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The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich
- A History of Nazi Germany
- Narrated by: Grover Gardner
- Length: 57 hrs and 11 mins
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The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich
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Summary
Since its publication in 1960, William L. Shirer’s monumental study of Hitler’s German empire has been widely acclaimed as the definitive record of the twentieth century’s blackest hours. The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich offers an unparalleled and thrillingly told examination of how Adolf Hitler nearly succeeded in conquering the world. With millions of copies in print around the globe, it has attained the status of a vital and enduring classic.
Now, years after the end of World War II, it may seem incredible that our most valued institutions, and way of life, were threatened by the menace that Hitler and the Third Reich represented. Shirer’s description of events and the cast of characters who played such pivotal roles in defining the course Europe was to take is unforgettable.
Benefiting from his many years as a reporter, and thus a personal observer of the rise of Nazi Germany, and availing himself of some of the 485 tons of documents from the German Foreign Office, as well as countless other diaries, phone transcriptions, and other written records meticulously kept at every level by the Germans, Shirer has put together a brutally objective account of how Hitler wrested political control of Germany, and planned and executed his six-year quest to dominate the world, only to see Germany go down in flames.
The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich is a vast, richly rewarding experience for anyone who wants to come to grips with the mysterious question of how this menace to civilization ever came into being, much less was sustained for as long as it was. The answer, unfortunately, is that most of Germany, for a whole host of reasons, embraced Nazism and the fanaticism that Hitler engendered.
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What listeners say about The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- gary s.
- 07-05-22
a must read
this book is a must for anyone interested in the history of this period. unlike many books on this subject, it is written by reference to the authors first hand experiences of living and working in Germany at the time, and by reference to official documents and interviews. that said, it is not heavy going and the narrator is excellent.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- BarryM
- 08-07-22
An excellent work
I have read the book, several times over during the last twenty or so years,a brilliant read in my opinion, so I was keen to listen to it on audio and was not disappointed. I thought the reader did a first class job with great delivery which held one’s attention throughout. Despite many, many later and more recent works on this subject, Shifter’s work still stands out for me as one of the greatest.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Karina Bell
- 19-02-23
Shocking and enthralling history
Incredibly full history which answered every question I had about how a man like Hitler was allowed to rise to power.
It's long, but honestly I've listened to books a fraction of the length of this one that have felt much longer!
They say if you know history then you can tell the future... so true, it just repeats itself time and again.
So many morals to the story, thank God that good will always overcome evil in the end. This story is another proof of that. Putin - take note.
It's the last round that counts.
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- Beatrice W.
- 31-01-23
A Magisterial History of the Darkest Days of Humanity
Superlatives could abound in an honest review of this exhaustive and lengthy dissection of the twisted pathologies of the Third Reich, but I shall attempt to keep them to a minimum. This is a history of the old school, honest, frank, and superbly written, coloured by human subjectivity and not muddled by mincing moral relativism; Shirer’s condemnations of the filth of Naziism are all too relevant in this time of resurgent fascism. Aside from some regrettably dated hostility towards “homosexual perverts” (in discussing the moral failings of Ernst Röhm, of whom I might say that homosexuality was likely his finest quality), Shirer’s words are as pertinent today as they were in 1959. This work is a true classic of history, well worth its length. Give it a listen. Hate Naziism with all your heart.
Never again.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Mr. Nakul Puri
- 26-06-23
Masterful
I’ve read this book a number of times. This is the first time I’ve listened to it. While the content of the audiobook (unabridged) is the same as the hard copy, it’s quite a different experience.
Some sections that detail the politics and military strategies are hard to concentrate on but this is a very minor quibble. It is more than made up by the sections on the human impact of the war which are even more moving and thought provoking than reading the book.
Overall a masterful yet dispassionate telling of one of the darkest chapters in history. One that I’ll come back to.
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- Paul Robinson
- 25-05-23
Wow!
Crucial to this tome is that it was written around the time by someone who was there who now generates the same feeling for the reader.
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- mackmjb
- 08-11-23
So absorbing and well read.
This is such a good book, well written, with first hand experience, the author writes what was happening in Germany whilst there. One of the best history books I have come across.
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- Amazon Customer
- 08-04-24
The most interesting history
Well read in-depth history. This is by far the longest audio book I’ve listened to and I found it captivating
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- Marcio Filho
- 04-04-24
Just perfect
This was an absolute mind blowing book. detailed and informative while being entertaining. The performance of the reader is just perfect.
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- Vagra
- 15-04-16
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