Rating: 
Summary: Excellent Biography of a Twisted Mind
Review: I wanted to read a book about Himmler, but wasn't sure I wanted to read one as hefty as this tome . . . but I quickly changed my mind as soon as I began to read Padfield's work. It immediately pulls you in and keeps the reader intrigued throughout. Padfield does an excellent job of penetrating Himmler's warped mind and makes fine use of resource material that I didn't even know existed.
Rating: 
Summary: Excellent Biography
Review: Mr. Padfield builds a picture of Himmler, from his infancy to his death, through quotes from his papers, and the memoirs and documents of the people around Himmler. Mr. Padfield presents not only a perspective on Himmler, but also his perspective on the power struggle in the leadership of the Reich. The author also illuminates the character of Himmler's subordinates, especially Heydrich and Wolff, through the memoirs and documents testifying to their relation to Himmler. Padfield frequently provides psychological speculation on Himmler's motives for his actions or responses to events, but the author is unemotional and distinguishes between what he considers documented facts and what is only speculation. I found especially interesting Padfield's account of Himmler's abandonment of Catholicism and embrace of neo-paganism, and Himmler's musings on "Indo-European" religion and metaphysics. Obviously, it is not a pleasant book with regard to either the accounts of the murders or the exploration of Himmler's spirit, but Mr. Padfield presents a balanced book that reveals with Himmler's and his associates' own words the utter depravity of Himmler's actions and beliefs. I look forward to reading Mr. Padfield's books on other subjects.
Rating:
Summary: Lots of work put in, and fairly readable
Review: Padfield succeeded in writing a comprehensive biography of the number two person of Nazi Germany - both in terms of power and influence and in terms of damage done. This is no mean achievement, and putting Himmlers life story into the context of the political and military events worked quite well overall. However, the book keeps you asking for more detail on some topics, like the presumed occultist affiliations of Himmler and other Nazi functionaries.
Rating:
Summary: Solid biography
Review: Padfield's account of Himmler could be stronger, but it works well enough. Padfield tries to explain Himmler's personality w/ psychology--the love-hate relationship w/ his father, the dissonance between Himmler's mind and reality, his sociopathic personality--which I think is merely overlooking the obvious: Himmler had a vile worldview and he set about to fullfill that vision. The psycho-analyzing is fine, I guess, but National Socialism was merely Himmler's new demonic religion after he renounced Christianity.Padfield does a better job detailing Himmler's philosophy. We are reminded that National Socialism did not begin w/ Hitler, but had its own roots in German Volk movements and national etatism. If Hitler did not exist, Nazism probably still would have, as Himmler formed his racist thoughts independent of Hitler. Padfield stays away from the weirder mystical sides of Himmler, but he does touch upon Himmler's fascination w/ eastern religion. The book also reveals actions by Himmler that I didn't know before--such as two aborted betrayals of Hitler during the end of the War (Himmler knew of the assassination attempt on Hitler, and did nothing to stop it, and Himmler tried to secure a separate peace w/ the Allies). To Himmler, loyalty to the beliefs of National Socialism trumped loyalty to Hitler.
Rating:
Summary: Solid biography
Review: Padfield's account of Himmler could be stronger, but it works well enough. Padfield tries to explain Himmler's personality w/ psychology--the love-hate relationship w/ his father, the dissonance between Himmler's mind and reality, his sociopathic personality--which I think is merely overlooking the obvious: Himmler had a vile worldview and he set about to fullfill that vision. The psycho-analyzing is fine, I guess, but National Socialism was merely Himmler's new demonic religion after he renounced Christianity. Padfield does a better job detailing Himmler's philosophy. We are reminded that National Socialism did not begin w/ Hitler, but had its own roots in German Volk movements and national etatism. If Hitler did not exist, Nazism probably still would have, as Himmler formed his racist thoughts independent of Hitler. Padfield stays away from the weirder mystical sides of Himmler, but he does touch upon Himmler's fascination w/ eastern religion. The book also reveals actions by Himmler that I didn't know before--such as two aborted betrayals of Hitler during the end of the War (Himmler knew of the assassination attempt on Hitler, and did nothing to stop it, and Himmler tried to secure a separate peace w/ the Allies). To Himmler, loyalty to the beliefs of National Socialism trumped loyalty to Hitler.
