The Fuhrer: Hitler's Rise to Power

About this book

Konrad Heidens penetrating firsthand portrayal of Hitlers developing career and the Nazis consolidation of power remains as incisive and compelling as it was when first published at the height of the Second World War. As a German citizen Heiden watched Hitler grow from a small-time demagogue and failed revolutionary to a dangerously influential politician and finally dictator in total control of his party and eventually Germany. Starting with Hitlers unpromising youth and first political missteps Heiden concludes with a gripping account of the "blood purge" of June 1934 in which Hitler executed his potential rivals in the Nazi Party and confirmed his monstrous vision for Germany. This striking narrative of the great German dictators rise also illuminates the national character of the German people - those people who committed the crimes that aided the Fuhrer and those who allowed them to be committed. "Unique in its abundance of details and it ranks beside the classics of historical writing" - Christian Science Monitor "Remorselessly ruthlessly objective" - New York Times Book Review "A superior piece of writing . . . Essential for all libraries" - Library Journal "The most complete study in the field" - The New Yorker