Hitler

A Global Biography

De: Brendan Simms

Narrado por: Leighton Pugh

From a prize-winning historian, the definitive biography of Adolph Hitler
Hitler offers a deeply learned and radically revisionist biography, arguing that the dictator's main strategic enemy, from the start of his political career in the 1920s, was not communism or the Soviet Union, but capitalism and the United States. Whereas most historians have argued that Hitler underestimated the American threat, Simms shows that Hitler embarked on a preemptive war with the United States precisely because he considered it such a potent adversary. The war against the Jews was driven both by his anxiety about combatting the supposed forces of international plutocracy and by a broader desire to maintain the domestic cohesion he thought necessary for survival on the international scene.
A powerfully argued and utterly definitive account of a murderous tyrant we thought we understood, Hitler is essential reading for anyone seeking to understand the origins and outcomes of the Second World War.

Reseñas de la Crítica

"Fascinating...[Simms] believes that, despite the attention Hitler has received, there is an unknown Hitler that other biographers and historians have missed-the Hitler who spent his political career grappling with the emergence of America as the dominant power of the 20th century. After reading Hitler: A Global Biography, one has to agree. A thought-provoking guide to seeing what happens when dictators read America wrong."—Arthur Herman, Wall Street Journal

"This vivid and painstakingly researched volume revises fundamentally how historians ought to view the geopolitical motivations of the Nazi leader. Simms argues that Hitler did not see the Soviet Union as the primary obstacle to his expansionist ambitions. From the start, his real enemies were the United Kingdom and the United States.... Engaging and essential reading for anyone interested in Hitler's policymaking."—Foreign Affairs

"A powerful new biography."—Timothy Snyder, New York Times

"[Hitler] challenges some of our longstanding ideas about the man who ruled Nazi Germany between 1933 and 1945...Highly provocative."—Financial Times

"[Simms] builds on previous scholarship to make a bold thesis-that Hitler's principal obsession was not communism but rather 'Anglo-America' and global capitalism...A vigorous, original study that adds to the ongoing scholarship."—Kirkus

"A radically new assessment of the Fuhrer's world view and the motivation for his plunging the world into a terminal struggle for survival."—Daily Mail

"Simms...challeng[es] much recent scholarship...A preoccupation with Anglo-American capitalism, he contends, drove the Third Reich's ideology in its formative years, more than the oft-cited obsession with Bolshevism...He has made sound use of the Bavarian archives."—Observer

"If many Hitler books are scarcely worth reading, this one commands attention through its originality and sheer intelligence...A thoroughly thought-provoking, stimulating biography which all historians of the Third Reich will have to take seriously."—Irish Times

"Impressive and intriguing...By drawing our attention to the centrality of historical emigration to Hitler's racial vision of a Great Germany, Simms adds a new dimension to our understanding of the thinking that drove history's most notorious figure. Crisply written and well-researched, there is much in this book that enlightens and stimulates."—The Interpreter

"Simms argues forcefully that [Hitler's] primary motivation was a fear that Germany would be crushed by the Anglo-Saxon capitalism epitomised by the US and the British Empire."—History Today

"A worthwhile reexamination of some long-standing assumptions about the Third Reich...Thought-provoking."—National Review

A Different Viewpoint

This author provides a new approach to understanding the Third Reich that varies from those of other books I’ve read - placing the “Anglo-American coalition” at the center of Hitler’s war aims. This book is worth reading.

A seemingly complete bio

Not the Hitler as taught in my life and so a bit of a shock.

Hitler Reinvisioned

Brendan Simms is truly a remarkable historian. After all the thousands upon thousands of intricate studies on the personality and tyrant that was Adolf Hitler, he has managed to write a completely original biography of the man. That doesn't mean it is perfect, or very easy to follow. It's a very dense read. One that requires much concentration because the subject matter is tedious. But Hitler's obsessions and ideas are seen to be shaped in a very different light than any analysis before alleges. In this work, Hitler's obsessions and disdain is with capitalism, which leads to his hatred and ultimate attempted annihilation of the Jews. He sees capitalism as the enemy and capitalist expansion, while the threat to Germany lied with inferiority on these fronts. German society encouraged the best to vacate to capitalist societies, thus leading to a surplus of "sub-humans." So in essence, his envy of America and Britain drove his madness.

Like another review already said, Russia and communism are completely downplayed, as is any occult influences, etc. which lead inevitably to Jewish hatred. Simms makes the claims Hitler had no known overt Jewish hatred at all toward individual Jews. This seems simplistic, but it makes for a most fascinating read. What one takes away from it is Hitler is one of the most enigmatic cult personalities of all time and he will never be fully understood. What drove him to do what he did will forever fascinate that living generation. Wonderful narration.

Explanatory

This biography explains Hitler's thinking well. Structured into segments with key points. Less detailed on military battles, but more about the reason behind the battle.

Thought provoking

The author makes some excellent observations about Hitler that I have not heard before. This is a long book but well worth the time.