Non-Fiction
Related: About this forumThe Rise and Fall of the Third Reich. I just finished it a few days ago.
By William L. Shirer.
It is quite a masterpiece! I highly recommend it.
In the portion of the book leading up to the Anschluss, to the takeover of the Sudetenland, and the preemptive strike on, I mean invasion of, Poland, the author described in detail the negotiations, or rather, attempts at negotiations, that went on.
And before the Germans invaded Russia, Hitler made it plain to his generals just how barbaric the invasion was to be. It is fortunate for the Russians that they didn't surrender, though their losses were heavy.
If you are interested in history, this book is a must-read.
Binkie The Clown
(7,911 posts)BigmanPigman
(52,262 posts)I have seen it on the History Channel several times too. I recommend it.
Iahotdog
(119 posts)Great book.there is also a video of the same title on youtube.Lots of parallels in the early days to what's going on here right now.
VMA131Marine
(4,649 posts)I read it for the first time a couple of years ago.
Itchinjim
(3,121 posts)It documents Germany's steady and inevitable slide into totalitarianism.
bobbieinok
(12,858 posts)Shirer's experiences as an American reporter.
byronius
(7,600 posts)pscot
(21,037 posts)He had a ringside seat at the events he describes and he wrote a great book.
HeiressofBickworth
(2,682 posts)in 1965. Husband was military stationed in Germany. We were there two years. Every time we took a sightseeing drive, I took the book along and looked up what happened in that area during the war. Learned a lot of WWII history that way.
Since trump took office, I've re-read parts of the book dealing with the rise of nazism. Scary stuff.
kairos12
(13,248 posts)Shirer would wake up today in the United States and wonder if he is seeing a repeat of what he saw in the 30s in Germany.
pretzel4gore
(8,146 posts)maybe only in retrospect, but Shirer knew fascism was the norm, and hitler's version would have played ok had hitler not tried to force the goofy reactionary bs on the 'west' (so called democracys) after it SAID NO!...look at the Spanish civil war, or Italy's war on Ethipoia, where both fascist regimes supported the bullyboys, who effectively murdered their way to power, and WE went along. I read Shirer's books as a teen, and thought as everybody that they were wonderful 'truth to power' but even way back then, I remember Admiral Donitz wasn't just a serviceman doing his duty; something HUGE was going on. The USSR would have marched to the sea had not the 'west' hurriedly pulled a DDay less then a year before hitler suicide (10 months) a creep named Reinhard Ghelin, who was hitlers murderous secret service operator, was rescued from justice by fascistic US brit etc schemers (including H Kissinger) and helped set up CIA, and the 'cold war' was already being cooked up though USSR lost 20 million people 1/3 of economy due to nazis. The nuking of Japan was to punish what Truman called the 'yellowbellies' a month after Hirohito sent telegram begging allies accept japan's uc surrender. All this crap I learned much later, but to see Shirer's propaganda honoured ...given credence when we should know better...too much! FDR was murdered cuz he no go along with 'cold war' bs...it took Spain 2 generations to finally rid themselves of criminal government. Shirer's book helped the 'cold warriors. karl Donitz was a white racist nazi who actually was busted (something the pigmedia kept quiet) and sent to jail...the people were badly served by 'r/f of 3rd reich' because it left fascists in control when we had just blown the worlds's budget DEFEATING it (USSR doing the actual work). Sorry for this rant, but humanity is in big trouble, and fascist are liars and murderous thieves, and trumpotus is just latest thuggee snreaking around the hall of power. Warner von Braun, who supposedly put USA into space, was a war criminal. When Gen Patton told a crowd of officers that the allies should 'march to Moscow' he nearly started a riot (our boys were sympathetic to USSR in '45)...
there's alot more, but you get picture.
See 'Myth of the Good War' by Jacques Pauwels for some anti dote to the bs we be force fed by hushstorians. Remember, it was these bastards who murdered JFK 18 years after they did in FDR. They need you to believe what they tell you, but that leads to hell (bush/trump), i think. The fact is the nazipoohs LOSE by winning, and they WIN by losing, so lets help them