The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich

A History of Nazi Germany

By: William L. Shirer

Narrated by: Grover Gardner

Length: 57 hrs and 11 mins

Publisher's summary

Since its publication in 1960, William L. Shirer’s monumental study of Hitler’s German empire has been widely acclaimed as the definitive record of the twentieth century’s blackest hours. The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich offers an unparalleled and thrillingly told examination of how Adolf Hitler nearly succeeded in conquering the world. With millions of copies in print around the globe, it has attained the status of a vital and enduring classic.

Now, years after the end of World War II, it may seem incredible that our most valued institutions, and way of life, were threatened by the menace that Hitler and the Third Reich represented. Shirer’s description of events and the cast of characters who played such pivotal roles in defining the course Europe was to take is unforgettable.

Benefiting from his many years as a reporter, and thus a personal observer of the rise of Nazi Germany, and availing himself of some of the 485 tons of documents from the German Foreign Office, as well as countless other diaries, phone transcriptions, and other written records meticulously kept at every level by the Germans, Shirer has put together a brutally objective account of how Hitler wrested political control of Germany, and planned and executed his six-year quest to dominate the world, only to see Germany go down in flames.

The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich is a vast, richly rewarding experience for anyone who wants to come to grips with the mysterious question of how this menace to civilization ever came into being, much less was sustained for as long as it was. The answer, unfortunately, is that most of Germany, for a whole host of reasons, embraced Nazism and the fanaticism that Hitler engendered.

©1990 William L. Shirer (P)2010 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

“One of the most important works of history of our time.” ( The New York Times)

”A splendid work of scholarship, objective in method, sound in judgment, inescapable in its conclusions.” ( The New York Times Book Review)

Best Book on Audible

With the the combination of great storytelling, impeccable research
and the premiere narrator, Grover Gardner, this is the best book I have listened to on Audible.

Eye opening

So many parts of this masterpiece resonate today.

The intimacy generated through replaying events through the eyes of those “in the room” put this book in a class of its own

I realize I had not fully understood the steps and the sheer horror of events

A must listen for those to young to remember first hand

What a masterpiece!

This audiobook makes you "feel there", as if you were there, in the secret meetings, being part of the conversation. The narrator does a great reading as well, using its voice as a powerful tool to convey the story using changes in tone and speed masterfully.

Usually, documentaries about this topic treat the story from the outside. This book is the opposite. You will see the events from the eyes of those who where there.

I just finished it and will begin it again shortly.

The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich

What a monumental work this is !!
They say that history is never written by the underdog. Ultimately Germany was the underdog in spite of her initial rampant success in the beginning of the war. However, by virtue of the fact that the entire book is based on the German documents pertaining to their conduct of the war, it is in reality their own account of the war and one can really come away from reading it with a profound understanding of the “other side”.
It is beyond frightening that this could ever have happened and serves as a continual warning to humanity that for evil to succeed all it needs is for good people to do nothing to prevent it. This is one of the most powerful points made in this book.
I recommend this book to everyone. It is a huge commitment to get through it but well worth it.

Great Book but performance is a bit flat

This book is a actually excellent in terms of content and style and organization. It is really one of a kind. I read this book several times, and I wanted to have the audio. However, here is my problem: The author, William Shirer, was a WWII correspondence and an eye witness to the incredible events, such as personally attending Hitler talked before Hitler become famous, and he tells an incredible story, and stories, one after the other. William Shirer is featured in the movie "The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich" based on the book. This author has a quiet voice and a style of writing and talking that is very unique and very story-telling like. I think this book uses a person-reader who does not reflect the voice of the author and really does not do the author justice. I really would love to see this book read by John Rowe (see Proust) or the person who did "Hitler" by Kershaw. It would be so much nicer, and I would certainly buy the book again. Once again, the book itself is incredibly well written, but the reading is flat and does not do the book justice.

An awesome summary of a dark time in world history

I set it to 1.4 speed and let it fly. I've learned a lot.

Finally

This is one of the books I’d always promised to read but was put off by the length. I am wonderfully pleased by this reading. Some of the parallels to the present are disconcerting. This is well written and well presented. Took me a little bit for this to catch my fancy but once it did I couldn’t put it down.

A Warning to Our Generation

When charisma matters more than character,
when conflict is preferred over compromise,
when critical thinking is condemned…

what will it take for our generation to correct the course and avoid the mistakes of the past?

Most important book I have read.

This is probably the most important book concerning WW2. A thorough analysis of how the NAZI party came to power and how they governed. It isn't often that an outsider gets the chance to analyze the documents of a ruling political party. I wonder what skeletons are buried in the government that we support.

Exactly What I Expected

Excellent history. It’s description of how a nobody became a raging, crazy, unhinged, deadly dictator and the sycophants who supported him is a lesson for us today.

Presentation was fine.