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)

Shirer writes clearly and effectively

I have always wondered where Hitler came from? How could such evil as the Nazi Party ever get any followers? Now I know. Shirer met many of the Nazi participants when he was a reporter covering the war. His insight is enlightening. He is strongly opposed to anything Nazi, but his treatment of the subject is unbiased and professional. I couldn't stop listening!

Great info and worthwhile information.

If you are looking for a behind the scenes, personal look into the world of nazi Germany, this is the book for you. The author did more then his homework and gives references throughout the series. Very good book, I recommended for the strong willed.

Good but not for as an introduction

Any additional comments?

I found this book to be fascinating to listen to. It is basically a biography of Adolph Hitler with additional information regarding his closest associates and rivals. His life story is interesting, a commoner with no job, no money, no close friends or family rises to become the leader of one of the most powerful nations on the planet. It would be inspiration if he didn't also commit some of the worst atrocities of the modern era.

This book is LONG. It goes into great detail, which as someone who only has the most basic knowledge of Nazi Germany it can be daunting to listen to. I find I had to go to wikipedia from time to time to get some names and places straight, and to get an overall picture of the details laid out in the book. Also I found the narrator to be monotonous and I found my attention to wander occasionally.

A must have for fans of history

What made the experience of listening to The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich the most enjoyable?

The narrator was great. His smooth English accent and pronunciation of German was top notch.

What about Grover Gardner’s performance did you like?

Great. Powerful voice. Handled the German names and words perfectly.

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

Yes, but it was over 40 hours!

buy this book

fantastic in all ways. you won't want it to end. great narrator and great story

A brilliant piece of history

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

This is definitely the best history book I have read/listened to. And it is also one amazing value, it contains over 50hs of history that you can buy with a single Audible credit.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich?

The chapter The New Order, where the author describes how Germany transformed under Nazi rule and how they treated the people that suffered their horrors.

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

Grover Gardner is excellent, his voice is vivid and his tone keeps the story moving forward. He also has nearly flawless pronunciation skills for German and French names (could use some improvement for slavic names but you can't blame him).

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

The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich: A History of Nazi Germany

Any additional comments?

If you have even the slightest interest in European politics and history, get this audiobook.

Great book with some bias mixed in

Very good overview of the political history of the Third Reich. Tons of details based on actual documentation from the participants and governmental archives. Can't top all the information as compiled and presented.

Two items pushed me to give this a 4 star rating. First is that at times too much time was spent on a single topic such as the invasions of Czechoslovakia and the 1944 assasination attempt on Hitler. Second is the fact that the author stresses that he is not being biased in presenting this history, but it clearly comes through that he is in his narration. He emphasizes we he deems as deviant behavior of the historical figures and hints that this had in impact on the outcome of the events. Apart from the psychosis of Hitler, those kind of facts should have been left out or stated as a side note.

Easy to follow political history of the Nazis

Very compelling and we'll researched history. the fact that the author was a witness adds another compelling aspect to the story.

History is the best educator, ur Ph.D awaits

The Author, shifted through 485 tons of Reich records, personal diaries, telephone logs and more to take you step by step exactly how this Nazi enterprise sprouted, took root and grew. Also, demostrating the gullibilities of democratic and monarchial governments. Hitler was a master at reading the lay of the political landscape, exploiting every opportunity he created or observed. To sum it up, Brilliant expose` of the Nazi Reich's Rise and Fall. I am still stunned by this intense exposure to "man's" darkest character, I'll never see politicians, persons of ambition or govt as harmless again. G. Washington said; "Government is not reason; it is not eloquent; it is force. Like fire, it is a dangerous servant and a fearful master." Absolute power corrupts absolutely. The German Generals had many opportunities to take Hitler out in the late thirties, all were held back by their personal ambitions and addiction to the euphoria enveloping them. Until Col. Claus Von Stauffenberg came along. Worth every minute of your time.

Masterpiece, by a man who witnessed the Nazis rise

Intersting not a dry account of facts and figures or a text book. Highly recommend.