The Third Reich at War

By: Richard J. Evans

Narrated by: Sean Pratt

Length: 35 hrs and 10 mins

Publisher's summary

The final volume in Richard J. Evans’s masterly trilogy on the history of Nazi Germany traces the rise and fall of German military might, the mobilization of a “people’s community” to serve a war of conquest, and Hitler’s campaign of racial subjugation and genocide. Already hailed as “a masterpiece” (William Grimes in The New York Times) and “the most comprehensive history… of the Third Reich” (Ian Kershaw), this epic trilogy reaches its terrifying climax in this volume.

Evans interweaves a broad narrative of the war’s progress with viscerally affecting personal testimony from a wide range of people - from generals to front-line soldiers, from Hitler Youth activists to middle-class housewives. The Third Reich at War lays bare the dynamics of a nation more deeply immersed in war than any society before or since.

Fresh insights into the conflict’s great events are here, from the invasion of Poland to the Battle of Stalingrad to Hitler’s suicide in the bunker. But just as important is the re-creation of the daily experience of ordinary Germans in wartime, staggering under pressure from Allied bombing and their own government’s mounting demands upon them. At the center of the book is the Nazi extermination of Europe’s Jews, set in the context of Hitler’s genocidal plans for the racial restructuring of Europe.

Blending narrative, description, and analysis, The Third Reich at War creates an engrossing picture - at once sweeping and precise - of a society rushing headlong to self-destruction and taking much of Europe with it. It is the culmination of a historical masterwork that will remain the most authoritative work on Nazi Germany for years to come.

Listen to previous volumes in Richard J. Evans' Third Reich trilogy.

©2009 Richard J. Evans (P)2010 Gildan Media Corp

Critic reviews

"Masterful….Evans demonstrates a fluent style and a sweeping grasp of the Third Reich’s history and of the enormous historical literature….Evans narrates the Reich’s end in gripping fashion as the Allies closed in on Germany. Evans’s fellow historians as well as a broader public will listen to this work, not quite with pleasure, for there is little joy in this story, but with admiration for the author’s narrative powers.” ( Publisher’s Weekly)

Interesting look at the War

Would you consider the audio edition of The Third Reich at War to be better than the print version?

No idea

Would you be willing to try another book from Richard J. Evans? Why or why not?

Probably not as I was only interested in that exact topic

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

No answer

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

No

Any additional comments?

Competent History of that topic, nothing startling or any new slant.

Fitting Conclusion

A fitting conclusion to Evans’ magisterial trilogy on the Third Reich. Well read, with very few flies in the ointment. Well worth your time.

Elegant all around

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Beautifully read and beautifully written. You get a good picture of what life was like in Nazi Germany during the war.

There will be no 4th Reich

Despite how long the book feels, the narrator did a great job of staying neutral vocally but you can hear the pain in the most horrific parts of the war narrative. Excellent work.

Fantastic narrative

Evans' presents a very clear recapitulation of the events of Third Reich in WWII. His excellent prose shows Germany's gradual transition to a total war economy and the perversion of the Nazi's descent into promoting fanaticism in its last days. This Book along with Ian Kershaw's The End present a decent picture of the Third Reich at war.

Excellent

These books bring me into the Germany of Nazi period in a visceral manner.
Superb.

A bit rushed at the end

Only because the previous work was so finely detailed. I wish there was a fourth book Germany after the war. Great and expansive read. Well worth my time.

Simply wonderful

The first thing to say about this entire series is that all 3 books form a wonderful history of the Third Reich. It also seems important to mention that this volume is a history of the Third Reich during the war, not the Luftwaffe, Kriegsmarine or Wehrmacht, so there is only limited coverage of the actual battles.

Rather this book concerns itself mostly with government policy concerning those living inside Germany itself and the occupied territories. It is very detailed and I found some sections on the extermination camps very emotionally painful to get through. The book also does not cover some areas that I would like to have heard about. For example, how were Allied soldiers who were minorities treated in prison camps? Did the Wehrmacht follow the Geneva Convention rules or not? What was the relationship between the Wehrmacht and the SS? Since the book is about government policy these areas were not covered in any detail.

Regardless this book, as well as the preceding two volumes, form an invaluable history and should be required reading for anyone who wants to know about the Second World War in Europe. I also agree with another reviewer who suggested that these books, along with Shirer's Rise and Fall of the Third Reich, should both be read since they are complimentary. Highly recommended.

The Third Reich at War...fine work!

This series (please consider the other "Third Reich" titles) is positively perfect for the audiobook format. Richly detailed yet very well paced. From the origins of the Nazi's political power through their ascendancy to their final flameout, Richard Evans must be commended for the polish of this excellent work. Sean Pratt's narration is flawless. Five Stars!

Excellent boom, so so narration

If you want a comprehensive book on Germany during WWII this is it. The author covers almost every aspect of the war in a comprehensive manor. This book only covers the German side however, for the story of the allies you'll need to look elsewhere. The narration is ok, but the narrator has this habit of stopping in mid sentence, which tends to put the emphasis on the wrong portion of a statement.