
The Face of the Third Reich
Portraits of the Nazi Leadership
Joachim E. Fest(Author)
I.B. Tauris & Co. Ltd. (Publisher)
Published on 28. July 2011
Book
Paperback/Softback
416 pages
978-1-84885-703-2 (ISBN)
Description
Who were the men who helped Hitler establish the Third Reich and then carry out some of the worst atrocities in modern history? In fifteen chilling profiles, Joachim Fest examines the lives of the most infamous Nazi leaders. They include Hermann Goering: the self-styled 'Iron Man', who directly issued orders for the Final Solution; Joseph Goebbels: the mastermind behind Kristallnacht; Heinrich Himmler: Reichsfuhrer of the SS, responsible for the deaths of over six million Jews and the most powerful man in Nazi Germany after Hitler; Martin Bormann: Hitler's private secretary, who wielded power by controlling access to the Fuhrer; Rudolph Hess: Deputy of the Nazi Party who was tried at Nuremberg; Albert Speer: 'the Nazi who said sorry', and of course Hitler himself. In this compelling account, Joachim Fest - one of the greatest authorities on the Third Reich and an icon of post-war Germany - shows how it was these individual personalities and their vicious power struggles that combined to give form to Hitler's terrifying vision.
Reviews / Votes
'This book is perhaps the most important recent addition to the literature of the Third Reich.' - Hannah Arendt; 'Fest's descriptions are hypnotically interesting - He has pulled together more details of the lives of his subjects than are included in any other book. The device of focusing on one major figure per chapter enables fest to bring them to life as individuals and in contrast to each other. Each figure is a window that opens onto part of the dreadful landscape.' - Christopher Lehman-Haupt, New York Times; 'Here is the composite face of Hitler's Third Reich made of a kind of rogue's gallery of profiles of the main Nazi leaders - Hitler foremost, but not necessarily the most hideous of the lot. While Fest studies Hitler in frightening detail, he exposes no less the grotesque and inhuman psyches of the Heironymous Bosch-like figures who made the power grab with him... A chilling book, and immensely valuable.' - Publisher's Weekly; 'Fest's system of organization, his biographical framework and his constant probing for insights into the nature of modern totalitarianism give this book a unique and powerful intensity.' - Wall Street Journal; 'A very good book indeed. The author has mastered the literature on the subject, he writes well and with great assurance, and provides a much-needed synthesis on a grand scale.' - Walter Laqueur, New York Times Book ReviewMore details
Language
English
Place of publication
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Dimensions
Height: 216 mm
Width: 135 mm
Weight
394 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-84885-703-2 (9781848857032)
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Schweitzer Classification
Persons
Joachim Fest (1926-2006) was a German historian, journalist, critic and editor, best known for his writings and commentary on Nazi Germany, which included a hugely influential biography of Adolf Hitler as well as books about Albert Speer and the German Resistance. He was awarded the Eugen-Bolz prize in 2004 for 'Plotting Hitler's Death' and the Henri Nannen prize in 2006 for his journalistic achievements.