Hitler: Diagnosis of a Destructive Prophet

by Fritz Redlich

Book Overview

Adolf Hitler unleashed a nightmare of terror in Europe that changed the course of history and forever altered our conception of human nature. But how is it possible to understand Hitler? Hitler: Diagnosis of Destruction begins to answer that question by providing the first analysis of Hitler's life by a trained MD and practicing psychiatrist.
Fritz Redlich, MD, provides a full-length biography of Hitler, focusing especially on his medical and...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0195057821
• ISBN13: 9780195057829
• Release Date: December 1998
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
• Length: 466 Pages
• Weight: 1.85 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.4" x 6.2" x 9.3"

Customer Reviews

Gripping account of the world's most notorious patient!

Intense, highly engrossing psychological study of Adoplh Hitler. Incredibly detailed and thorough, yet always immensely readable. The author has written with such objectivity so as not to leave any doubt of the twisted reasoning that drove the "destructive prophet." A must-read for 20th Century studies. A real eye opener.

Psychobiographies: examining the trees before the forest

As far as psychobiographies go, I rate this work: 5 stars. Typically, I am not fond of psychohistorical works.The author, Redlich, is a retired psychiatrist and former dean of the Yale University Medical School. Self-confessed, he is not a professional historian. But better an academic psychiatrist examining a historical figure than historians playing psychologist. The latter group, in my opinion, has a strong tendency to lapse into cliched pop-Freudianism: the subject loved his mother, hated his father, therefore has a latent homosexual, etc. None of this in Redlich's book.This work is primarily a medical, pharmacological examination of Hitler, rather than the nonmedical viewpoint of psychology or psychoanalysis. For this reason, I find Redlich's work far more convincing than, say, Waite's HITLER THE PSYCHOPATHIC GOD. Redlich's diagnosis is based more upon physical/psychological cause and effects of drugs rather than the psychobabble of the alleged un- or subconscious motives.My problem with this work, as with all psychobiographies, is: (1) that the patient is dead. This makes an accurate diagnosis impossible. Redlich's concluding chapter, in my estimation, is lacking in a concrete diagnosis. (2) by focusing on an individual's mind alone, it isolates all other external factors, such as, economic, political and military considerations. But then, one cannot ignore the ramifications of the historical figure's/patient's mind.Overall, I enjoyed this book, regardless of whatever qualms I may have. Its a work to be read in conjunction with standard biographies of Hitler.

A Wise Analysis

Dr. Redlich's diagnosis of Hitler is remarkable by virtue of the fact that he realizes the limitations of the analysis that he embarks upon. It is 50 years later and what he had to work with was hearsay medical reports - by a quack doctor, unreliable statements from blind nazi fans, and half century old diagnostic tools. Nonetheless, he is very convincing in his conclusions. I enjoyed it immensely.

the most informative book on hitler so far

i think that this book has a great overview of hitlers life, medical history and pathology. Anyone looking for a very informative and analytic book should read this.

highly recommended

Having read a number of books attempting to give some explanation for Hitler's murderous actions, I found this to be perhaps the best overview of different theories as well as presenting a very plausible comprehensive theory. For anyone searching to understand, I highly recommend this book.