Adolf Hitler

By: John Toland

Narrated by: Ralph Cosham

Based on previously unpublished documents, diaries, notes, photographs, and dramatic interviews with Hitler's colleagues and associates, this is the definitive biography of one of the most despised yet fascinating figures of the 20th century. Painstakingly documented, it is a work that will not soon be forgotten.

©1976 John Toland (P)2014 Blackstone Audio

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Thorough, compelling, sad, bizarre, insightful, horrifying...Toland really sets a standard for historical biography. Hitler's pre-political life is particularly fascinating as it gives a detailed glimpse into the making of the nut job who nearly destroyed the world--but still we are left with no real answers as to how an unstable country boy from a relatively healthy but fractured family could go from uneducated artist and street urchin, to army corporal, to dictator, to author of one of the world's most horrific cataclysms.

Ralph Cosham is a capable and urbane narrator (though sometimes he starts out strong then flags a bit), and his German, French, Italian, and Polish pronunciations are adept.

Wow!

This book is the standard by which all other books on Adolf Hitler shall be compared. It is doubtful anything else will ever come close.

Brilliant book

I highly recommend reading this book. There were many things I didn’t know about Hitler, and I feel that the author did an excellent job of presenting many facts about him.

The pre-WW2 details were abundant.

Overall, it is a great book. The details on his early life and rise to power were pretty robust. Once the war started, it went rather quickly.

Some of the events in WWII would have been more interesting if they had been expanded upon.

I did learn a new medial term - METEORISM, something Hitler had. Will use that one often.

Absolutely fascinating, in depth and jarring.

Where does Adolf Hitler rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This is one of the best audio books I've listened to.

What other book might you compare Adolf Hitler to and why?

This is a brilliant companion piece to "A World Undone" by GJ Meyer [a chronicle of WWI] and "No Simple Victory" by Norman Davies [WWII] in that it gives you an in depth look at how the world got from the First World War to the Second and even supports the premise that both were actually parts of a single World War.

Which scene was your favorite?

Obviously well researched, one of the most jarring statements made in the book was that if Hitler had died in the mid 30s, he would most likely have been remembered as a truly great leader and savior of the German people.

Any additional comments?

Toland goes to great pains to avoid passing judgment on Hitler, Nazis, and so on. And to an astonishing degree, he is successful. The book is vivid, thorough, and detailed. And yet, somehow the 40-some hours have flown by.