Synopses & Reviews
Hitlers rise to power, Germanys march to the abyss, as seen through the eyes of Americans—diplomats, military, expats, visiting authors, Olympic athletes—who watched horrified and up close. By tapping a rich vein of personal testimonies,
Hitlerland offers a gripping narrative full of surprising twists—and a startlingly fresh perspective on this heavily dissected era.
Some of the Americans in Weimar and then Hitlers Germany were merely casual observers, others deliberately blind; a few were Nazi apologists. But most slowly began to understand the horror of what was unfolding, even when they found it difficult to grasp the breadth of the catastrophe.
Among the journalists, William Shirer, Edgar Mowrer, and Dorothy Thompson were increasingly alarmed. Consul General George Messersmith stood out among the American diplomats because of his passion and courage. Truman Smith, the first American official to meet Hitler, was an astute political observer and a remarkably resourceful military attaché. Historian William Dodd, whom FDR tapped as ambassador in Hitlers Berlin, left disillusioned; his daughter Martha scandalized the embassy with her procession of lovers from her initial infatuation with Nazis she took up with. She ended as a Soviet spy.
On the scene were George Kennan, who would become famous as the architect of containment; Richard Helms, who rose to the top of the CIA; Howard K. Smith, who would coanchor the ABC Evening News. The list of prominent visitors included writers Sinclair Lewis and Thomas Wolfe, famed aviator Charles Lindbergh, the great athlete Jesse Owens, newspaper publisher William Randolph Hearst, and black sociologist and historian W.E.B. Dubois.
Observing Hitler and his movement up close, the most perceptive of these Americans helped their reluctant countrymen begin to understand the nature of Nazi Germany as it ruthlessly eliminated political opponents, instilled hatred of Jews and anyone deemed a member of an inferior race, and readied its military and its people for a war for global domination. They helped prepare Americans for the years of struggle ahead.
Review
and#8220;Andrew Nagorski, a deft storyteller, has plumbed the dispatches, diaries, letters, and interviews of American journalists, diplomats and others who were present in Berlin to write a fascinating account of a fateful era.and#8221;andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andlt;bandgt;-Henry Kissingerandlt;/bandgt;
Review
and#8220;Andrew Nagorski once again turns his perceptive, seasoned foreign correspondent's eye to a dramatic historical subject. This eye-opening account of the Americans in 1920s and 1930s Berlin offers a totally new perspective on a subject we thought we already knew. and#8220;andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andlt;bandgt;-Anne Applebaum, author of andlt;iandgt;Gulag: A Historyandlt;/iandgt;andlt;/bandgt;
Review
"Andrew Nagorskiand#8217;s andlt;iandgt;Hitlerland andlt;/iandgt;is a fresh, compelling portrait of Nazi Germany, as seen through the eyes of a fascinating array of Americans who lived and worked there during Hitlerand#8217;s rise to power. The extraordinary saga of Putzi Hanfstaengl, a Harvard graduate who became Hitlerand#8217;s court jester, is just one of the many page-turning stories that makes andlt;iandgt;Hitlerland andlt;/iandgt;a book not to be missed."andlt;BRandgt; andlt;bandgt;-Lynne Olson, author of andlt;iandgt;Citizens of Londonandlt;/iandgt;andlt;/bandgt;
Review
and#8220;The rise of Hitler and the Nazi state, one of the most consequential and profound narratives in all of world politics, receives compelling new treatment in Andrew Nagorskiand#8217;s outstanding andlt;iandgt;Hitlerlandandlt;/iandgt;. By illuminating the disparate experiences of the eraand#8217;s preeminent American diplomats, journalists, intellectuals and others, Nagorski has created an engrossing, harrowing and vividly drawn mosaic of eyewitness accounts to one of historyand#8217;s most phenomenal catastrophes.and#8221;andlt;BRandgt; andlt;bandgt;-Gordon M. Goldstein, author of andlt;iandgt;Lessons In Disaster: McGeorge Bundy and the Path to War in Vietnamandlt;/iandgt;andlt;/bandgt;
Review
and#8220;At times deliciously gossipy, at times thoroughly chilling, andlt;iandgt;Hitlerlandandlt;/iandgt; offers countless novel insights into Germanyand#8217;s evolution from struggling democracy in the 1920s to totalitarian dictatorship in the 1930s. The intimate portraits from Hitler down add an almost tangible sense of the foibles, ambitions, insecurities and perversities of the relatively small top Nazi elite whose actions plunged our world into a catastrophe from which we are yet fully to recover. The Americans themselves come alive as a group of intense, enterprising journalists and diplomats faced with the greatest challenge of their lives.and#8221;andlt;BRandgt; andlt;bandgt;-Misha Glenny, author of andlt;iandgt;The Balkans 1804-1999 andlt;/iandgt;andlt;/bandgt;
Review
"
Hitlerland is a bit of guilty pleasure... fascinating."
