The Nazis by George Bruce
The Nazis by George Bruce
Hardcover, ISBN 9780600365563
Publisher: Hamlyn, 1974
Condition: Very Good+. This book is in an excellent condition. The DJ has only some very slight signs of wear and the pages are clean, intact and the spine remains perfect. This book has clearly been well maintained and looked after thus far. The book is protected with a Cellophane cover.
"Of all the books about Hitler that I have read over the years, and there were a lot of them, this book has stood out in more ways than one. Some have rambled on and on and nearly put me to sleep. Some attempted to psychoanalyze the man from a distance. Some just repeat what others have said, and some have almost sounded like they admired the man and his achievements while toting the mandatory we-hate-Nazis line. For a 160 page book, this work by George Bruce explains very clearly, and in a most concise way, how Hitler and the Nazis came to power in Germany. And on top of that he was still able to find room for page after page of relevant photographs! If you want to read just one book to learn about how it all happened, I highly recommend this book, unless you would rather settle down over the winter with William L. Shirer's massive zillion page tome, "Rise and Fall of the Third Reich."
There is a little background history in the beginning of this book that sets the stage for what was to happen later, for the seeds of World War II were sown before World War I even ended. As you read this you see how little by little the party grew under Hitler's guidance. Though you can't really talk about the Nazis without Hitler, for they became one and the same, it wasn't always that way in the beginning. No, Hitler had to fight his way to the top, just as his SA stormtroopers in the brown shirts had to fight for their position of dominance. That bloody trail is thoroughly covered here.
Hitler had to learn the hard way that if he took over 'legally' then he and Nazism would be accepted, not only by the masses, but by those he needed to prop him up, such as bankers, big business, other politicians and the army. All this is explained. Hitler and his whole party were ruthless. They killed whomever they thought needed to be killed. This included one of Hitler's closest friends and earliest ally, Ernst Rohm.
I want to side track here to mention something that just touches on the art of propaganda. It use to be common common to state one of the reasons that Rohm was killed was because he was a notorious homosexual. This was usually stated in a way that not only justified Hitler having him killed but also to show the SA in a derogatory light. Today things are different. I wonder if they still use 'homosexual' and 'Rohm' in the same sentence today?
As I was saying, this book deals mainly with the Nazi rise to power. Surprisingly, what is only briefly touched upon is the actually course of the war. What is covered is the genocide committed by the Nazis, both in the death camps and by those doing the ethnic cleaning as close as five miles behind the front lines.
Hitler's end is covered as well as those who were closest to him.
Most important in my eyes, unlike the vast majority of authors that write about Nazism, George Bruce actually served in the German Army in WWII. That means he saw all this first hand. There were a few comments in the end of the book that really made me stop and think. To make a long story short, like Bruce did, he wonders if maybe Hitler made a pact with the devil. What else could explain the madness and the suffering that the Nazis brought down on humanity. If you want to dig more, this is a good place to start."
