Hitler (Routledge Historical Biographies)

Adolf Hitler is the most notorious political figure of the twentieth century. The story of his life, how he became a dictator, and how he managed to convince so many to follow his cause is a subject of perennial fascination. Balancing narrative and analysis, this biography employs a chronological approach to describe the main features of Hitler’s career. Set against the background of developments in Germany and Europe during his lifetime, the text tells the extraordinary story of how an Austrian layabout rose to become Führer of the Third Reich. This second edition has been fully updated to incorporate the research and literature from the last ten years, including several major studies by British and German scholars that have added to our understanding of Hitler and the Third Reich. New light has been shed on the character of National Socialism and on Hitler as a person and a political figure. Fresh insights have been made into the Hitler cult and into the charismatic nature of Hitler’s rule over Germany.