The Nightmare Years, 1930-1940

Twentieth Century Journey Series, Book 2

By: William L. Shirer

Narrated by: Grover Gardner

Length: 26 hrs and 56 mins

Publisher's summary

The famous journalist and author of The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich documents his front row seat at the pivotal events leading up to World War II.

In the second of a three-volume series, William L. Shirer tells the story of his own eventful life, detailing the most notable moments of his career as a journalist stationed in Germany during the rise of the Third Reich. Shirer was there while Hitler celebrated his new domination of Germany, unleashed the Blitzkrieg on Poland, and began the conflict that would come to be known as World War II. This remarkable account tells the story of an American reporter caught in a maelstrom of war and politics, desperately trying to warn Europe and the United States about the dangers to come.

This memoir gives listeners a chance to relive one of the most turbulent periods in 20th-century history - painting a stunningly intimate portrait of a dangerous decade.

©1984, 2014 William L. Shirer (P)2019 Blackstone Publishing

Great Description of the Third Reich

Great review of the Third Reich from a personal perspective. Shirer is a sensitive, thoughtful observer, and also a good writer.

The reader was also excellent: great performance, and also good pronunciation in English, German, and French.

Best of audible

Wonderful narration. Having lived through many of those years, it brought so many memories. Having traveled so many years, the descriptions of cafes, neighborhood and streets in Paris and Berlin allowed me to relive my own travels. He speaks of Barcelona, the Estoril in Portugal and the river Tagus. I was able to recall Chamberlin, the Munich treaty, the rail car where the Germans surrendered in ww1 and the French in Ww2. Overall a great read.

Rich, Informative First-hand Account of WW2. Can’t Beat

Rich, Informative First-hand Account of WW2. Can’t Beat the writing, the details, the impact of this work. Stands the test of time.

Eyewitness & Man of Integrity

William L. Shirer is one of the most influential men of our time. Why, because he gave a supremely honest 1st hand account of the Monster of the 20th century. Whether by choose or by luck Shirer was in the right places at the right times and left his journal for all of us to inhale. No other man was given this opportunity & thankfully, Shirer recognized his obligation to mankind by sharing the dreadful experiences he witnessed. We all owe this uncommon man from Iowa.

The media we no longer have

William Shirer’s compelling memoir is a gripping story of a young American correspondent making his career covering European affairs and eventually the rise and fall of Nazi Germany.
Shirer is an educated and cultured man who aspires to write fiction, But, his gifts were to find and relate the stories of the hour to his readers and listeners ( he and his friend Ed Murrow were pioneers of broadcast news.)
Shirer is an honorable man, and an ethical one, who struggles to get the truth past Nazi censors.
It is heart breaking to contrast his commitment to reporting the truth with the approach of the journalist class today, most of whom see themselves as social justice warriors and woke advocates. It is common for many today to look back on Mr Shirer’s era with contempt for its racism, sexism and so on. And yet there has been a great and tragic falling off in reporting from Mr Shirer’s time until now. Any honest reader cannot fail to notice that change in the profession of news reporting.
This book is long but never flags. Fortunately, Mr Shirer was able to smuggle his diaries out of Nazi Germany and give them to us as a possession for all time.

Profound

Enjoyed every minute. Absolutely rivetting. Discovered much about WWII I didn't know and with the personal touch of Shirer woven through each chapter it read like a novel as much as a history book.

Another classic

All of the books written by WS are excellent. I highly recommend it. I really enjoyed it.

Essential listening

If you want a realistic overview of the 20th century Shirer is essential reading. This was real journalism when you could trust the reporting and understand what was happening. Shirer tells the story of pre WW2 including Afghanistan India and Europe in general. Wiki never tells these stories because they don’t fit the slanted agenda. Really great listening with the best narrator ever.

I feel privileged to have listened to this book

To understand this time in history one must read William Shirer to know the West and Vasily Grossman to understand the East. WWII history on the European continent cannot begin without their wonderful and insightful first-person contributions. And to have this story read by Grover Gardner makes it one of my most cherished books on the digital shelf. I have now read all of Shirer's books. Say it ain't so!

* Some stories are taken from Berlin Diaries and others, but to me, that's not a problem.

Well Written and exciting Memoir

William Shirer reports on his time spent living in pre-war Berlin. It’s as if you are there.