Reviews (3)

The evidence? The Truth?
If you are looking for something new and interesting on this subject, this is not the book for you. The author has cobbled together a great deal of previously published material from which he endeavors to garner the 'Truth' by the simple process of the vote system. Ergo, if two witnesses say one thing and a third says otherwise, then the two witness statement must be right! Always assuming that the two witnesses are in accordance with his ;feeling; on the subject.

The author spends many pages on the subject of the exact thickness of the bunker roof which, whilst mildly interesting, is of no great historical import.

Perhaps the only 'new' material which he introduces in the closing chapter is his hypothesis on the subject the love affair between Eva Braun-Hitler and Hermann Fegelein. Any credence which might be given to this is somewhat marred by the fact that his 'evidence' is mainly attributed to statements by Hitler's youngest secretary Frau Junge. Throughout the main body of his book the author has discounted all statements by Frau Jung as being 'unreliable'. Yet, suddenly, the reader is being asked to accept statements by the same witness as gospel.

There is nothing new here. Buy O'Donnell's The Bunker or Trevor Ropers The Last Days of Adolf Hitler. The former for entertainment and a host of fact. The latter for pure fact written very shortly after the events.

100% in personal evidence, 0% in archive evidence
With many details in Hitler's life and death, there are scores of myths, half-truths, and surmises. His death has its share of all three. Joachimsthaler does the best job I've seen in presenting and analyzing the evidence of personal testimonies of those involved with Hitler in his last days. However, he totally writes off the archival evidence from Moscow. To discover the full truth about Hitler's death, one must, at the very least, compare this book and the one by Ada Petrova and Peter Watson.

Packed with information, the real story.
Anton Joachimsthaler is clearly one of the most knowlegeable authors on this subject! The depth of his research is evident in his foot notes. All of his information and facts are backed- up by documentation. This is just one of his many books on WWII Germany. ... Read more

Book Description

In this new book by former wife and legally recognized widow, Ms. Terry Moore, the private Hughes is finally revealed.Howard Hughes was more than a mysterious tragic character who played out his life before a fascinated world.He was flesh & blood, and perhaps one of the greatest romantics of the 20th Century.For the first time,Howard speaks about his passions, his romantic exploits & his daredevil flying escapades.This is the compelling account of his passions for flying and his love for Hollywood's most famous starlets.Now his best friend and confidante shares every last detail of his love affairs & his life in this steamy true story that reads like a novel.Includes the firt time release of conversations between the billionaire & his starlet wife.You'll hear the mysterious Hughes as very few have, speaking with his wife and gossiping about celebrities.Abridged on two cassettes.Written and Told by Terry Moore.Three Hours. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

It should be titled Howard Hughes: Rated X
After suffering through this book, I am questioning the credibility of the Author's claim to be married to Howard Hughes.It was not a poignant story of a wife about her husband as I thought it should have been.Instead, it was a sordid expose of his sexual conquests mixed in with his last days on this earth.Although Hughes made many problems, I felt that this book gave a low blow to our memory of the man.In addition, a question kept repeating over and over in my head?

How would she know all of this stuff?She wasn't even there.

Terry Moore should have stuck to acting
OK, I didn't read the real book. I got the abridged cassette out of the library because I thought it might be fun. Who isn't interested in learning more about the "real" Howard Hughes, he of the legendary germ phobia and foot long fingernails. His ex-wife, Terry Moore, has teamed up with Jerry Rivers,more than likely a reject from The Star or National Enquirer, to come up with a trashy expose that belongs in the annals of the truly tasteless. Do we really need to hear repeatedly about Howard's throbbing member (I'm using these words because I don't know if reviewers are allowed to use the slang vulgarities used by Moore routinely), or starlets doing things to him that Monica did to Bill behind closed White House doors. Not to mention how she describes the wiles Bette Davis and Katherine Hepburn employed to keep Hughes interested. Thank God Davis is gone, and Hepburn too old to care. All of this squalor is delivered by Moore in a peppy (and loud) harangue reminiscent of a high school cheerleader. What was anyone thinking when they released this lemon? And how does Moore know enough about what went on behind closed doors to quote dialogue? Was she in Bette Davis' bathroom when the great Davis emerged from the bath like Venus on the half shell to unbuckle Hughes pants and ...? You get the idea. Save your money and cling to your own image of Howard Hughes. It has to be less demeaning than the one presented here. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

this is a very helpful book
although i am no professor, i feel this book gave me a good insight and understanding of hitler, as well as life altering events that may have contributed to such monstrous actions.since i have read this book i am now able to give my own opinion on why he became such an evil and unhappy human being. ... Read more

Book Description

The revelatory look at Hitler's formative years in Vienna provides startling insights into the future Furher. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Exellent writing and research....
Extremely interesting and informative insight into a fascinating (time)...Much insight into the character of A.Hitler ( and friends)..As an amateur historian i learned much I didnt know..The author wrote without prejudice(s) and merely presented facts..The opinions should be left to the reader...If your interested in this subject you will enjoy the book...

enlightening !clearly the best book about the early years
this book is not only incredible for its meticulous detail and unknown information about hitler but its also a social discourse on life in general of the old hapsburg empire and vienna at the turn of the century.the fact that this man was a bum who almost died of sickness and spent a few years sleeping in doorways and parks and was very close to starving but survived to be master of not only a country but a continent and almost the world is just further proof that fact is indeed stranger than fiction. stories about his adventures with many friends who were jewish is astonishing and in direct contradiction to his rantings in mein kampf where he liked to say he became an ant semite in vienna. its not true and suggests that hitler was only bieng an anti semite because it was politically advantageous in a land where anti semitism was widespread. if that is true that makes him even scarier. he was a close friend of a jew named joseph nueman and many of the mens homes he lived in were run by jews. he only liked to do business with jews and it was a jew who helped him from freezing to death by giving him a coat and many jews bought and sold his paintings for him.a very engrossing book for anyone interested in the subject of what shaped hitlers thinking

Summary Review of HITLER IN VIENNA 1907-1913
This is a book which gives the reader uncommon insight into what could well be the unseen fermenting origins of the most evil mastermind and destroyer in human history(Adolf Hitler). This detailed account of the degenerate class of life in which Hitler resided at the start of his manhood encompasses a curious mixture of the little-known facts about his obscure poverty, in stark contrast to the series of events revolving around Vienna which led directly to World War I. A positive aspect of this interesting work is the fact that as we witness the tramp and the homeless Hitler, his life is told without omission of detail, and most importantly, it is told independent of any direct comparison to the future leader who would eventually come to rule the Third Reich. A must for those who crave the hidden details beneath the ordinary texts. ... Read more

Book Description

Hitler: Profile of a Dictator is a fascinating exploration of Hitler and his role in the Third Reich. The book unravels the complex debate surrounding this notorious figure by examining his personality, his ideas and the nature of his power.