Rating:
Summary: Hilter's #1 Henchman
Review: Peter Padfield's "Himmler" is an authoritative, enlightening and engrossing biography of a man, his (un)reality, and his role in the greatest mass murder spree of the 20th century. Padfield certainly makes no apologies for Himmler, yet he presents a balanced account of how Himmler might have come to the point of cold blooded extermination he was at in 1941-44 and then his "change of heart" at the end. Padfield spends much of the early part of the book delving into Himmler's childhood, upbringing (by a strick disciplinarian professor father, and soft mother), early adult years and his time during the "day's of struggle" - the early Nazi years. This introduction does a lot to set the scence for Himmler's life. While we certainly can't forgive the man for hwat he did and stood for, we might be able to understand more clearly the mind set behind the decisions he made. Padfield's research paints Himmler as a man who was deeply scared by his upbringing and retreated into a fantasy world which he went deeper into as time went on. When he eventually gained respect and power as one of the Nazi elite he expressed his fantasy world overtly to the world. Himmler's years in power in Nazi Germany are well documented, yet Padfield does a great job showing not just what Himmler ddid but how he did it - from establishment of the SS and Gestapo to the Holocaust. Himmler didn't do it on his own - again Padfield is carfule not to excuse him or even take blame from him, but rather to show how Himmler created a system within tthe Nazi power structure that allowed him to orchestrate such attrocities on man kind. He was a consumate suck up to others in power - keeping with him his whole life his feelings of insecurity and uselessness, even at the height of his power. All in all, "Himmler" is a must read for those interested in understanding the how's of WWII's crimes and how a single human can, with the aide of others, so change history.
Rating:
Summary: Hilter's #1 Henchman
Review: Peter Padfield's "Himmler" is an authoritative, enlightening and engrossing biography of a man, his (un)reality, and his role in the greatest mass murder spree of the 20th century. Padfield certainly makes no apologies for Himmler, yet he presents a balanced account of how Himmler might have come to the point of cold blooded extermination he was at in 1941-44 and then his "change of heart" at the end. Padfield spends much of the early part of the book delving into Himmler's childhood, upbringing (by a strick disciplinarian professor father, and soft mother), early adult years and his time during the "day's of struggle" - the early Nazi years. This introduction does a lot to set the scence for Himmler's life. While we certainly can't forgive the man for hwat he did and stood for, we might be able to understand more clearly the mind set behind the decisions he made. Padfield's research paints Himmler as a man who was deeply scared by his upbringing and retreated into a fantasy world which he went deeper into as time went on. When he eventually gained respect and power as one of the Nazi elite he expressed his fantasy world overtly to the world. Himmler's years in power in Nazi Germany are well documented, yet Padfield does a great job showing not just what Himmler ddid but how he did it - from establishment of the SS and Gestapo to the Holocaust. Himmler didn't do it on his own - again Padfield is carfule not to excuse him or even take blame from him, but rather to show how Himmler created a system within tthe Nazi power structure that allowed him to orchestrate such attrocities on man kind. He was a consumate suck up to others in power - keeping with him his whole life his feelings of insecurity and uselessness, even at the height of his power. All in all, "Himmler" is a must read for those interested in understanding the how's of WWII's crimes and how a single human can, with the aide of others, so change history.
Rating:
Summary: A fine work of biography and history
Review: Peter Padfield's biography of Heinrich Himmler captures the evil genius of the Reichsfurer SS in all of his demonic glory. The story is at once compelling and terrifying. The only knock on the book is that Padfield pads his narritive by including many events in Nazi Germany that did not necessarily involve Himmler. But though a more concise biography might have been more readable, this is still a riveting account for those with an interest in Nazi Germany.
Rating:
Summary: A fine work of biography and history
Review: Peter Padfield's biography of Heinrich Himmler captures the evil genius of the Reichsfurer SS in all of his demonic glory. The story is at once compelling and terrifying. The only knock on the book is that Padfield pads his narritive by including many events in Nazi Germany that did not necessarily involve Himmler. But though a more concise biography might have been more readable, this is still a riveting account for those with an interest in Nazi Germany.
Rating:
Summary: boring
Review: They were normal men and women, who lived in a very contentious time in Germany and did the wrong thing. They were not "evil", they did things that were evil. Just as bad things happen to good people, good people do BAD things. Himmler was not "evil", he believed in Hitler. What he did was evil, and he, as he should be, is held by most of the civilized world as a criminal.The deeper I went into this book, the more unbelievable I found it to be. It is amazing that people still write from a Marxist perspective, that capital is the primary motive of history. According to this book, it was the landed Junkers vs the Capitalist industialist that led the NAZI's into war and policy formation. The deeper I got into the book, the less I cared for what was being presented, and the more I wanted a biography on Himmler and less of a preaching of Marxist theory on world history!
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