Hitler, the Path to Power: The Path to Power

by Charles Bracelen Flood

Book Overview

This account of Hitler's early years begins with Germany in the chaos of the aftermath of the First World War and shows Hitler's formative years as political leader and public speaker. It covers the... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0395353122
• ISBN13: 9780395353127
• Release Date: January 1991
• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
• Length: 686 Pages
• Weight: 2.45 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Hitler - a study of ...

Another of a line in study of out of control power that changed the world. A study of Hitler that contributes to the greater picture of governmental agents of change.. Study with opinions.

Do don't know squat...

Charles Bracelen Flood explains the life of Adolph Hitler and how he came to power following WWI. Want to know the true meaning of a story then you have to go back to the beggining and this is the book that does just that. Read this and all you think you knew will take on a new meaning. Your understanding of WWII and events today will take on a new under current.

Outstanding! Among the Best Out There!

Here we have a terrifically lucid, readable, and even entertaining account that truly does answer the question, how such a seeming loser from nowhere could rise to become the undisputed leader of the German Nazi party. The tragic and horrible conditions in Germany between 1918-1924 are described in haunting detail, the economy a wreck with inflation reaching 1 billion% by the time of the Novemeber, 1923 Putsch. The cast of characters includes the mesmorizing speaker Hitler, plus the weird general Ludendorrf, Rohm, Hess, the Strassers, Drexler, Goring, and many others, including the WC Fields-like Putzi Hafstaengel, who kept contact with foreign journalists. And the actual events of the BeerHall Putsch have their horrid moments plus some Keystone Kops moments too! In short, about the best early Nazi history out there!

Outstanding

This well-researched journal of Hitler's early days will really get you thinking. You cannot understand World War 2 or the Holocaust without learning about what went on with this man before the age of 40. I recommend this to anyone and everyone who loves history or is doing a report. It is out of print so you can either get it used or get it at your local library. Whatever you do, you will enjoy this great book.

An Engrossing, Fascinating Story

I cannot recommend this book enough for anyone interested in reading about the causes and origins of German fascism. Any book on Hitler can always veer off into the cartoonish, reinforcing the idea that the man was a monster. That approach devalues the very serious underpinnings of Hitler's ascent that Bracelen Flood describes: The Versaille Treaty and the short-sighted behavior of the victors of World War I; the intense racialism of Bavaria; the sheer incompetence of Germany's leaders; and the brilliance of Hitler's campaign to rule the country. Telling details are on every page of the book, but Bracelen Flood is very careful to qualify his observations when the evidence is conflicted. He sees the interaction between the anecdote and the big picture, using several devices to ground the reader in the reality of what happened. Best of all, Bracelen Flood's extensive research allows us to understand what people involved in the events were thinking. At several points, I was struck by how, above all else, Hitler was abetted by luck and the fact that he was consistently underestimated by people who should have known better. The end result is both a study of a pivotal portion of the last century and a valuable tool to ensuring that nothing like it ever happens again.