Hitler surveys Hitler's career chronologically and includes coverage of:
* the young idealogue
* the Fuhrer State
* Hitler's role in the outbreak of the Second World War
* Hitler's involvement in the Holocaust.

This second edition brings the continuing debate up to date in light of the most recent reseach, and speculates on the implications of the Irving trial. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

debunking only half the story
It's rather easy to show, as Anderson does, that some of Ravenscroft's claims are simply incredible. But it's also easy to show, as do several other books much more credible than Ravenscroft's Spear, that Hitler was certainly interested in theory of the occult, while not himself being a committed occultist in practice. This is not uncommon among highly intelligent but somewhat emotionally deranged persons. It's also rather hard to deny, when one reads the words of the man himself, in Mein Kampf and in Rauschning's non verbatim record of conversations, that Hitler was fascinated and influenced by concepts and beliefs which are identifiable with occult theory of history and race, and which can be traced from Blavatsky to Gurdjieff to Crowley. But he was not a follower, but a leader, not a theorist but a pragmatist, and his use and abuse of such ideas was peculiarly his own. No one however can claim that he was original in inspiration.

Excellent point by point review
I purchased this book this last spring and was to busy to read it, so it sat on my shelf till this weekend. I was in the mood for a good read, I remembered this book, picked it up and didn't put it down till finished. When I bought it, I thought it would be a book that detailed the Nazi involvement with the Occult. As I read it, I began to realize that the book in large part takes issue with a single man's (Ravenscroft) work on the Nazi's and the occult. Ken Anderson does a nice, precise, point-by-point review of Ravenscroft, and his "evidence" about the Nazi involvement with the occult. Anderson points out that Ravenscroft details about his own personal involvement in a raid to kill Rommel in the Second World War were fictitious. From that Anderson builds a case against Ravenscroft's allegations that Hitler was driven by his contact with the "spear of destiny" - a spear that was used to make sure Christ had died. When I finished the book, I was amazed to find that with the substantial evidence in this book, I believe that Hitler was not "driven" by the occult. He was simply evil. Something his young niece realized when she was 17, and shot herself with his .32 Walther.

I have more than a working knowledge of WW2, the events and the history. Last summer I spent two weeks riding around Germany on a BMW motorcycle seeing the WW2 sites. I very much appreciate this book for detailing information I had not known before, and linking it with information that I am quite familiar with. The end result was my belief that Anderson's information is accurate and well told. If you're into the history, you'll love this book.

Debunking the Bunk
I have read a number of books on Hitler's supposed fascination with, mastery of, and belief in various occult doctrines. In Hitler and the Occult, Ken Anderson delivers a chapter-by-chapter debunking of many of the theories surrounding Hitler's occultic leanings and gives what appear to be logical explanations for some of his actions which have been taken by some to prove his involvement in the occult. Most of the book is spent deconstructing the theories of Trevor Ravenscroft and reinforcing this deconstruction by attempting to discredit Ravenscroft himself. I have read the main target of Anderson's scorn, The Spear of Destiny, and have to admit that some of Ravenscroft's assertions in that volume seem quite far-fetched and incredible. But between his wilder claims, Ravenscroft does offer the reader food for thought. Anderson dissects his more plausible assertions with the aplomb of an undertaker preparing his umpteenth corpse. The Spear of Longinus, Lanz von Lebenfels, and the Thule Society are all given short shrift. Although it is true that many top Nazis were involved in secret societies and occultic fantasies, that was not uncommon at the time so there is nothing particularly significant about it. Hitler was more of a realist and seems to have had little time for or little patience with such notions. Though one might be tempted to believe that Hitler was controlled by otherworldly forces with which he had made a Faustian bargain, I tend toward Anderson's view that that is all nonsense. Reading this book will help interested persons sort out contradictions in theories of an occultic Hitler and bring them back to earth with a more prosaic view of Hitler's actions and motivations. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Breathtaking
Adolf Hitler and the editors of Time-Life Books deliver yet another masterful performance. This book is not a couple of inches thick as other Hitler books are but, you feel you miss out on nothing because what other books have in information, and verboseness this one more than makes up with sharp, concise, professional writing. This one really takes you deep withing the inner circle of concentric power of the infamous Third Reich emanating from will of the Fuhrer. No other title has succeeded in providing such an intimate view of the secluded everyday happenings in the lives of the supreme masters, that you actually have the feeling of being a first person witness. The insiders view is intense, as much of the action revolves around the magnetic personality of Adolf, it is not only a historically accurate document but an really intriguing personal biography. The photographs are of first rate, and is instrumental in the overall feel of splendor of this title. Reading it is guaranteed to be a tremendous affair

A Gem.
Center of the Web, (im assuming its from the Time Life Third Reich series) is an absolute must for any Hilter, and Third Reich student. This title is from the masterful Time Life Third Reich series, assuring a competent work, and delivering a masterpiece. This book in laced with breathtaking pictures and illustrations. The writing is superb, and the captions are marvels by themselves. The atention to detail in the production of the cover, the design, and layout of the book is outstanding. While other books are content to throw facts and information at you, this book is in a rare categorie of books that totally immerse you into the storie. The book takes you deep into the highest sector of Nazi Germany. into the daily life of Adolf Hitler. Pure reading enjoyment. ... Read more

