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)

One of the GREAT BOOKS out there...

What did you love best about The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich?

It seems like an extremely long book when you first start, but it flies by like a good movie. I found this book enthralling.

What did you like best about this story?

This question is clearly meant for works of fiction. This is a book of history, not fiction. However, I think the author did manage to tell this important history in a very narrative and exciting way.

Have you listened to any of Grover Gardner’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I have not.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

History happens in the span of a minute.

Any additional comments?

Don't go through the whole book in one sitting. Split it up over a month or two, peppered with other works about WWII.

A comprehensive account

For someone having a not so great knowledge on the Third Reich, this book was riveting. With the vast flow of information, makes the reader gain a great view point of the rise and fall of Nazi Germany. I had to purchase my own physical copy to make it part of my bookshelf collection.

One of the most important books about the events leading up to WWII

I first read The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich 40 years ago. The book's importance has not diminished in the intervening decades, and this wonderful audiobook captures Shirer's account from beginning to end. Given the political extremism of the 2016 Republican Party primaries and the rise of right-wing factions in other western democracies, everyone should listen to this remarkable first hand account of Hitler's rise in 1930s Germany. Chilling but fascinating, Shirer based his account on his own experiences in 1939s Germany as well as the troves of Nazi documents captured at the end of WWII in 1945. A must listen book for anyone who does not want demagogues and tyrants ruining our world.

Not the worst but surely not the best

Would you listen to The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich again? Why?

no but only because of the length, much could have been left out

What did you like best about this story?

the story itself

Would you listen to another book narrated by Grover Gardner?

yes

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

nope

Any additional comments?

sometimes more is less

Long but enthralling

Where does The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

It has taken me forever to finally listen to this book. I'd being putting it off for many months always preferring something smaller and less complicated to cater to my ADHD mind. However I finally took the plunge and wish I had earlier. This is a marvelously written book and Grover Gardner is a fantastic narrator, one of my favorites.No doubt those with a finer appreciation of some of the historical points will find some or other factual error or incorrect interpretation, but this is an audio book well worth investing the time to listen too. The story flows naturally and without boring the reader or becoming slow and ponderous. The author clearly knew how to keep ones attention and you will get much pleasure from listening to this audio title.

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

Impossible I think for a book of this length although if I could I surely would!

A story that must be told.

Understanding such history is essential to understanding the present, and considering the future.

Hatred, and fury is flaring up around the world once more, and unfit men finding their way to the heads of some of the world's most powerful countries (if the weren't already there).

At this moment in history, as we move towards either extinction or a new era, we must reflect on what's happened on Earth in the past 100 years and make a clear and intentional decision about what comes next.

Hopefully we choose to make peace for All.

Great wait to spend 57 hours!

The first time I listened to the book I found it to be somewhat too extensive at times, but very informative. I listened to it again recently and I have much more respect for it now. Once you learn a few of the german language words and phrases often quoted in the book it becomes much more comprehensible lol

amazing accuracy and detail

this is the 2nd time I've listened to this audio book and am still amazed of the mass trove of information amassed by the author, and some even by personal experience while he was in Berlin during the nazi regime, people have always said that Hitler had a mesmerizing effect on people and it is truly amazing if that word can justify it but the affect that one man in this day and age through democracy that he could influence so many to do so much damage and create so much death, truly horrifying, and I hope and pray that this doesn't ever happen again

A must read

Amazing work of information gathering and exceptional writing.
There is simply nothing like it, giving an insight into the people and ideas behind this horrible manifestation of evil on earth.
A must read.

A thorough and honest history of the Third Riech

First of all, this is probably the biggest bargain on Audible from a value perspective. 57 hours of audio of one credit is hard to beat! Quick nerd fact: when this book was published in paperback, it was the longest paperback that had ever been printed!

The entire first half of the title is about the rise of the Third Reich, and goes into deep detail of the machinations of the Nazi party and Hitler himself as they gradually claimed increasing power over the course of many years.

The second half of the title covers Germany's role in WWII and the slow but inevitable decline of the country over the course of the war, with great attention paid to the political and propaganda methods used by the Nazi party to maintain their grip on power.

Overall, this was an informative and authoritative book that I would recommend to anyone interested in history. It is an particularly relevant book today, in light of the rise of authoritarian leaders around the world.