“Laurence Rees asks, as always, the right questions, and provides excellent answers. Blending oral testimony of contemporaries with documentary evidence, he offers sharp insight into the adulation of Hitler by millions of Germans that underpinned his ‘charismatic rule.’”
—Sir Ian Kershaw, author of Hitler: A Biography
“Offering acerbic insight into Hitler’s ‘charismatic rule,’ this is an arresting account.”
—The Telegraph (London)
“A useful vehicle for many of the first-hand accounts from eyewitnesses and participants . . . The book flows briskly and provides some illuminating perspectives along the way.”
—The Independent on Sunday (London)
“A fascinating study.”
—Antony Beevor, author of The Second World War
“So how did Hitler convince his generals to invade Russia and his subjects to ignore the genocide around them? This readable, fascinating book, a worthy addition to the vast literature surrounding Hitler, has plausible answers.”
—Kirkus Reviews
“Rees moves easily from the broad themes of German politics and economics to the individual voices of those who supported and opposed Hitler. Incorporating most of the latest scholarship on Hitler, Rees provides valuable insights here into a topic that is not new.”
—Library Journal
“Rees’s spotlight on charisma forces us to think hard about what it means to persuade, to argue, to reason—or simply to assert one’s will.”
—The Chronicle of Higher Education
INTRODUCTION
PART ONE—THE ROAD TO POWER
1. Discovering a Mission
2. Making a Connection
3. Searching for a Hero
4. Developing a Vision
5. Offering Hope in a Crisis
6. Being Certain
PART TWO—JOURNEY TO WAR
7. The Man Who Will Come
8. The Importance of Enemies
9. The Lure of the Radical
10. The Thrill of Release
11. Turning Vision Into Reality
PART THREE—RISK AND REWARD
12. The Great Gamble
13. Charisma and Overconfidence
14. False Hope and the Murder Of Millions
PART FOUR—BLOOD AND DEATH
15. Last Chance
16. The Death of Charisma
PHOTO SECTION CREDITS
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
NOTES
INDEX