Book Description

Victor's book is the first to show that implementation of the Final Solution was actually the root of Hitler's most disastrous military decisions. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

At last...
someone has made sense out of it all...by filling in Hitler's background,as it has never been revealed before...we can understand how madness and evil converged in the persona of one man who managed to murder millions because of his completely illogical beliefs..My whole life I have been trying to understand him(his evil influence),and this book has really helped me considerably.I can even see how his vile minions,the SS,were attracted to him and his ruthlessness..and obeyed him til the end.This is a fact-filled book,yes,but it is extremely well-written and researched,and I have read it over the course of two days.If you are, as I am,fascinated and repulsed at the same time about the most powerful and evil (well..I can't use bad language here,so fill in the blanks)"human being" of the 20th century...then this most excellent book will help you further in understanding just what happened,and why.

Now Hitler makes perfect sense
Not to be confused with "Hitler: the search for the origins of his evil".
I advise readers not to be concerned at seeing the word psychoanalysis being bandied about here. It is true that Victor comes from a background in this but the book does not lean on the spurious nature of psychoanalysis and it makes sense in its own terms. I strongly recommend the book. Now Hitler makes perfect sense. An essential supplement to a Hitler biography for students of the man.

This book was a great help
In his book Hitler: The Pathology of Evil, George Victor does what no author has yet been able to do, portray Hitler not only as the evil villain the he was, but also as a tortured soul that he was. He portrays Hitler as a man with a troubled past and tries to explain why he did the things that he did. Yet at the same time showing what happened to him in his childhood and during his past, and explaining how it affected his future action, it does not make concessions for his actions. It merely tries to explain the reasons why he did the thinks that he did.

This book isn't only a historical biography on a man that has had many other such books written on him. This book is much more of a psychological analysis of certain points in Hitler's life, and shows how these some how insignificant actions of his past affect not only his future but that of all of Germany, Europe, and the world. Victor, a former psychologist and psychotherapist for over thirty years, does an excellent job of doing this.

On of the best parts of the book is over the conflict of Hitler being an abused child, the fact that we should feel sorry for him in a way, and the problem that this fact raises. Part of the problem that people have with this fact is that in no way should we feel sorry for this 'monster'. At the same time if it were anyone else we would feel sorry for him or her and make conscious for this fact. Victor says that the reasons that people don't want to accept this fact of Hitler's past is because it makes him seem more human, something that people have refused to see him as. Victor take the position that we should feel something for him, yet at the same time realize that fact that millions of other abused children don't grow up and murder millions of people.

One other area that Victor does a great job is tracing Hitler's family tree. He goes back to Hitler's father and explains the situation of his birth that have led many to believed that Hitler's grandfather was most likely Jewish. He gives evidence that for the first time makes this seem as if it truly is a possibly true. This would explain Victor's theory that he hated what he was, and therefore killed others that were like the true him in some form of misguided aggression.

Victor paints a picture of Hitler that no author has been able to do before. Well still portraying him as the evil that he was, but also as a man. Victor does an outstanding job of doing this. One of the better Hitler biographies out there.

Excellent Reading................Well Written...............
One the best books written about Hitler.This should be required reading for all Western Civilization classes.

powerful, well written, well documented
Reviewed by Neil Wilson, Ph.D. New Jersey Institute for Training in Psychoanalysis for the Journal of Psychohistory, 26#3 (Winter 1999), 749-50

I read Victor's powerful book in lovely Umbria. It is in two parts, the first deals with Hitler's early development while the second examines his rise to power and the war years. Victor sensibly asserts that there has been a tendency among scholars not to try and understand Hitler's early life as it could lead to a sympathetic reading. Not so, for me. Umbria's rustic atmosphere was not enough to counteract a very personal reaction of disgust and revulsion when considering Hitler's upbringing. To preserve my equilibrium, I interspersed with Victor, reading some chapters from the touching book, Tuesdays with Morrie.

Hitler was an abused child. His father, Alois, beat his son brutally and often, for reasons never really clear. Indiscriminate violence was an important organizing factor in Hitler's emotional development, and definitely played a role in his later political expressions. There can be no sympathy for Hitler in this context because the reader knows what is to follow. In contrast to his father , Hitler was very close to his mother Klara, reportedly being her favorite. One might think Hitler capable of some degree of compassion, Victor notes only one incident. Klara had breast cancer and was treated well by a Jewish doctor named Bloch. In appreciation, when Hitler order the annihilation of all Jewish doctors he spared Dr. Bloch. So much for mother love.

The idea that Hitler was so consumed with wanting to purify the German blood, it actually took precedence of trying to win the war is a key thesis developed by Victor. He made many battle decisions which only prolonged the war. Victor holds that Hitler needed the war to pursue his major aim - the Holocaust. He often chose battles of destruction rather than considering peaceful solutions. Hitler was filled with self hatred, resulting, in part, from his father's many beating. He also thought, rightly or wrongly, that his paternal grandfather had Jewish blood which was experienced as impure and defiling. Such beliefs certainly contributed to his paranoid delusions regarding the creation of a master race. Later, Hitler attempted to erase all records of his past and create his own "family romance." Not only Hitler, but Eichmann, Goebbols, Himmler and other high ranking Nazis all thought as children that they had Jewish ancestry. This was an expression of inferiority/self-hatred and lent support to their involvement in the Holocaust. The Aryan was tall, blond and Nordic whereas many of the Nazi leaders, including Hitler, were short and dark, like stereotypical Jews.

Victor documents the struggles of Hitler in late adolescence. At one point he was homeless, a beggar, a reject from art school, a lost soul. It is not hard to think "what if." My friend George Chajet, a last minute escapee of the Nazis, mentioned that he sometimes fantasized that Hitler was a better artist and therefore accepted by the Vienna Academy of Arts. What if!

