Hitler is a byword for evil, racist cant & totalitarian rule. Is this an accurate assessment and does it reflect his philosophies over his whole life or did his psyche steadily become more morbid with age? What was the effect the Bomb Plot in July 1944 on his mental condition? Did it exacerbate these attributes in any way? In spite of the unending drama as the Third Reich rapidly sunk into the abyss after Stalingrad, how was Hitler still able to hold sway? Finally, were his acolytes so in awe of Hitler, and for what reasons, that their natural instincts did not forewarn them of the impending disaster?

These are merely an arbitrary selection of the litany of unanswered questions that I possessed regarding Hitler. Without any doubt, these issues have occupied my mind for at least four decades. Finally Ian Kershaw’s opus magnum entitled eponymously, Hitler, has finally shed light on all these aspects. As I did not have sufficient time to read the full unabridged 1550 page version, I will confess to reading to an abridged version which only comprises a modest 969 pages instead. The journey and wait was well worth it.  Continue reading