by Ian Kershaw
First published 2001
Adolf Hitler stands among countless nationalist fanatics in post-World War I Germany, yet this unlikely figure will seize control of a modern state's complex machinery. Ian Kershaw abandons traditional biographical methods to examine the mechanics of Hitler's regime. He investigates why Hitler found such broad appeal when other racist extremists failed. The analysis reveals how traditional ruling classes failed to limit his authority and explores Hitler's direct involvement in policy formation. Kershaw constructs his account around the structure and operation of dictatorial power rather than chronological life events. The book demonstrates how an improbable candidate transformed personal charisma into systematic control over German institutions and society.
Genres: biography, history, 20th-century, academic
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: unreliable-narrator
Setting: Germany
Period: Post-World War I, 20th Century
256 pages · Hardcover · Longman