The author might have done more with Hitler's reported recurrent nightmare "in which a Jew menaced a women and Adolph failed to intervene, feeling humiliated." Victor describes the dream in the context of young Hitler seeing his father beat his mother and feeling unable to help her. This makes good sense but surely there are further dynamics involved. In the dream the woman is hurt. Hitler's idealization of his mother and several other women in later years, might mask an underlying hatred and desire to hurt and humiliate them. Victor offers numerous examples of laws enacted that debased and humiliated Germany's young, single, non-Jewish females. I suspect that Hitler's identifications are within this recurrent dream, he is simultaneously the impotent boy, the masochistic mother, and the brute father.

Victor employs a psychoanalytic approach to the understanding of Hitler's life and its consequences for so much of the world. The book is well written and well documented. It is a truly worthwhile psychohistorical document. Just do not read it on your next vacation. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

A History Of Lies
I have read several of Hugh Thomas' books and my doubts as to the reliability of Mr Thomas grew with every tome he has released.

My first impressions of the book "The Murder Of Rudolf Hess" was favourable, if reserved. The idea of Hess being secretly despatched and a replacement seemed to me not unfeasable, especially when a former guard of his stated that he didn't believe he was the real Hess but to find someone to stand-in for Hess for forty-six years seems a tall order. Since then I have read this book with absolute disgust. Heinz Linge, Hitlers faithfull valet strangling him? Rubbish! Eva Braun, who voluntarily left Munich to be by Hitlers side rushing off when the Russians are too close? Sheer fantasy!

Last year all the peices of the Thomas puzzle came together when I visited Germany on a guided tour, guided by Mr Tony Le Tissier, last British governer of Spandau prison. He explained the removal, by Thomas, of an X-ray of Hess at such an angle as to not show the bullet trail through the lung, despite the rest clearly showing it. Mr Thomas made a lot of money from the resulting book and has realised that writing conspiritorial, controversial (if historically untrue) material is very lucrative business.

Don't believe a word of any of Thomas' books!

Sheer idiocy!
The only people who would enjoy this book are those who are convinced that aliens have abucted them and hijacked them to other universes. This book is pure science fiction from start to finish and poorly written fiction. Let's get down to brass tacks:

The evidence that Hitler and Eva Braun died in the Berlin bunker at 3:30 in the afternoon on April 30, 1945 is irrefutible. Both commited suicide. There are multiple eyewitnesses who saw the corpses and who survived to tell the story, either in Russian captivity, on American TV or to dozens of different historians over the years. All saw Eva Braun dead and saw her incinerated in the garden of the Chancellery.

Only the most perverted and uneducated mind could possibly believe for a single milesecond that Eva Braun escaped from the Bunker. Aside from the fact that almost no one escaped alive and got into the American sector at this impossibly late date, what would Eva's motive have been? Hmmm?? She risked her life by traveling to Berlin to die at Hitler's side. He rewarded her loyalty by marrying her the day before their joint suicide. According to the author, Eva then (inexplicably) deserts Hitler and successfully escapes from the Bunker?

Never mind that this is a physical and emotional impossibility for her. Forget that there are no eyewitnesses, either in the Bunker or anyone who saw her alive after 4-30-45. Let's sweep under the carpet that Eva, a devoted family person, never bothered to visit or see her parents again, or her two sisters, Gretl or Ilse.

This book is insulting in its premise, torpid in style and ridiculous in all areas. Avoid it like the plague, it's pure fantasy.

An amazing study and theory of Hitler's last days
Like a great detective, Thomas explores and thoroughly checks every scrap of evidence before he comes to conclusions. His forensic background only heightens his credibility and serves to convince you even more as you read this intrigueing story. Thomas goes to great lengths to reconstruct what actually happened in those last few weeks in the bunker and afterwards, and is quite convincing in doing so. Was Hitler actually murdered and did things occur the way Thomas surmizes? The world may never know as all living evidence is now gone. This is a most fascinating detective story that will make you think and wonder. ... Read more

Book Description

Written as a character study, Young Hamilton, explores the first twenty-six years of Alexander Hamilton's life and is designed to reveal how Hamilton's early years shaped him into the statesman he became. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

A MASTERFUL MIXTURE OF THE PERSONAL AND POLITICAL
In the bibliography of this book Mr. Flexner wrote that he felt that the real Hamilton had become obscured through the years through the writings of people who were either too fawning or too critical, depending on their political biases. Mr. Flexner therefore tried to get back to original sources as much as possible. Reading quotations from Hamilton's correspondence is one of the great pleasures of this book. But there are many things that make this book special. The author has a smooth, easy-to-read style. I have read elsewhere, in connection with one of Mr. Flexner's volumes on George Washington, someone complaining that the style is stilted or "old-fashioned." I heartily disagree with that criticism. Mr. Flexner was born in 1908 and this book was first published when the author was 70, but there is nothing "old-fashioned" about the prose. The style is actually quite modern. Another thing I enjoyed about the book was that the author went into the psychiatric reasons for Hamilton's sometimes aggressive and impulsive behavior, but he did so in a reasonable manner. You didn't feel as though you were being bludgeoned with analytical arguments but Mr. Flexner "gently" gave some commonsense and logical reasons for why Hamilton behaved the way he did e.g.-the stigma of his illegitimate birth, his mother's irresponsible behavior, being brought up in the West Indies and being left to basically fend for himself at an early age, etc.

I also enjoyed the way Mr. Flexner concentrated on Hamilton's service as aide-de-camp to George Washington during the Revolutionary War. There is a lot of interesting military history here, dealing with the battles fought on Long Island and in Trenton and Princeton and Monmouth, as well as Yorktown. There are wonderful gems of information, such as Washington's propensity to lose his temper amongst his close aides, when he wasn't on "public view" and felt that he could "let his hair down" a bit. Other interesting scenes include: at the Battle of Princeton where a patriot cannonball went through the window of Princeton college and slammed into a portrait of George II that was hanging on the wall, "decapitating" the king. (The patriots took the portrait down and "repaired" it by having an artist paint a scene with George Washington in it!); The Battle of Trenton, where the patriot army celebrated by drinking up the liquor the Hessians had left behind. Washington wanted to pursue the Hessians but was forced to give up on the idea as his men were in no shape to do anymore fighting!; Finally, in the section dealing with the Battle of Yorktown, Mr. Flexner mentions that shortly before the battle word had spread that a British force, led by Benedict Arnold no less, had been so upset by the strong resistance they had encountered in trying to take a fortress in New London, Connecticut, that the British had executed the men who had wanted to surrender to them when the fighting was over. The patriot army at Yorktown wanted to get revenge on the British and Washington had to give a speech before the battle that he basically didn't want his men to "lower themselves" to that level. If British troops wanted to surrender the surrender should be accepted and they should be taken prisoner. The troops did obey Washington's directive...

