Amanda M. (tapcat16) reviewed Heinrich Himmler: The SS, Gestapo, His Life and Career on + 150 more book reviews
Manvell and Fraenkel conducted years of meticulous research both with primary documents and those who actually knew Himmler to bring about a biography of the man infamous for being in charge of the S.S., Gestapo, and concentration camps that made the terror of Hitlers reign possible. They seek to provide a well-rounded look at Himmlers entire life for those with some familiarity with the events of World War II.
This was a fascinating and difficult book to read, not because of the writing style or the atrocities recounted, but because the authors succeeded in putting a human face on Heinrich Himmler. They state early in the book that the easy thing to do is to call those who commit atrocities monsters, when in fact they are human beings like us, and that makes the fact that genocide occurred far scarier than the existence of monsters. The authors succeed in thoroughly analyzing Himmler as a person and what personality traits and circumstances came together to create a person who would participate in such atrocities. I highly recommend this to those with an interest in WWII in particular, but also to anyone interested in the prevention of future genocides. It offers great insight into how these atrocities came to be.
Check out my full review.
This was a fascinating and difficult book to read, not because of the writing style or the atrocities recounted, but because the authors succeeded in putting a human face on Heinrich Himmler. They state early in the book that the easy thing to do is to call those who commit atrocities monsters, when in fact they are human beings like us, and that makes the fact that genocide occurred far scarier than the existence of monsters. The authors succeed in thoroughly analyzing Himmler as a person and what personality traits and circumstances came together to create a person who would participate in such atrocities. I highly recommend this to those with an interest in WWII in particular, but also to anyone interested in the prevention of future genocides. It offers great insight into how these atrocities came to be.
Check out my full review.