-Washington Post
"Compulsively readable and deeply researched"-The Weekly Standard
"A compelling work for World War II history buffs or anyone who wants to understand how such devastating evil emerged while the world seemingly watched"- Library Journal
"An engrossing study of the times made more fascinating and incredible in retrospect...contextually rich...[a] well marshaled study."- Kirkus
Review
and#8220;Andrew Nagorski has written an entertaining chronicleand#8230;and#8216;Hitlerlandand#8217; brings back to life some early delusions about Hitlerand#8217;s rise that now seem unthinkable. Any reader trying to puzzle out todayand#8217;s world will be unsettled by the reminder of how easy it is to get things wrong.and#8221; andlt;bandgt;andlt;iandgt;--The Economistandlt;/iandgt;andlt;/bandgt;andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt; and#8220;rivetingand#8230;.this is a book that is full of things I never knew, and I found all of them interesting. It should be on everybodyand#8217;s and#8216;must readand#8217; list who is interested in history.and#8221;andlt;bandgt;andlt;iandgt;--The Daily Beast, Michael Kordaandlt;/iandgt;andlt;/bandgt;andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt; "Hitlerland is a bit of guilty pleasure... fascinating."-andlt;iandgt;andlt;bandgt;Washington Postandlt;BRandgt; andlt;/bandgt;andlt;BRandgt; andlt;/iandgt;"Compulsively readable and deeply researched"-andlt;iandgt;andlt;bandgt;The Weekly Standardandlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt; andlt;/bandgt;andlt;/iandgt;"A compelling work for World War II history buffs or anyone who wants to understand how such devastating evil emerged while the world seemingly watched"andlt;bandgt;andlt;iandgt;and#8211; Library Journalandlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt; andlt;/iandgt;andlt;/bandgt;"An engrossing study of the times made more fascinating and incredible in retrospect...contextually rich...[a] well marshaled study."and#8211; andlt;bandgt;andlt;iandgt;Kirkusandlt;/iandgt;andlt;/bandgt;
Review
and#8220;This is an excellent, ably-written, in-depth, and well-illustrated treatment of a hitherto-overlooked aspect of the Third Reich: before, during , and even after its fall . . . a true gem . . . an entertaining read . . . and#8221;
Synopsis
Hitler's rise to power, Germany's march to the abyss, as seen by Americans--diplomats, military, expats, visiting authors, Olympic athletes--who watched horrified and up close.
Some of the Americans in Hitler's Germany were merely casual observers, others deliberately blind, a few were Nazi apologists. But most began slowly to understand what was unfolding, even when they found it difficult to grasp the breadth of the catastrophe.
Among the journalists, William Shirer understood what was happening. Edgar Mowrer, Dorothy Thompson, and Sigrid Schultz, reporters, were alarmed. Consul General George Messersmith distinguished. Truman Smith, the first American official to meet Hitler, was an astute political observer. Historian William Dodd, who FDR tapped as ambassador in Berlin, left disillusioned; his daughter Martha scandalized the embassy with her procession of lovers, Nazis she took up with; she ended as a Soviet spy.
On the scene were George Kennan, the architect of containment; Richard Helms, who rose to the top of the CIA. The writers Sinclair Lewis and Thomas Wolfe, famed aviator Charles Lindbergh, and the great athlete Jesse Owens came through Germany; so did a younger generation of journalists--Richard Hottelet, Hans V. Kaltenborn, Howard K. Smith, and Ed Murrow.