On a final note, I felt Mr. Flexner was very fair in this book. The author looked at Hamilton from all angles and praised the good things about him- his intelligence and hard work and sincere interest in doing what he felt was good for the future of the country- but also criticized his sometimes rash and impulsive behavior, and the author didn't gloss over Hamilton's general disdain for humanity!

This was a really excellent book and well-worth your time.

Well written bio captures Hamilton's romantic character
Flexner vividly recounts Hamiltons life and career through age 26. This reads like Dickens writing history - from Hamilton's miserable, impoverished home life until age 10, his teenage life in his adopted country, (America), his career in the Continental Army, his love for Elizabeth Schuyler.

Flexner Brings the young Hamilton to life through his letters and actions in the revolution. This book has a vividness that is remarkable. The famous and not so famous participants in the story come to life also - George Washington, The Marquis de Lafayette, Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton, etc.

This book has been criticized for being overly "psycological". This aspect is not over done. Simply put, this is a great story - well told, well researched. Highly recommended. ... Read more

Book Description

Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr., distinguished American jurist, and Patrick Augustine Sheehan, an Irish clerical-savant, enjoyed a warm and notable friendship based largely on their exchange of letters from 1903, when they first met in Ireland, until 1913, the year of Sheehan's death. This correspondence illuminates what is otherwise a largely hidden and little appreciated side of the mind and faith of Justince Holmes. Sheehan was able to draw from his friend an awareness and s ympathy for human frailty and its counterpoint, faith in a divine plan of earthly things, thoughts and feelings that surfaced in letters to other of his friends. The importance of this edition of the Holmes-Sheehan letters rests in the first instance on this discovery. But Canon Sheehan wsa no mere foil for Holmes as they discussed with equal insight issues as varied as the economic man and the age of faith, of classical works, including Dante's Divine Comedy and Pascal's Pensees. Holmes discovered in the Canon a man of the most profound faith who remained open and tolerant of the beliefs and non-beliefs of others. He is better understood because of his affection for Sheehan, and, no less telling, because of the Canon's admiration for him. Gary J. Aichele in Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.: Soldier, Scholar, Judge finds this set of letters "perhaps the most unusual" of any collection of Holmes correspondence published to date. ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (1)

this is a good book for a beginning hist class
This book really gives the reader a sense of what Hamilton and Jefferson were REALLY like. They had disputes and were mistrustful of eachother. There wasn't any school-boy stuff going on here. I recommend this book if you're interested in history and are in college. Good book! ... Read more

Book Description

Konrad Heiden's penetrating, firsthand portrayal of Hitler's developing career and the Nazi's consolidation of power remains as incisive and compelling as it was when first published at the height of the Second World War. As a German citizen, Heiden watched Hitler grow from a small-time demagogue and failed revolutionary to a dangerously influential politician and finally dictator in total control of his party and eventually Germany. Starting with Hitler's unpromising youth and first political missteps, Heiden concludes with a gripping account of the "blood purge" of June 1934, in which Hitler executed his potential rivals in the Nazi Party and confirmed his monstrous vision for Germany.

This striking narrative of the great German dictator's rise also illuminates the national character of the German people - those people who committed the crimes that aided the Fuhrer and those who allowed them to be committed.

REVIEW"Unique in its abundance of details, and it ranks beside the classics of historical writing" (Christian Science Monitor) ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Daunting but worth the read.
The Fuhrer, by Konrad Heiden, is an intriguing analysis of Hitler's rise to power that was written by one of his contemporaries.Heiden, a Socialist, who nevertheless is more objective than one would expect, seeks to show the scheming, events, and popular sentiments that led to Hitler's rise to power while at the same time foreshadowing the danger of Hitler's rule.The only departures from objectivity are those places in which Hitler is called "the Antichrist" and is said to be the true follower of The Protocols of the Learned Elders of Zion.The conventional belief is that it was "the Jewish enemy" that was carrying them out, in stark contrast to Heiden's views.
Although the book is an analysis of Hitler's rise to power, it is not a comprehensive biography.It starts with events that occured before his birth and ends during the Blood Purge of 1933, in which Hitler the chancellor, orders the systematic murder of his enemies.The book does not even go as far as the start of World War II or the Holocaust, as by then, Hitler had rose to power, and his achievements went downhill from there.
The book is written in ponderous scholarly language and takes effort to read.As a fulltime student, it took me about 20 days to finish the 600 odd pages.It is replete with reported anecdotes and excerpts from Hitler's speeches, correspondences, and correspondences relating to him, enhancing and lengthening the volume.If one can avoid falling asleep and really pay attention to what is being said, one will realize the clarity and relevance of the book.
I bought this book because it was the cheapest biography of Hitler I could find, and I was not disappointed.I recommend this book to all diligent readers who desire a greater understanding of how Hitler became the Fuhrer.

