When it comes to 20th century history, there are few names as well known as that of Adolf Hitler, Germany’s leader building up to and during World War II. However, unlike so many of history’s heroes, Adolf Hitler has gone down in the record books for all the wrong reasons. The atrocities committed in his name resulted in the deaths of millions of innocent people, and images of emaciated figures fighting for survival in concentration camps are synonymous with the reign of terror that Hitler dictated, leaving mankind struggling to make sense of how such a situation could have arisen.

Understanding the past can without doubt bring hope for the future, and in the case of Adolf Hitler, the benefit of hindsight is a very valuable thing. Tracking his path from insignificance to world domination, through to ignominious death in a Berlin bunker, demonstrates how the delusions of one man can do irreparable damage if not kept in check, and confirms the old adage that absolute power corrupts absolutely.

The classic image of Adolf Hitler, with slicked down black hair and square moustache, surrounded by swastikas and storm troopers, is one that we are all familiar with, but as with every complex figure from history, to discover the real man behind the legend, we do need to go right back to the beginning. If that other old adage that says “Give me a child until he is seven, and I will show you the man” has any substance, it is certainly relevant for anyone considering "The Rise and Fall of Adolf Hitler."