The Devil's Diary

Alfred Rosenberg and the Stolen Secrets of the Third Reich

De: Robert K. Wittman, David Kinney

Narrado por: P. J. Ochlan

This exploration of the private wartime diary of Alfred Rosenberg - Hitler's "chief philosopher" and architect of Nazi ideology - interweaves the story of its recent discovery with the revelation of its never-before-published contents, which are contextualized by the authors: The result is a unprecedented narrative of the Nazi rise to power, the Holocaust, and Hitler's postinvasion plans for Russia.

A groundbreaking historical contribution, The Devil's Diary is a chilling window into the mind of Adolf Hitler's "chief social philosopher", Alfred Rosenberg, who formulated some of the guiding principles behind the Third Reich's genocidal crusade. It also chronicles the thrilling detective hunt for the diary, which disappeared after the Nuremburg Trials and remained lost for almost three quarters of a century, until Robert Wittman, a former FBI special agent who founded the Bureau's Art Crimes Team, played an important role; he tells his story now for the first time.

The authors expertly and deftly contextualize hundreds of entries stretching from 1936 through 1944, in which the loyal Hitler advisor recounts internal meetings with the Fürher and his close associates, Hermann Göring and Heinrich Himmler; describes the postinvasion occupation of the Soviet Union; considers the "solution" to the "Jewish question"; and discusses his overseeing of the mass seizure and cataloguing of books and artwork from homes, libraries, and museums across occupied Europe. An eyewitness to events, this narrative of Rosenberg's diary offers provocative and intimate insights into pivotal moments in the war and the notorious Nazi who laid the philosophical foundations of the Third Reich.

©2016 Robert K. Wittman and David Kinney (P)2016 HarperCollins Publishers

Very well done.

I knew very little about Rosenberg till now. Very well done and narrated. I highly recommend this book.

Great voice

good book very detailed got to the point and finished very well I enjoyed it.

Fresh perspective on terrible events.

As described in the synopsis, Alfred Rosenberg's diary and experiences are at the heart of this book. It's familiar and horrible, of course, but the perspective is different and illuminating nonetheless. The book is very well written, deeply researched, and the story unfolds artfully as the personalities involved in the recovery of these documents creep off the pages. To me, the most interesting aspect comes with the story of Robert Kempner, who was among the prosecutorial team at the Nuremberg Trials. The tale of how Kempner got there, where he came from, and what he did later is a fascinating yarn, and it sets this book apart. Documents are so fragile, one appreciates all of the accidents and twists of fate that cause some to be preserved and some to disappear forever. If you like history, human perseverance, and a well told story, you will probably enjoy this book.

Worth your time

Very worth your time. Focuses on people you do not know and may never have heard about before.

Good insight

The story started slowing then gaining substance to the end. Very interesting and educative to listens to.

Not as illuminating as I thought a diary to be.

full of facts. enjoyed the author's attempt to put. many in context but I fear Rs mind was either too convoluted to understand it's topography OR ELSE the book has fallen short of its potential. I still have gaps...i know that propaganda was used to hoodwink a generation. this, like other works on their times, never seem to get into HOW partial truths become twisted lies which seems to me what an analysis of what gave rise to the philosophy of National Socialism should have focused on. a lot of them thought it a good idea, no? a regrettable and dare I say a repetitive error in this time of political correctness. if we are not to forget we ought analyze more the details of what really contributed to this disaster. how could so many think R made good sense? This book missed that opportunity for me and that omission of Author's License means I had to ding a star. I fear we will get fooled again for the same poorly analyzed reasons.

The ideology of the Nazi regime was an area I knew little about

The narrator and author provide an in depth view of the Nazi horror over a twenty year span. Great job.

The title does not fit the content

The author clearly did his research. However, he dedicates as much if not more time to telling the story of Robert Kempner. This book is a disappointment if the reader is looking for an in-depth history of Rosenberg's personal history, development of his deranged thought process and his place / impact within the Third Reich.

Terrible Production and Story: A Waste of Time

A poorly executed book in almost every aspect. The production quality is atrocious, with sentences often skipping or jumbled, making parts of the narration unintelligible. While the narrator might be decent, the poor production makes him sound monotone and lifeless. As for the story, it offers little of value—nothing substantial happens until the very last chapter. Overall, this is a frustrating and disappointing listen, not worth the time or effort.

I feel conned by this book.

What disappointed you about The Devil's Diary?

I was expecting full readinging from his diaries. What I got was a superficial reselling of the history of the nazis with a little commentary from Rosenberg.

What could Robert K. Wittman and David Kinney have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

Provided full diary eateries. And provided an insight into what made Rosenberg think.

What didn’t you like about P. J. Ochlan’s performance?

The performance was too monotone.

You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

None!