Daunting but worth the read.
The Fuhrer, by Konrad Heiden, is an intriguing analysis of Hitler's rise to power that was written by one of his contemporaries.Heiden, a Socialist, who nevertheless is more objective than one would expect, seeks to show the scheming, events, and popular sentiments that led to Hitler's rise to power while at the same time foreshadowing the danger of Hitler's rule.The only departures from objectivity are those places in which Hitler is called "the Antichrist" and is said to be the true follower of The Protocols of the Learned Elders of Zion.The conventional belief is that it was "the Jewish enemy" that was carrying them out, in stark contrast to Heiden's views.
Although the book is an analysis of Hitler's rise to power, it is not a comprehensive biography.It starts with events that occured before his birth and ends during the Blood Purge of 1933, in which Hitler the chancellor, orders the systematic murder of his enemies.The book does not even go as far as the start of World War II or the Holocaust, as by then, Hitler had rose to power, and his achievements went downhill from there.
The book is written in ponderous scholarly language and takes effort to read.As a fulltime student, it took me about 20 days to finish the 600 odd pages.It is replete with reported anecdotes and excerpts from Hitler's speeches, correspondences, and correspondences relating to him, enhancing and lengthening the volume.If one can avoid falling asleep and really pay attention to what is being said, one will realize the clarity and relevance of the book.
I bought this book because it was the cheapest biography of Hitler I could find, and I was not disappointed.I recommend this book to all diligent readers who desire a greater understanding of how Hitler became the Fuhrer. ... Read more

Book Description

Part Great Gatsby, part This Is Spinal Tap, Steven Carter's hilarious debut paints a fictional portrait of a biographer, his notorious subject, and the illusions we hold about fame and fortune.

Howard Hughes embodied the American dream: envied by powerful men, desired by beautiful women, Hughes lived his life larger than all who surrounded him and yet died an emaciated recluse.

This makes him the perfect subject for red-hot biographer Alton Reece. Riding high on the wave of previous astonishing successes, Reece sees Hughes as more than simply a name worth the seven-figure advance he's demanding from his publisher. He finds in Hughes a kindred spirit of greatness, a man misunderstood and beaten down by jealous inferiors. But even as Reece struggles to "know" his subject, his own rapidly unraveling life keeps finding unexpected ways to intrude.

With a deft comic touch and an astounding narrative style, Steven Carter's novel creates a picture of a Hughes that might have been, a biographer that can't separate his subject from his own visions of grandeur, and a public that demands its heroes be larger than life-if only so they can be more easily torn down.
... Read more

Reviews (8)

the time and space of howard hughes and his shadow
This book offers an intoxicating immersion into the world of Howard Hughes and his imaginary biographer, Alton Reece. As a former aerospace employee, I was highly interested in the details author Steven Carter wove into his tight, dazzling narrative. Anyone who has driven by the Westside and South Bay area of LA should realize what rich turf Hughes lived in, including the airplane factories that dotted and still grace the landscape (if you know where to drive). This book creates a small gem of a world that reflects the larger intellectual possibilities that Hughes once embodied, and sadly, lost along with his fiction biographer Reece.

Wow! Let's Laugh at Eccentric People!
Oh my gosh this book was so funny. I could not put it down. I had no idea who Howard Hughes was until I read this book. I laughed out loud so many times. It says right in front of the book that some of it is based on fact and other parts are made up - but it all felt so real and true. I believed every word because I don't know any better! I had a hard time separating it from a made up novel to a biography of an eccentric man's life - but wow what a womanizer he was. Another reason I liked this book is because it's off the wall - not mainstream. It's unique and entertaining!

So Good It Hurts
This is a unique work. It would have been easy for Carter to go for cheap laughs. He doesn't. He stands aside and lets the story run. Biographer Alton Reece is everywhere. Amazingly, we do not even sense the presence of Steven Carter. Most writers can't do that.
The scenes with Hughes' body double were among the funniest I have read in a lifetime of reading. The work is brilliantly understated. Cater has literally created a literary form unlike anything seen before. How wonderful! How rare!

Beneath the humor of this work is a deep sorrow. We are all Howard Hughes on one level or another. Every damn thing is insane and Carter knows it.
I Was Howard Hughes is the most original book since A Confederacy of Dunces. It is similar to Barth's The End of the Road. It's funny as hell but will also wring you out and throw you in bed for a week. I hope it gets the audience it deserves. Carter should win the Pulitzer Prize.

A Heartbreaking Work That Staggers Some Geniuses
Smart, eccentric, and by turns hilarious, Carter's first novel is more compelling and accomplished than at least ninety percent of the mouthy, self-referential, post-postmodern drivel that fills the pages of McSweeney's and passes for literary "art" these days. Melding fact and fiction into one cohesive story, Carter resurrects a number of American icons--Hughes, Ava Gardner, Lana Turner, J. Edgar Hoover, Robert Kennedy, Jimmy Hoffa, Bugsy Seigel, to name a few--but without the hardboiled punchiness of James Ellroy or the mechanical syntax of Don DeLillo. In this extremely impressive debut, Carter weaves together a multiplicity of voices without missing a beat. Most impressive is Carter's ability to channel the quirkiness of both Hughes and his shady biographer without turning them into one-dimensional jokes. A timely release given the forthcoming Hughes biopic directed by Martin Scorsese. Read the book of one master storyteller (Carter, or should I say Alton Reece?), then watch the film of another!

"Picaresque collection of interrelated stories, interviews"
Author Steven Carter gives the Howard Hughes legend a new treatment here, creating a fictional biographer, Alton Reece, to tell a fictional story about this real man, using as sources an invented and entirely fictional bibliography. The fictional Reece interviews Ava Gardner, Lana Turner, Jean Peters, and other Hughes contacts, filling the novel with detail as he personalizes the reclusive Hughes. All the interviews, notes from Hughes's "diary," quotations by Richard Nixon, memos by an FBI field agent, transcripts of tape recordings, and comments by Hughes's former employees are imaginative and often hilarious creations of the author, not real at all. Although some readers may question the propriety of basing the entire "biography" on invented quotations purportedly made by real people, the book is clearly label as fiction, and the basic information about Hughes's life is largely factual.

