The Third Reich at War

By: Richard J. Evans

Narrated by: Sean Pratt

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.

©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)

Thanks Hitler: The Failure of the Nazi State

Thanks Hitler is a quote from a photo of a graffiti scrawl on one of the columns of his destroyed Chancellery. Its message is equivocal. Does it blame Hitler and his hardcore coterie of Nazi true believer gangsters for forcing or beguiling them along the path of death and destruction and incalculable inhumanity? Victims or dupes? The Nazi terror apparatus was certainly very powerful as the author notes but it was never numerically large in relation to a population of 8o million. The Nazi Party ran the State which in turn operated the institutions of government, including the military. The fake Nazi propaganda of the time was disseminated thru radio and large circulation media and ranting Hitler speeches. All controlled by a small % of the population. Why did the overwhelming majority go along with the megalomania of a fake charismatic leader then? Why the acceptance or acquiescence of the majority in being accomplices in mass killings. An answer lies in the numerous diaries and interviews of ordinary people reviewed by the author. A recurring theme is that they just "wanted to make Germany great again" as urged by their leader. And they were willing to follow someone who falsely claimed to have found the way, whatever it took. regardless of outcome. Sad.

Very good!

A very good review of Nazi Germany in WW2, including personal diaries of a number of German citizens and other individuals drawn into the conflict. As such, it brings in more personal experiences than what you would find in usual history books. including those that focus on the main public individuals of the Third Reich.
Excellent narration.

Quay

Pronounced key. Small quibble. I’d always read that Eva and Adolph were in separate rooms when they committed suicide. This is the first time I read something that says otherwise. Very good use of personal diaries. Interesting for our own times how people shut their brains off to follow a cult and how long it takes to get out of it!

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!