Not to be forgotten

There can be no greater horror than that of Nazis Germany, the words in this book tell that story.

Read and never forget.

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2 people found this helpful

Magnificent Account of Humanity's Darkest Days

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

You may have thought that you'd heard everything there was to hear about this period but I have never come across such a complete account. What makes this book particularly powerful is that Shirer was actually in Germany at the time. This is not just a rehashing of books and films that we all know. He uses a lot of first hand sources and his personal perspective really brings the whole thing to life. He is merciless in his analysis but I enjoyed the fact that he doesn't mince his words. Despite its length, this is a compelling listen that nobody who is interested in 20th Century history should miss.

Who was your favorite character and why?

William L.Shirer. I love his personal assessment of those involved on all sides. He is not afraid to judge. It's very well written book and Shirer comes across as a very intelligent commentator.

Which character – as performed by Grover Gardner – was your favourite?

Well this is not a fiction but obviously the central character is Adolf Hitler.

If you made a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

You couldn't make a film. It would have to be a series.

Any additional comments?

I was worried that it might seem dated and that much might still have been unknown when it was written, but this was not an issue for me. The fact that Shirer had seen these people in the flesh was more than adequate compensation for any missing details that were not known at the time. This was a powerful listening experience that I will never forget. I would recommend it to anyone.

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1 person found this helpful

Brilliant historical book

Despite the grisly story of the 3rd reich, this book was fascinating and so thorough. The narration was perfect for the subject matter.

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Great history

A bit dated. Some new facts have emerged since it was written but still a great book.

The fact that he knew most of the leading historical characters and lived in Nazi Germany and saw events personally gives it an edge over purely historical histories of the Third Reich.

Would recommend this without hesitation.

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A Seminal Work, Well worth the time spent

William L. Shirer was a uniquely placed individual. As CBS's European correspondent he met the Nazi leadership and observed the events leading up to war. He witnessed the French surrender. He escaped from mainland Europe when he was tipped off that the Gestapo were preparing to arrest him for espionage. After the war the Allies captured tons of documents that the Nazis failed to destroy and his work is based on these documents, dairies and witness accounts of the barbaric occupation of Europe. Even as an avid student of this period of history I still came away with new insights on the conduct of the war. Hitler doomed his invasion of Russia when, in a fit of pique, he turned his forces against Yugoslavia in revenge for an uprising. The rest, as they say, is history. Shirer relates well the evidence of Hitler's mental breakdown as he approached his final, well-deserved demise.

Two minor criticisms. The narrator's American pronunciation was a little grating at times especially of place names (Moss-cow instead of Moss-co for example. Also, it is really annoying (and this is with all Audible Books) that the chapters are not named but numbered. This makes it impossible to navigate your way through the book and if you were using it as a reference then be prepared to spend many hours going back and forth until you reach the period in time that you are looking for.

At 57 hours, this is a major listen but well worth the effort

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A True Classic !

Any additional comments?

I really enjoyed this book. It goes into the history of the Third Reich in detail. Unfortunately it is still very relevant today. It was a long listen (57 hrs) but well worth it. I often went for a walk outside or stayed in my car longer just to listen to the story.

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Hghly reccommended

The book is for people that want to learn in detail the history of Nazi Germany. It 's a must for those who want to know / understand why we make wrong decisions at all levels. Hitler could have been stopped at a very early stage, both within Germany and later by the French and the British. Wrong decissions let to the 2nd world war.

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Outstanding and Essential

One of the most important history books based upon captured documents written. The audible version is narrated with care and brings atmosphere to its content.

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Best history book

The best history book I’ve ever read! I learnt a lot about Nazi Germany and WWII. The details of some dialogues make them very real and I could imagine many situations. Franz Halder with his diaries helped a lot.

Grover Gardner narration is superb as always.

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A fantastic read!

This is my first Audible purchase and it's wonderful! I read this book in hard copy many years ago and Grover Gardner's narration really brings it alive, with no annoying mispronunciations. This book has been my companion on many running sessions and has helped the miles fly by. It is also incredibly good value especially when bought via subscription - I would recommend it to anyone!

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