimum information you should know about the fathers. Perhaps in Germany everyone knows these facts. In the United States, I suspect that is not true. Long sections are circular and others are rambling with speculations by other authors. Other sources that could have shed light on these lives are missing. How did the lives of these people compare to that of their German contemporaries whose fathers were or were not prominent Nazis? What did public opinion polls in Germany say about their fathers at the various times when the interviews were undertaken? What did the school books say about their fathers that they read? How do the children of convicted and executed murderers usually react to the memory of their guilty parent? How was the reaction in Germany different from the reaction in Italy to the children of the Fascist leaders there? All of these questions could probably have been answered, but were not raised. After you finish reading this book, think about how we can help the children of both those who cause and are victimized by violence. Unless we break that vicious cycle of adding the burden to the next generation in unsustainable ways, we run the risk of perpetuating hatred and violence long into the future. Honor the goodness that should guide our lives!
Rating: 
Summary: Where was the editor?
Review: It was hard for me to understand how this book could get past the editor's desk because of the very awkward translation from German to English. The subject matter seemed intriguing from the title (I ordered the book sight unseen) but was most disappointing. I have read probably hundreds of Holocaust books and this was pretty close to the bottom, as far as being worthwhile in any sense. There was no bibliography either, which is a necessity for any book of this type to be believable. I would not recommend it, and in fact will be soon donating it to a used book store.
Rating:
Summary: Paying For Their Parents Sins?
Review: Stephan Lebert's famous interviews with the Children of Nazi Germany's leaders are told in this book.
The Children of Himmler, Goering, Hess, and a few others gave their side of the story, some reluctently, others freely to the interviewer. All have a story to tell and in some cases use the interviews as a means to push for their father's innocence while others really don't care what their parents did. They are of course totally blameless of their parent's actions and in some cases want to be left alone. Sadly the old addage "Guilty by association" is what these people (and their offspring) will have to endure for the rest of their lives.
Rating:
Summary: Sad and disturbing
Review: This book is a must read for those interested in the Nazi leaders. I found some of these children's views most disturbing, especially the refusal to face the truth of what their fathers did (with a few exceptions). What is amazing is the pity party some have telling of the awful prison/camps they were submitted to after the war. Their post war treatment cannot compare to those who suffered in the death camps under the Nazis. The author is very objective in his opinions and observations. I highly recommend this book for those interested in this subject.
Rating:
Summary: Where was the editor?
Review: This book struck a deep chord in me as a South African. It was an unsettling and thought-provoking read. We also have a dark icky past, and frighteningly the theme of guilt-by-pedigree, and of therefore trying to forget the past, trying to pretend that it all never happened, is familiar. SA right now is going through the same process, although not to the same extent. It's downright creepy. I won't forget the book in a hurry!
Rating:
Summary: Sad and disturbing
Review: This was an interesting read. The author tries to delve into the the lives of the Nazi leader's children and detail how they viewed their fathers. Some viewed their fathers as great men (Himmilers and Goering's daughters). Others view things more circumspect, Boreman's eldest son loves his father but agrees his father was responsible for great crimes. Still others hate their fathers. Nilklas Frank hates his father to such a degree he celebrates the day his father dies. Throughout the book, both authors try to delve into the morality of each child and how he views his father's past.
I rated this as only a three, although it could well be a four. The organization of the book leaves something to be desired. The book goes between the father and son's writing and one has to note what time period he is in. Also, the author tries to much to place each child in a box. Who does best as understanding the hurt their father put on mankind and his own role as a father. These fathers may have done very evil things, but all in their own way was a loving father. To expect a child to think of his father as a monstor is perhaps bad form. An interesting read.
Rating:
Summary: The lives of the children of Nazi leaders.
Review: This was an interesting read. The author tries to delve into the the lives of the Nazi leader's children and detail how they viewed their fathers. Some viewed their fathers as great men (Himmilers and Goering's daughters). Others view things more circumspect, Boreman's eldest son loves his father but agrees his father was responsible for great crimes. Still others hate their fathers. Nilklas Frank hates his father to such a degree he celebrates the day his father dies. Throughout the book, both authors try to delve into the morality of each child and how he views his father's past.
I rated this as only a three, although it could well be a four. The organization of the book leaves something to be desired. The book goes between the father and son's writing and one has to note what time period he is in. Also, the author tries to much to place each child in a box. Who does best as understanding the hurt their father put on mankind and his own role as a father. These fathers may have done very evil things, but all in their own way was a loving father. To expect a child to think of his father as a monstor is perhaps bad form. An interesting read.
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