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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
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 26-10-12
Compelling
I read the book many years ago when I was much younger and it left a lasting impression on me then. I had to pick this up as an audiobook, simply to refresh my memory.
The author being a contemporary journalist gives a good insight into the minds of people at the time. If you ever wonder how this could ever have happened, this book will give you some insight. It covers the period before the birth of Hitler up to his death and beyond.
Frequently during the narrative the Shirer will remind the reader or listener of his part in this story and biases he might have had. He does come across as being factual and well read and researched as well as seeing many of the events first hand. The narrative both as a book and an audiobook is quite compelling. The section dealing with treatment of prisoners of war, jews and other civilians and "experiments" is done very well. It is brutal, difficult to listen of read but not over done. It is an essential part of the book.
Whilst Grover Gardner has a few issues with pronunciation of German names, I find these quite forgiveable. His style is "matter of fact" without ever being dull and I for one looked forward to every opportunity to listen. I have no idea what Shirer sounded like but I happily accepted Gardeners voice as his.
This is a "long haul" listen or read but don't let that put you off.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- mike
- 17-05-11
Its long but its worth it
Its solid history in an accessable way. I am genrally against interfeering in another country's affairs, which is quite relavant in 2011 - but having read this book one thinks perhaps a little more interffering and making a fuss would not go amiss. This book certainly makes you think.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Nigel
- 04-02-19
Amazingly Brilliant
What a fantastic read (well listen)... Amazingly detailed, informative and thought provoking. The narrator was second to none and made the book even more enjoyable
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- OL
- 18-03-19
A mammoth listen, but worth it
Despite it's age this book doesn't feel dated generally. Based as it is on the Third Reich's own archive of documents and diaries of the main players acquired on the Reich's defeat, and written by someone who was witness to many of the events, particularly the rise to power. This book has a significantly different but well-informed perspective compared to more conventional accounts based on the Allies' experience. The description of Hitler's rise to power is one of the most illuminating I have come across.
Shirer was a man of his times, and his descriptions of male homosexuality are frankly homophobic at times, but the book was written when male homosexual acts were against the law.
The narrator, Grove Gardner, is pretty good though some of his German pronunciation could be improved. He pronounces putsch to rhyme with pooch and Croats rhymes with coats. His mis-pronunciation of Algeciras is particularly grating, and easy enough to check.
Audible's implementation of the reading is the weakest feature. The reading comes in seven files which appear identical on some Audible-enabled devices so it's not always easy to tell which is the next volume to listen too, particularly on my Fire Kindle. The quality of the reading and the material deserve much better and more sensitive implementation.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Paul Higgins-Drysdale
- 02-12-21
Important work that will stand the test of time
I am grateful that I can listen rather than read it as I would never have got through it. It’s a great book so important to understand what happened
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- S. Bristoe
- 21-04-18
Fantastic!
This is an amazing, well written, document of the darkest period of human history. Highly recommend.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Badger
- 22-07-18
Riveting
This book has the deserved reputation of being one of the most important histories of the Third Reich, by an author who was there for much of the early stages. The narrator is brilliant and should be given a medal, really brings the situations to life. Loved the correspondence between Hitler and Mussolini, a long-distance love affair.
When I finished it I actually restarted it because there is so much detail it's hard to take it all in.
Very good value too - essentially 7 or is it 8 books in one - if you're looking for something for a long journey...
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Dean
- 31-07-18
Don’t let the length put you off
I generally have a short attention span and find I’m often unable to finish audiobooks over 15 hours unless I’m thoroughly captivated by them. Listening to this book was so engaging and well paced it got me truly invested and it was a shame when it all came to a close over 50 hours later.
The author gave a great insight to the third reich and you may find yourself researching other avenues of interest such as the remarkable story of Rudolph Hess.
I have no doubt I will listen to this audiobook again in the future and it remains one of my most positive experiences in audible.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- peter
- 21-12-18
A thorough and well written & performed history
My only issue with this audio-book is that the publisher takes no steps to address the homophobia that while a product of its times, is extremely disturbing in 2018.
A brief comment at the start of the book would have sufficed, however there is no attempt to address how the author links gangsters, murderers and homosexuals as example of morally equivalent degenerates in the early nazi party.
With this one exception I would recommend this book to anyone with an interest in this period of history.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- mrs m plank
- 01-11-18
compelling read
Once started it was difficult to put down. The reality out does any Hollywood film. Often harrowing but always compelling. It is hard to believe this happened because of one man's ideology.
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