The Third Reich in Power

By: Richard J. Evans

Narrated by: Sean Pratt

Length: 31 hrs and 58 mins

Publisher's summary

The definitive account of Germany's malign transformation under Hitler's total rule and the implacable march to war. This magnificent second volume of Richard J. Evans's three-volume history of Nazi Germany was hailed by Benjamin Schwartz of The Atlantic Monthly as "the definitive English-language account... gripping and precise." It chronicles the incredible story of Germany's radical reshaping under Nazi rule. As those who were deemed unworthy to be counted among the German people were dealt with in increasingly brutal terms, Hitler's drive to prepare Germany for the war that he saw as its destiny reached its fateful hour in September 1939.

The Third Reich in Power is the fullest and most authoritative account yet written of how, in six years, Germany was brought to the edge of that terrible abyss.

©2006 Richard J. Evans (P)2010 Gildan Media Corp

Critic reviews

“[Evans’s] three-volume history... is shaping up to be a masterpiece. Fluidly narrated, tightly organized and comprehensive." (William Grimes, The New York Times)

Translated too strictly

Great overall. Every word was translated, even those traditionally said in German. Slightly distracting.

Recommended

This trilogy is long but, the details tell you so much more than the superficial documentaries or pop histories.
Evans doesn’t waste your time with moralizing or foreshadowing. He just lays it out for you to work out for yourself. This is where the depth pays off. You will learn why National Socialism turned Germany into an asylum and the war was lost before it ever began.
I can say I never quite “got it” until this history gave me, finally, enough information to put the puzzle together.

Fantastic, just not exactly what I was looking for

It’s an important and valuable work on life in the prewar Third Reich. The structure of the book is thematic, and the listener walks away with a vast amount of knowledge on nearly all social aspects of the Third Reich, to the point of revulsion.

It took me some time to get fully immersed, I probably didn’t fully buy into the book until halfway through. But it did happen. When I learned of Mickey Mouse’s distribution in Germany, I was mildly interested. When I learned about Darre’s idealistic agrarian nonsense, I was intrigued. By the time I learned of some disgusting German housewife’s idiotic self justification of Jewish boycotts in Braunschweig, I was all in. But it took a while.

It should probably be a 5 star work, but the brevity of the coverage of international relations and high politics was a little disappointing to me. The narrative history portion in the last part of the work was done very well, it was just too truncated for my particular tastes. Those looking for more coverage of the world confronted by the Third Reich before September 1939 may wish to look elsewhere.

Additionally, it’s actually a testament to the accomplishment of the author, but by the 2/3 mark I felt exhausted with, and repulsed by, the Germans. Because of that, I didn’t love this book as I’ve loved many others on this time period. Again though, maybe that’s the way it should be. It shows how masterfully the author recounts the repugnance on this state and it’s society.

With a different reader, it may have been easier to be entranced by this difficult subject matter. But the reader was mediocre at best. Not terrible, but poor pronunciation and rather boring on the whole. Not what this work called for.

Overall, it’s actually a fantastic work and an important achievement for the author. It just wasn’t exactly what I wanted, but maybe it’s what I needed.

A challenging but rewarding read

I found this second volume in Richard Evans’ “trilogy” very different from the first (“The Coming of the Third Reich), but equally superb. This volume focuses on a mere six and a half years, from Hitler’s appointment as Chancellor in early 1933 to the outbreak of war in September 1939, during which Germany underwent a transformation that was mind-boggling in scope, and in horror.

But rather than adopting a chronological approach, Evans addresses nearly every imaginable sector of German life under the peacetime Third Reich in great depth — the economy, politics, arts and culture, religion, etc. — each aspect is covered in incredible and meticulously-researched and referenced detail, with copious examples that drive home the realities of life in the Third Reich and the motivations of its overlords, especially of course, Adolf Hitler.

It was challenging to wade through some of the material, simply by virtue of the mere extensive and detailed account, but worth doing so. I find that this is easier with an audiobook in some ways — my attention flagged in some detailed, nitty-gritty sections, but never for long. This would be more difficult with a printed book, but I did long to consult the notes and photographs that I assume are in the printed volume.

This is outstanding, serious history. I had read William Shirer’s “The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich” and other works about this period, but Evans fills in so many gaps and profoundly deepened my understanding of the subject. I’ve been interested in World War II and the events leading up to it since I was very young, but I find this history particularly relevant today with the rise of authoritarianism around the world, again, today — even in my own country. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the subject. It is not a light read by any stretch of the imagination, but a rewarding one indeed.

I have seen criticism of the narrator in some other reviews, but I found Mr. Pratt’s narration exceptionally clear and easy to follow. “Five stars” all around!

Richard Evans, thank you for writing these monumental books.

Thorough and Informative

Incredible detailed insight into the people that not only led the government, but the every day impact on every aspect of German society. A great lesson in what to expect from an authoritarian regime founded only on hatred and cruelty masked by alleged patriotism.

Thanks to the Author

The book that I have always wanted to read. Brings immense understanding of what happened and why. Full of valuable lessons for today. Thanks for doing all the work that went into this. On to the next volume.

This book is comprehensive

This is the second of three parts regarding Hitler and The Nazis. It’s a deep dive into the Nazifacation of German after Hitler took power. It is quite detailed and may not be suitable for one with a casual interest in this history. It is well written and well read.

FANTASTIC

An absolutely fantastic book on the Third Reich from 1933-1939 right as the war with Poland breaks out. You could hardly find a more entertaining yet detailed account of pre-war Nazi Germany. It talks about everything from every facet of life from the military to the economy to the night of broken glass to negotiations with the French and British. I definitely recommend this. This trilogy is the best there is on the Third Reich.

Detail is terrific

A great follow up to the original installment, I'm really looking forward to the 3rd and final installment. The chilling account brought forth thoughts of politics and tactics used by politicians today.

Fascinating look at often neglected history

I have read a lot about the rise of Hitler and WWII, but not much about the years when the Nazis transformed Germany through bureaucracy, propaganda and terror. This book is full of fascinating details about life in the Third Reich from 1933 to 1939, including diary entries from average Germans.