Life and Death of Adolf Hitler

When you hear the name Adolf Hitler, what comes to your mind? Murderer, crazy, psycho or how about "how could he pull off killing that many people with out anybody knowing?". That I assure you comes to my mind. When I had to do a report on him, I chose, "The Life and Death of Adolf Hitler", by James Giblin. When I first picked out this book I thought, "Who in the world would write about this insane person we call Hitler?!?!" James Giblin is like any other ordinary man born in Cleveland. He grew up in Ohio, spent his summers with his nose in a book, and had a supporting loving family. He has also written books about Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin. So why would someone in his right mind choose to write about a man who is hated by virtually every soul in the entire world. I don't believe that James Giblin admired Adolf Hitler, but that he wanted people to know the entire history of the events that led up to and formed the person that we know as Adolf Hitler. James has written a very clear and concise story about Adolf Hitler's life. He started with when Adolf was a child. He described how Adolf was closer to his mother than his father. He tells about one time that Adolf and his childhood friend decided that they would never show fear again and that the next time Adolf's father used a belt on him that he would not cry like he used to. James Giblin covered virtually every aspect of Hitler's life and without any bias. This book helped me to have a better understanding of how Hitler's mind really worked. It showed that he actually had a heart under all of his hatred and insanity. I learned a lot from this book. I learned much more than I would learn from a sophomore World History book that only contained the section of his life describing him killing off many Jews and other religious and ethnic groups to form the superior human race. This book was indeed very helpful in that the opinions were presented in such a manner so as to not sway you to either hate him or like him, just straight facts. I know what you're thinking., "How in the world would this ordinary man get all this information on this monster?" It was simple, he got quotes, read interviews, looked at pictures, and got other such information from the book Adolf Hitler wrote himself titled Mein Kampf. The information in Hitler's book helped me to further understand why he thought the way he did. For example, he hated the fact that when he returned home from World War I, the Jews were holding all of the high political offices and he blamed them for the loss of World War I. His book also contained many pictures that helped me to understand what Giblin was writing about. The book by Hitler helped me to have a better understanding of both Hitler and the way he was and to also understand what the author James Giblin wrote. I found it to be both informative and helpful. Giblin's sentences were not so intense and were simple and

Large Font, Almost 8'' by 11'' size book, with plenty of pictures. Easy read; actually entertains the reader. Perfect to use for a school Biography assignment.

This book was an intriguing read that threw you into the world of Adolf Hitler. Not only was it informative but you didn't get bored as you read it. As its massive size explains itself, this book contains a ton of information; beginning with his birth and young life, up to his siege of power and his death in 1945. By the middle of the book, you can already tell that Toland is an extremly gifted biographer and that his indulegnce with words can carry you off to a nirvana of supreme intelligensia.

"There are no memorials to Adolf Hitler in Germany, the country he ruled with an iron hand from 1933 to 1945." So begins THE LIFE AND DEATH OF ADOLF HITLER by James Cross Giblin, a book that provides essential information for young adults who want to understand the twentieth century. In writing a detailed biography of the most infamous human being of the last hundred years, the author has put together a fascinating story that never lets up. In doing so, Mr. Giblin also provides a clear overview of the events leading up to and through the second world war. Beginning with the haunting cover, the book is illustrated with large, clear photographs of the significant people and places we encounter, as well as several well-drawn caps to which I'd periodically refer as I read the book. "To celebrate his triumph, Hitler planned a sightseeing tour of Paris, a city he had long admired but never visited. His favorite architect, Albert Speer, accompanied the Führer as he visited the ornate Paris Opera, drove down the broad Champs Élysées, stopped at the Eiffel Tower, and lingered for a long time at the tomb of Napoleon Bonaparte. The three-hour tour through almost completely deserted streets--the French deliberately stayed away--ended on the heights of Montmartre, long known as a district for artists. Perhaps its narrow streets and outdoor cafés reminded Hitler of his youthful days in Vienna, when he himself had dreamed of being an artist." THE LIFE AND DEATH OF ADOLF HITLER does an exceptional job answering the questions of how Hitler was able to gain control of the German government, and how his forces and henchmen were able to succeed so horrifically and effectively before they were finally halted. We see how the long-term effects of the Versailles Treaty on Germany lead almost inevitably to the opportunity for Hitler's rise to power. We are reminded of the significant anti-Semitism in the US, Britain, and other countries that figured into their less-than-stellar response to Hitler's aggression and genocide. (I can remember how my friends' families still weren't welcome at some private clubs in the 60's!) And, of course, we see Hitler from birth to death: as a son, a student, an artist, a failure, and a homeless person who eventually finds a group in which to belong. Joining that organization, making it his, and changing the world forever--the lesson here is not lost on the author, who ends the book with a profile of some Neo-Nazi groups in existence today. We also get a good look at many of the trustworthy men who turned Hitler's maniacal goals into reality: "Neat and methodical, Himmler was a born bureaucrat. He worshiped Hitler and would carry out any order the Führer gave him, immediately and without question." I thought that I knew all about Adolf Hitler. But from the vivid photograph of one of his watercolor paintings to the details of his final hours with Eva Braun and Joseph Goebbels, James Cross Giblin has illuminated the life of a madman and give