These Americans helped their reluctant countrymen begin to understand Nazi Germany as it ruthlessly eliminated political opponents, instilled hatred of Jews and anyone deemed a member of an inferior race, and readied its military and its people for a war for global domination. They helped prepare Americans for the years of struggle ahead.
Synopsis
andlt;bandgt;Hitlerand#8217;s rise to power, Germanyand#8217;s march to the abyss, as seen by Americansand#8212;diplomats, military, expats, visiting authors, Olympic athletesand#8212;who watched horrified and up close.andlt;/bandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Some of the Americans in Hitlerand#8217;s Germany were merely casual observers, others deliberately blind, a few were Nazi apologists. But most began slowly to understand what was unfolding, even when they found it difficult to grasp the breadth of the catastrophe.andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Among the journalists, William Shirer understood what was happening. Edgar Mowrer, Dorothy Thompson,andnbsp;and Sigrid Schultz, reporters, were alarmed. Consul General George Messersmith distinguished. Truman Smith, the first American official to meet Hitler, was an astute political observer. Historian William Dodd, who FDR tapped as ambassador in Berlin, left disillusioned; his daughter Martha scandalized the embassy with her procession of lovers, Nazis she took up with; she ended as a Soviet spy.andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;On the scene were George Kennan, the architect of containment; Richard Helms, who rose to the top of the CIA. The writersandnbsp;Sinclair Lewis and Thomas Wolfe, famed aviator Charles Lindbergh, and the great athlete Jesse Owens came through Germany; so did a younger generation of journalistsand#8212;Richard Hottelet, Hans V. Kaltenborn, Howard K. Smith, and Ed Murrow.andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;These Americans helped their reluctant countrymen begin to understand Nazi Germany as it ruthlessly eliminated political opponents, instilled hatred of Jews and anyone deemed a member of an inferior race, and readied its military and its people for a war for global domination. They helped prepare Americans for the years of struggle ahead.
Synopsis
Hitler’s rise to power, Germany’s march to the abyss, as seen by Americans—diplomats, military, expats, visiting authors, Olympic athletes—who watched horrified and up close.Some of the Americans in Hitler’s Germany were merely casual observers, others deliberately blind, a few were Nazi apologists. But most began slowly to understand what was unfolding, even when they found it difficult to grasp the breadth of the catastrophe.
Among the journalists, William Shirer understood what was happening. Edgar Mowrer, Dorothy Thompson, and Sigrid Schultz, reporters, were alarmed. Consul General George Messersmith distinguished. Truman Smith, the first American official to meet Hitler, was an astute political observer. Historian William Dodd, who FDR tapped as ambassador in Berlin, left disillusioned; his daughter Martha scandalized the embassy with her procession of lovers, Nazis she took up with; she ended as a Soviet spy.
On the scene were George Kennan, the architect of containment; Richard Helms, who rose to the top of the CIA. The writers Sinclair Lewis and Thomas Wolfe, famed aviator Charles Lindbergh, and the great athlete Jesse Owens came through Germany; so did a younger generation of journalists—Richard Hottelet, Hans V. Kaltenborn, Howard K. Smith, and Ed Murrow.
These Americans helped their reluctant countrymen begin to understand Nazi Germany as it ruthlessly eliminated political opponents, instilled hatred of Jews and anyone deemed a member of an inferior race, and readied its military and its people for a war for global domination. They helped prepare Americans for the years of struggle ahead.
About the Author
Award-winning journalist andlt;bandgt;Andrew Nagorskiandlt;/bandgt; is vice president and director of public policy at the EastWest Institute, a New York-based international affairs think tank. During a long career at andlt;iandgt;Newsweekandlt;/iandgt;, he served as the magazineand#8217;s bureau chief in Hong Kong, Moscow, Rome, Bonn, Warsaw, and Berlin. He is the author of four previous books and has written for countless publications.andnbsp;He lives in Pelham Manor, New York.