Hitler's True Believers

How Ordinary People Became Nazis

By: Robert Gellately

Narrated by: Paul Heitsch

Understanding Adolf Hitler's ideology provides insights into the mental world of an extremist politics that, over the course of the Third Reich, developed explosive energies culminating in the Second World War and the Holocaust. Too often the theories underlying National Socialism or Nazism are dismissed as an irrational hodgepodge of ideas. Yet that ideology drove Hitler's quest for power in 1933, colored everything in the Third Reich, and transformed him, however briefly, into the most powerful leader in the world.

How did he discover that ideology? How was it that cohorts of leaders, followers, and ordinary citizens adopted aspects of National Socialism without experiencing the "leader" firsthand or reading his works? They shared a collective desire to create a harmonious, racially select "community of the people" to build on Germany's socialist-oriented political culture and to seek national renewal. If we wish to understand the rise of the Nazi Party and the new dictatorship's remarkable staying power, we have to take the nationalist and socialist aspects of this ideology seriously.

©2020 Robert Gellately (P)2021 Tantor

Those who don’t study history are doomed to repeat it

It is frightening how well hitlers rise to godly power, tracks with Trump and MAGA. Lies upon lies, blaming Jews for everything, fear mongering, the, creating chaos. MAGA just needs to pass out their brown shirts.

Fascinating listen

LOTS of information here. LOTS of what not to do, as a country, as humans. Deep delve into a horrific time and place in history.
So important, now, always, to see how this happened, all that lead up to Hitler’s regime. He didn’t just magically come to power. People LOVED him and FOLLOWED him, willingly, into a very very dark place, with blinders on and a clear conscience.
Wonderful presentation. Easy to listen to.

A new perspective

This excellent book added much to my understanding of fascism, specifically the German version. The author bring to light new perspectives on the German people and the ideology of national socialism. I strongly recommend this book.

Insightful, informative, interesting

Very interesting audiobook. Though I have read multiple other books regarding the rise of the German NAZI party and the German people from 1920-1945 I still learned new insights into the appeal of nationalism and socialism in Germany at that time. Highly recommended

If 2024 elections in the US go for trump

Here is a telling of what the results will be
Read this NOW or forever despair you did not heed the warning