Teach Yourself Nazi Germany

This is a very helpful book to assist those interested in learning about all aspects of World War II to get an overall idea of what was occurring in Nazi Germany at that time. After a brief opening discussing Hitler's early years, it goes into detail about what circumstances occurred in Germany that gave rise to Hitler and the Nazi party. This book also explains why von Hindenberg chose Hitler as Chancellor. It shows fairly well what life was like for those living under the regime and "gently" describes life for those deemed "unfavorable" to the party. The thing that I appreciated about this book is that the author chose not to go into extreme detail about the depravities that the Nazis forced upon the innocent victims of concentration camps. The title says the goal of this novel is "essential understanding." It is a very helpful book to have for History majors in college if one must write a report on World War II. I used this as a reference for a paper on WWII and received an A, so believe me when I say it is helpful. The only downside is that when reading it in public, those around you may give you peculiar glances. I would also suggest "Teach Yourself: Mussolinis Italy." It is also very helpful.