08 August 2019
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This is Tim’s third book on the rise and fall of Nazi Germany, as told through the experiences of those who lived through it.
Author: Tim Heath
Reviewed by: Duncan Evans
Editor's Choice
This is Tim’s third book on the rise and fall of Nazi Germany, as told through the experiences of those who lived through it. This one is an all-encompassing look at the effects on the German public of the rise of the National Socialists and the conflagration of a disastrous world war. That’s an awful lot of ground to cover so clearly it’s not going to be an in-depth account of the politics. Instead, this is more an overview of events, with lots of stories by ordinary civilians and soldiers on what they experienced during them. From people who were captivated by Hitler to others who were repulsed by him.
The sad parts are from ordinary Germans who could see that Hitler’s military aggressiveness was going to lead to disaster, but few were willing to listen. The hardest chapters to read concern the war in the east and how brutal it was on both sides. The stories here explain the unrelenting, kill or be killed mentality at work. It’s gripping, sobering, fascinating stuff.
• Pen and Sword
• ISBN 978-1-5267-3297-2
• 228 pages • Hardback • £25
As reviewed in The Armourer September 2019
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