Modesty, self-effacement, and humility are not biographer Reece's strong suits, as we note from the opening pages. His first book, Melville and the Whale, was successful, and, he tells us, he secured a seven figure advance for the Hughes biography. His assistants do the "tedious aspects of research," he doesn't get along with people at the Hughes Archives, and he accepts money from Fox TV, though, ultimately, things don't "work out." He likens his experience with the prestigious MacArthur Foundation to "dealing with a seventeenth-century French king handing out Christmas Lagniappes." As Reece recreates the downward spiral of Hughes's life, from the Hollywood days, through his confrontations with Bugsy Siegel, and to his use of a double to confuse the U.S. Government, the reader notes a parallel deterioration in Reece's own life.

For anyone intrigued with the Howard Hughes story, this novel provides some unique, albeit fictional, glimpses into what might have been Hughes's thinking and into events which might have shaped his decisions. Humor, much of it slapstick, keeps the reader grounded in (fictional) reality, however much Hughes and Reece might be losing their touch, and as the novel comes to a wonderfully ironic close and author Steven Carter has the last laugh, even the most jaded reader will laugh along with him. Mary Whipple ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (7)

Something Missing!
This book is meant as a polemic against Oliver Wendell Holmes, and in particular, how his skeptical worldview can seen in his decisions.

Here's the thing: I, personally, like Holmes and actually quite admire his skeptical philosophy. So, much of what the author sees as Holmes's faults, I tend to see as his strenghts. The fact that he had no use for ideas of natural law and objective 'right answers;' the fact that he recognized (to my eyes) the reality that social life is an ongoing struggle of interest against interest; his view that rights are not naturally existing, self-evident things, but only have validity through positive law.

There are two reasons I mention the chasm between what the author thought were strikes against Holmes, that I thought were points in Holmes' favor. First, this leads me to conclude that the this book 'preaches to the choir.' It will only convert the converted; if you dislike Holmes and the skeptical turn in law and society, you will like this book. If you admire Holmes and the skeptical turn he helped usher in, you will not be convinced here that you are wrong.

The second reason I bring up the above chasm between mine and the author's take, is taht he really doesn't ARGUE so much as he might do something like simply say: "Holmes was a social darwinist who didn't see a grand purpose to life..." He simply assumes that the reader will addend the sentence with a tacit: "...and those traits are disgusting." There is even a chapter called "Would you have Wanted Holmes for a Friend?" which does exactly this: it points out the traits the author thinks are ugly about Holmes, and ASSUMES without further argument that the reader will concur. "Holmes was detached from having many friendships...[and wouldn't that be just like that sour old man. Hmmph!]" For my part, I wasn't convinced.

The other criticism I have is that the last chapter - which allegedly shows that the skepticism Holmes has ushered in is still with us today - was about as close to a joke as an academic book can produce. The author goes on about teen pregnancy, the rising crime rates, and, yes, even the fact that Americans are runnning deficits. Apparently this all links back to Holmes. To say it bluntly, this chapter seemed so far afield and widely stretched that this nicely written academic book was capped off by a chapter straight out of Pat Robertson's 700 Club. Hmm...

So there you have it: the book is good in that it is well-researched, clearly written and interesting as all get out. It is also one of the few books that really explores Holmes the philosopher as much as Holmes the Justice [see also The Essential Holmes, Posner, Richard (Ed.)] But if you are not a Holmes-hater before you go into this book, you will not be when you come out - and vice versa. For all the author's research and 'expose' of Holmes' personality, philosophy, and methods, he simply ASSUMES what he is supposed to prove: that Holmes is the villian the author says he is, and that these traits are the be-all end-all they are assumed to be.

Books without conclusions
The author might have explored Holmes's skepticism more, but he oddly leaves many questions open that he could have addressed. What values should drive the law? We are left wondering.

Judging the Past
In his own day, Holmes was revered as the greatest, wisest judge in the English-speaking world. Today, however, Holmes' significance is downplayed in law schools across America, or he is trashed as he is in this book. The dramatic decline in Holmes' popularity and influence has resulted from his opinion in a single case, Buck v. Bell (1927), in which Holmes advocated sterilization of "imbeciles." Since the Holocaust, sterilization is understandably unpopular, especially among Jews, who dominate the faculties at America's top law schools and write many widely-used casebooks. Holmes, who wrote his opinion in Buck v. Bell long before the Holocaust, has been lumped into the Nazi camp (the Nazis tried to use Buck v. Bell at Nuernberg to defend their practices) by modern liberals, and many so-called "legal scholars" now dismiss Holmes' ideas without consideration and do not include his opinions in their casebooks. One of the central tenets of historiography is that it is improper to judge historical figures by the moral standards of today. Alschuler violates this principle again and again--excoriating a great mind because of the way its ideas were used by others. Compare this book to THE ESSENTIAL HOLMES, which is both scholarly and readable. It is also written by Judge Posner, an influential modern jurist respected by liberals and conservatives. Do your own reasoning, draw your own conclusions, and be fooled by no one.

Thorough scholarship.
This book is extremely well written, thoroughly researched and possessing the profound perspective of a wise and intelligent writer exercising his science and art with a passion that can be felt just beneath the surface of cool academic analysis. This book is not only of interest to legal historians and philosophers of law, but to any reader wishing to take hold of the main threads which run through the cultural landscape of the modern world.

fascinating and frustrating
Oliver Wendell Holmes is a towering figure in our history, even if, like me, you only learned his name in school and only know he was a supreme court justice, or else he wrote books, didn't he? Or was that his Dad? But it turns out that what Holmes the justice thought is of crucial importance to key legal issues of today. Holmes can be seen as a major pragmatist thinker, and pragmatism can be seen as a major source of our current culture wars. I came across Holmes via Allan Bloom and, oddly, Edmund Wilson. I heard about Holmes' Civil War experiences and how he believed that the law is quote unquote only what men are willing to die for, and I was hooked, and looked around for a book that would best examine Holmes life, thought, and impact, and finally decided on this book by Alschuler. The book is thematic rather than chronological. And I don't think Alschuler argues very well. He tends to write impressionistically, and IMHO he indulges in smear tactics. For example, "Would you want to have Holmes as a friend?" But surely whether Holmes would make a good friend is irrelevant to the character of his thought. But Alschuler also manages to convey some of the wonderful issues at play in this arena for a non-lawyer such as myself. For me the book was like a window into an alien universe that I've actually been living in unknowingly all along. So I forced my way throught it. It's not long, less than 190 pages plus notes. ... Read more

