Hitler 1889-1936: Hubris

By: Ian Kershaw

Narrated by: Graeme Malcolm

Length: 28 hrs and 9 mins

Publisher's summary

Hailed as the most compelling biography of the German dictator yet written, Ian Kershaw's Hitler brings us closer than ever before to the heart of its subject's immense darkness.

From his illegitimate birth in a small Austrian village to his fiery death in a bunker under the Reich chancellery in Berlin, Adolf Hitler left a murky trail, strewn with contradictory tales and overgrown with self-created myths. One truth prevails: the sheer scale of the evils that he unleashed on the world has made him a demonic figure without equal in this century. Ian Kershaw's Hitler brings us closer than ever before to the character of the bizarre misfit in his thirty-year ascent from a Viennese shelter for the indigent to uncontested rule over the German nation that had tried and rejected democracy in the crippling aftermath of World War I.

With extraordinary vividness, Kershaw recreates the settings that made Hitler's rise possible: the virulent anti-Semitism of prewar Vienna, the crucible of a war with immense casualties, the toxic nationalism that gripped Bavaria in the 1920s, the undermining of the Weimar Republic by extremists of the Right and the Left, the hysteria that accompanied Hitler's seizure of power in 1933 and then mounted in brutal attacks by his storm troopers on Jews and others condemned as enemies of the Aryan race.

In an account drawing on many previously untapped sources, Hitler metamorphoses from an obscure fantasist, a "drummer" sounding an insistent beat of hatred in Munich beer halls, to the instigator of an infamous failed putsch and, ultimately, to the leadership of a ragtag alliance of right wing parties fused into a movement that enthralled the German people.

This volume, the first of two, ends with the promulgation of the infamous Nuremberg laws that pushed German Jews to the outer fringes of society, and with the march of the German army into the Rhineland, Hitler's initial move toward the abyss of war.

©1998 Ian Kershaw (P)2013 Audible, Inc.

Ultimate Biography on Hitler

This is the most in depth and thorough biography of Adolf Hitler. Ian Kershaw delves into the life one of histories most evil and complicated dictators. He takes great pains to separate fact from fiction so that the reader can really understand Hitler as a man. This book is essential reading for anyone interested in or studying the Second World War.

An astounding achievement

As the headline states, this was an astounding achievement in biographical literature. Kershaw's work is meticulously researched and artfully constructed. His "Working Toward the Fuhrer" thesis is sound and well thought out, and further carried forward into the sequel "Nemesis" which is often equally compelling.

The best biography of Adolf Hitler.

I’ve read a lot on the criminal state known as Nazi Germany. This is the best biography of Adolf Hitler that I have read. The narrator is perfect as well.

Outstanding History

The research involved alone here merits a read. Beyond that, the narrative reads like a frightening novel – all the more terrifying because it was real.

Essential reading for students of history

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

Yes I would recommend this audiobook. We must understand how this complete failure of an individual was able to become the leader of a highly sophisticated and cultured nation, and lead into both moral and military destruction.

What did you like best about this story?

The part of the story which I was least unaware of, was the way in which political elites in Weimar Germany completely misread both Hitler and the Nazi party, and thought they could co-opt them.

Have you listened to any of Graeme Malcolm’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Have not listened to any of the narrator's other performances.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

This is a period of history which is extremely sobering and to hear the things Hitler espoused and then implemented is upsetting. The sheer scale of suffering inflicted as a result of this one individual is difficult to comprehend.

Any additional comments?

As unpleasant as it may be, we must study and try to understand as best we can how this man and his regime came into being. Also it should give a person pause before throwing around the word Nazi when engaged in arguments. By reading this book you realize just how monstrous Hitler and the Nazi's were.

And lightning

This book gives a great account of Hitler's rise to power not as a political genius, but as a person who was pushed up by a complicit Germany.

Don't hesitate

I can't imagine a more complete book on Hitler than Hubris. Everything you want to know on the rise of Hitler and the geo-political worid during this time is discussed. Graeme Malcolm gives a seemless narration. His voice is like silk. Perfect setup for volume 2 Nemesis. Can't wait.
Gary

Interesting

I found this book interesting. The whole WWII/Hitler history is something that I grew up studying in school and hearing about from family who fought in it.

This book provided a thorough analysis of the rise of Hitler. The idea that it was ALL Hitler's design and fault, but that there were dozens of "movements" or "philosophies" that were already building foundations, for what became Nazi Germany, long before Hitler was known was an interesting thought. For me it re-enforced the idea that Germans were responsible for not just letting Hitler happen but they actually had parallel ideas and encouraged Hitler.

One was... Eugenics wasn't a Hitler-only concept forced on the German people... there had been discussions in political and medical arenas for years prior to the first Nazi political vote.

Also, listen for similarities to modern world politics. There are glaring similarities to a current leader who is a known megalomaniac.

Complexity made comprehendible

Graeme Malcolm is an extraordinarily fine narrator. He could read a cereal box and I'd be enthralled.

Ian Kershaw takes a remarkably complex subject, Adolf Hitler, anchors him in the contest of his time and place, and makes all the formidable currents and forces of history understandable and appreciable. This is particularly true right now in this time when democracy in the US is under such threat and comparisons are made between the rise of Hitler and the nationalism of the current president and his party. While it is convenient to see the parallels it is important to see the stark differences between Germany post WWI and America post-Obama.

What I have gleaned from the book is this: Had Stalin been born in Austria and Hitler born in Georgia, we would have never known of these men. True, they are extraordinary and terrible persons, but without the specific context into which they were sewn, they would not even be footnotes. This gives me hope that we may yet weather the awful storm that is buffeting our fragile democracy in 2017.

Captivating

Great grammatical storyline one which encapsulates the secrets around the man and eventual dictator. The events dialogue was particularly focused with details on a lot more than what we ordinarily expect with most other biographies— excellence in every way.