Joachim C. Fest (1926–2006)

A great and insightful biography. We take history for granted, after all it did happen, but this story as fiction would be unbelievable. I had a peculiar surreal dream-like feeling during the part of the biography covering the late 20s - you know, it's time to wake up now! I haven't read a lot of Hitler biographies, but this one certainly seems to give a coherent and consistent psychological picture. It makes you wish you could have been present (and had a revolver), and it makes me think again about the US drone strikes. I was occasionally irritated by comments about Hitler's support in England or about how Hitler and the party weren't all that antisemitic in the early 30s (even though the author states that the SA would pass around collection cans labeled "For the destruction of the Jews"), but looking at the whole work, perhaps I am just overly sensitive.
The Kindle version has many typographical mistakes that look like OCR-type errors. Most disturbing, Alfred Jodl is always called Jodi.… (more)

Um livro definitivo sobre o declínio de Hitler. O cotidiano do ditador naqueles dias dramáticos, os surtos de euforia e a depressão diante da derrota inevitável. Um relato histórico precioso escrito por um dos maiores especialistas em Terceiro Reich. O autor relembra em seu relato um acontecimento que significou, para uma geração inteira, nada menos do que o fim do mundo. Mais do que isso, ele nos revela os bastidores desse apocalipse, mostrando como o ocaso de um violento ditador arrastou consigo um país inteiro.… (more)