by Erik Larson
This book gives a fascinating insider's peek into both Hilter's Germany in the early days of his power, and also into the world around him and how things were allowed to get to the state they did. I'm sure most of us have read or studied some of the history of World War II and are familiar with how the events unfolded, but I found this book fascinating for providing us with a view of how events got to where they were. There are several things that this book helped me to get a better grasp of. One is how the rest of the world allowed things to get to a state where a massive world war precipitated. The other was how the German people ended up in that state. This book provides a glimpse into the fear that the German powers used (and it wasn't just Hitler) to keep their subjects in the place they wanted them to be.
This book draws heavily from the writings of the American Ambassador to Germany in the early 30's and his daughter. We are given a personal perspective on what they saw going on around them. We also get the perspective of two very different people. One, the conservative ambassador with official concerns, and the other of the younger generation with much more social concerns. This book is masterfully written and is informative, intriguing and a page-turner. Well worth the read.