Book Description

This richly illustrated, thoroughly researched and completely unauthorized biography takes readers behind the legend of the great Gordie Howe. Signed by the Detroit Red Wings at 16, Gordie became a six-time leading scorer, a six-time Hart Trophy winner as the most valuable player, and he surpassed Rocket Richard’s NHL goals record to reach an amazing total of 801 — unmatched for years until Gretzky finally caught up to his mentor and idol. Gordie also includes a new introduction in this recreation of the glory of hockey's golden age. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Gordie Howe
Gordie Howe: A hockey legend tells about his whole life. From when he was little kid, to when he made it in the NHL. It tells about how he first came upon hockey as a little kid. It tells about his carrer and the NHL. I thought that this book was ok. Not horrible but not excellent. I recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn about gordie howe, or wants to read about him.

A Great Book on Gordie Howe!
This book tells about Gordie Howe, one of the best hockey players ever, and his career in the NHL.In the beginning, it tells about his first couple of seasons, and then tells more about his great career and facts about him toward the end. I learned a lot about him from this book, for example, I learned that he has played for two teams, the Hartford Whalers and the Detroit Red Wings, and that he was considered one of the greatest players of his time.

An enthralling look at professional hockey's past, and stars
As a lifetime fan of the Detroit Red Wings, I was overjoyed when I found that there is a recent biography of Howe that is much more up to date than many written in the 60's and 70's. This book gives the reader an inside look at what it was like to get into the NHL in the 50's, and what it took to stay there and become a star. Mackskimming is very candid when talking about the front office's team management "politics" The reader also gets an up-close look at other great stars of the era such as Red Kelly, Ted Linsay, Maurice "Rocket" Richard, and coach Jack Adams. A must read for any TRUE hockey fan.

Starts out great, but ends up only a good book on Howe.
The book starts out covering Howe in excellent detail. Several pages cover his first seasons. Then as if the author lost interest, the decades go flying by. My reasons for reading the book was to find out, why Howe was considered great, how Howe compared to Richard, how the game changed over the years and what it was about Howe that enabled him to play for so long. The book only addressed how Howe established his early greatness. ... Read more

Reviews (16)

Feuding Fathers
Aaron Burr has long been dismissed as one of the bad boys of American history. The Revolutionary War hero and onetime VP under Jefferson shot his political future in the foot when he killed Alexander Hamilton in a duel in 1804, and was later tried for treason for conspiring to invade Mexico.

Here Roger Kennedy retrieves Burr from the slag heap of history and rehabilitates him as perhaps the most progressive of the founding fathers: a fervent abolitionist, early feminist and friend to the Indians long before such ideals were considered kosher. To Hamilton and Jefferson, Kennedy is not so kind. Hamilton cuts an almost pathetic figure as a frustrated politician who projects his own failures onto Burr and determines to ruin him even at the cost of his own life. Meanwhile, Kennedy's Jefferson is craven, duplicitous and vindictive.

But Burr's image has suffered because he could never match Hamilton's skills as spin doctor, nor could he compete with the voluminous paper trail left behind by Jefferson. Whereas the sage of Monticello meticulously copied every scrap he wrote, most of Burr's papers were lost at sea, along with his last surviving daughter and would-be biographer, Theodosia.

Despite this imbalance in the documentary evidence, Kennedy presents a compelling case that Burr was not a traitor, as Jefferson charged in 1806. (Burr was later acquitted of treason by four separate juries, an indication of Jefferson's stubbornness as much as Burr's probable innocence.) Instead, Kennedy shows that Burr exhibited every sign of loyalty to the young republic, whose borders he probably hoped to expand by force--much as Jefferson would do by checkbook with the Louisiana Purchase.

Complete Rambling
One of the worst books I've ever attempted to read. The author rambles from Burr to Hamilton to Jefferson with no thread between the characters or background. The author assumes you know all the background and gives you his opinions on it. Don't waste you time on this as I did!

Excellent
This book has been given quite a good number of reviews on this site, so I would like to merely add some pertinent points. In my opinion, the format that Kennedy used in this book, zooming backward and forward in time, and in and out from one scenario or character to the next, was wholly appropriate given the task he set for himself. Kennedy did not intend, nor claim to intend, to review the full chronological history here. His intention was to zoom in on what he saw as the salient elements of the characters of these men. This style should not be confusing to one who has read previous biographies and histories of these men. I found the book immensely gratifying. I have been a "student" of Burr history for over twenty years. The truth is, there are a tremendous number of discrepancies in prior accounts of Burr, which no previous scholar has resolved. Kennedy has pulled together a massive amount of material to bring together the facts which lead to his insights, and I believe that those insights are dead-on right.

Burr beats Hamilton again, and Jefferson for the first time
Roger Kennedy freely acknowledges at the beginning of this study that he has a point of view: Aaron Burr had a greater character and value to our nation than his reputation provides, while Hamilton and Jefferson had lesser character and value to our nation than their reputations. This book is a clear and concise defense of Aaron Burr, amply annotated, easily read, and quite entertaining. On a larger scale, the study gives reason to contemplate the formulation of reputation, especially historically. Had not Burr's daughter perished at sea with all his notes and letters, we might have a much greater opinion of Burr. Any fair reader of this book will come to a much deeper appreciation for Burr, the man, and the failures and shortcomings of Hamilton and Jefferson. I highly commend this book to your attention.

A mixed bag at best
Although this book presents a good deal of interesting historic information, it is presented in such a haphazard way that it results in a very unreadable ordeal. Rather than following a timeline, the author has organized the subject matter into topics that he believes illustrate his point. But the book continually jumps back and forth between years and decades, so it is also impossible to obtain any cohesive understanding of the historic events. In addition, the author writes in a very academic way with a good deal of esoteric words that make the reader want to reach for the dictionary periodically. Overall, this book was a real struggle to finish. ... Read more