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)

An Epic Listen

59 hours and not a second that I would say was boring! Shirer masterfully tells the story of the Third Reich in vivid detail and weaves primary sources into the narrative. It should also be mentioned he includes his own first hand accounts of key events from his time as a foreign correspondent. Very approachable yet incredibly informative.

Excellent historic value

Like living through historic moments from beginning to end
Highly recommend this book. A must read for history lovers

An Absolute Masterpiece!

Both the content of this history and its narration were truly magnificent. Being an avid reader of history and a "follower" of WW II history, I thought I knew much, if not most, of the major events and participants. Through this book I discovered that I actually knew very little. The breadth of this book's scope and the depths of its details are extraordinary. I will be reading many more books by Mr. Shirer.

Pertinent to us today in 2023

Long, detailed and utterly engrossing. I can only hope to have the energy to relisten.
Please read or listen for yourself.

Captivating and Thorough

I first read Shires work as a ninth grade student. It was thoroughly enjoyable to listen to the audible version while sheet rocking my shop what I enjoyed most was hearing the narrative of German officer points of view from historical documents, and the author’s perspective as a media personality, who was present in the third Reich throughout the war.

Incredible Book

This is the most comprehensive telling of the nazi history that I'm aware of.
Thoroughly enjoyed the history, though at times it threatened to make me literally ill. Honestly, everyone should know this story in order to ensure it never happens again.

Long but worth the history

Amazing heartfelt story with so much detail and attention to the facts… I would be remiss if I did not recommend

Captivating, Stunning and Shocking

For an audiobook that 60 hours it kept my attention the entire time. It took a couple of months to finish, but every time I listened I was never bored or lost. They really chose the best possible voice actor for this book. The combination of the descriptive content with the actor’s performance made the entire experience that much more captivating.

Well written and researched!

loved this book!

Extremely indepth, gives a great understanding into the Nazi / socialist agenda. what they hoped to achieve and how they achieved it.

Scary, because we are seeing the use of these principles today around the world, ie Russia, Venezuela, and Iran.

Terrific

A wonderful narration of an excellent, important, valuable book. One of my favorite listens of all my many decades to listening to books “on tape,” which I’ll never stop saying.