In the Garden of Beasts

Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler's Berlin

By: Erik Larson

Narrated by: Stephen Hoye

Length: 12 hrs and 52 mins

Publisher's summary

Erik Larson has been widely acclaimed as a master of narrative non-fiction, and in his new book, the best-selling author of Devil in the White City turns his hand to a remarkable story set during Hitler’s rise to power.

The time is 1933, the place, Berlin, when William E. Dodd becomes America’s first ambassador to Hitler’s Germany in a year that proved to be a turning point in history.

A mild-mannered professor from Chicago, Dodd brings along his wife, son, and flamboyant daughter, Martha. At first, Martha is entranced by the parties and pomp, and the handsome young men of the Third Reich with their infectious enthusiasm for restoring Germany to a position of world prominence. Enamored of the “New Germany”, she has one affair after another, including with the suprisingly honorable first chief of the Gestapo, Rudolf Diels. But as evidence of Jewish persecution mounts, confirmed by chilling first-person testimony, her father telegraphs his concerns to a largely indifferent State Department back home. Dodd watches with alarm as Jews are attacked, the press is censored, and drafts of frightening new laws begin to circulate.

As that first year unfolds and the shadows deepen, the Dodds experience days full of excitement, intrigue, romance - and ultimately, horror, when a climactic spasm of violence and murder reveals Hitler’s true character and ruthless ambition.

Suffused with the tense atmosphere of the period, and with unforgettable portraits of the bizarre Göring and the expectedly charming - yet wholly sinister - Goebbels, In the Garden of Beasts lends a stunning, eyewitness perspective on events as they unfold in real time, revealing an era of surprising nuance and complexity. The result is a dazzling, addictively listenable work that speaks volumes about why the world did not recognize the grave threat posed by Hitler until Berlin, and Europe, were awash in blood and terror.

©2011 Stephen Hoye (P)2011 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

"In this mesmerizing portrait of the Nazi capital, Larson plumbs a far more diabolical urban cauldron than in his bestselling The Devil in the White City... a vivid, atmospheric panorama of the Third Reich and its leaders, including murderous Nazi factional infighting, through the accretion of small crimes and petty thuggery." ( Publishers Weekly)

"By far his best and most enthralling work of novelistic history….Powerful, poignant…a transportingly true story." ( The New York Times)

"[L]ike slipping slowly into a nightmare, with logic perverted and morality upended….It all makes for a powerful, unsettling immediacy." (Bruce Handy, Vanity Fair)

a must for. WW2 buffs

from the eyes of an american ambassadors family the process of Hitler's infiltration of the German people. the daughter's social activities bring many side characters to light. this book gives the description of Hitler's top officers and others that opposed his rise and orders. hard to put this one down!

My second Larson book. Excellent!

My WW2 bookshelf did not include this window on the rise of the Nazis. Now I have filled that oversight with this well researched and superbly written history of the Dodd reign in Berlin. Great narration too.

Obsessed with Martha's sex life

It is an interesting story, but I found the author's focus on Martha's sex life annoying.

Compelling & Relevant

This book is highly worthwhile given today's political environment. It provide a historical context of could of, would have, should have to today's world of can do, should do, and will do in terms of facing similar circumstances with equally despotic leaders.

I would suggest adding Empire of the Summer Moon to this book as a companion piece that provides valuable insight into this country's development.

Essential piece of history

When anyone speculates how ordinary Germans allowed the atrocities of the Nazi regime, refer them to this review of the mid 1930s. I find the manipulations of Hitler amidl and his cronies to be frighteningly similar to the rise of Donald Trump. I hope enough of us see this and find ways to resist his reign to prevent the United States from being yet another horrid slice of history for future generations.

Chicago World Fair and Serial Killer

Where does In the Garden of Beasts rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

easy listening

Who was your favorite character and why?

The men and women who had a vision to bring the world fair to Chicago

Any additional comments?

Chicago World Fair and a Serial Killer - what more can you ask for.

Well read, but the story can get slow at times.

Slow story. A lot of details, maybe too many. I got far enough in where I didn't want to turn back, and finished. I kept waiting for the pace to pick up, it never did. Well read by the narrator.

Loved it, one of the best books I've listened to

If you could sum up In the Garden of Beasts in three words, what would they be?

Loved it! Excellent!

Who was your favorite character and why?

Martha Dodd

What does Stephen Hoye bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Love his voice, excellent job

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

If I could, I would listen to it all in one sitting

Entertaining

Very engaging and well-written. It is hard to keep up with all of the characters introduced, though, especially without seeing the printed names.

Roosevelt was a buffoon!

Would you listen to In the Garden of Beasts again? Why?

I would definitely listen again if only to make sure I didn't miss anything.

What was one of the most memorable moments of In the Garden of Beasts?

Unfortunately my memorable moments in this book were not happy ones. I will never forget how our government turned a blind eye concerning Hitler. Roosevelt indeed was a purely political buffoon.

Which scene was your favorite?

When people finally admitted William E. Dodd had been correct all along.

Any additional comments?

Even though you already know the ending, this book is well worth the listen. It moves fast, and Erik Larson's ability to tell a story is amazing. The narrator, Stephen Hoye has a wonderful voice.