Heinrich Himmler

This book is an exhausting read but not for the obvious reasons. This book has to be the main source for the SS and for Himmler. The book is written well. It is easy to pick up on what the author has to say. It isn't encased in academic language like a lot of these books. That academic view tends to lose the story. You won't get that feel from this book. The story is alive from page one to the last page. However after you read this you will feel exhausted. It will be like Heinrich moved in with you. The exhausting piece comes from the "evil" that was Heinrich and the SS.This book does cover Heinrich from day one to his last day. When I say day one I mean his growing up years. However once the Nazis come to power the story grows to be a history of the SS. The personal side of Heinrich tends to get lost. However as the author says Heinrich's life becomes the professional piece. There isn't any margin between the two. Himmler really was the backbone for Hitler. He was the one that brought his evil rhetoric to life. His skills in a way helped the movement come to life.This story of the SS is very enlightening. No matter what level of WWII knowledge you have I think you will learn new things in this book. He lies out things in minute detail. You can see how the Nazi movement was bad from the start. It did not grow that way. They all had anti-Jewish motive from the 20s. I learned a great deal about the program. Their Jewish genocide program really trumped the war movement in priorities. The SS grew to be more than just the Jew killers in the camp. They had their own Army for example. The SS grew to capture businessmen into their cause. The SS by the end of the war was running everything, to include the Army.Heinrich Himmler is an interesting figure to study. He is the ultimate power politician. He was great at seeing opportunities and making the most of them. He was at Hitler's right hand guy who jumped at anything that came up. Heinrich grew up catholic but later became a big anti-christian. You learn from the book how much Himmler was into the occult. He even went so far as to try to create his own religion that had elements of the occult in it. That was a major part of his world view. One has to think all of that had some sort of influence on his actions. You will also see how the final solution did not come over night. The author takes you through the growth of the program page by page. It seemed once the Nazis got away with one thing they doubled down, and so on and so on. I also found it interesting in how the SS wasn't all brutes. They had a large number of people from the educated occupations. A large number of the officers in their Eitzengroppen squads, the killers in the field were lawyers. I wonder how people drift into such movements?The bad side of the book is there isn't much analysis. That is only in the last chapter. Most of what you get comes from the actions themselves. If you are a WWII buff you should read this.

With an intense lifelong interest in the history, events, technology and personalities of World War II, I always look forward to new books on the subject. In years past, scholarly biographies of Nazi Germany's leaders have been relatively few and far between, at least in English. My library contains exactly one biography each of Hermann Göring, Heinrich Himmler and Josef Göbbels. All of them are quite old, and they may not even be accurate any longer, given the rate at which historians unearth new information that changes what we thought we knew. Thus I was very excited when the 2012 English translation of Peter Longerich's 2008 "Heinrich Himmler" appeared on Amazon.It's a comprehensive portrait of the Reichsführer-SS, head of the dreaded SS, SD and Gestapo, architect of "the Final Solution to the Jewish question" and perhaps the most feared person in Germany from the time Hitler came to power until the end of the War. Broad in scope and detailed in treatment, Mr. Longerich's book is in large part organized by subject, similar to an encyclopedia, rather than strictly chronologically. He covers Himmler's life in great depth and breadth (with an occasional clumsy translation and errant "und" instead of "and"). The portrait that emerges reveals how the ambitious but obsequious Himmler methodically assumed control of the entire German police system. Once firmly in command, he applied his unbounded powers of life and death, driven by his single-minded Germanic "Volk" ideology and bizarre obsessions with racial purity, to wage a brutal war on Jews, Freemasons, communists, gypsies, enemies of the Reich and others that he considered "subhumans."Mr. Longerich makes extensive use of primary materials, including Himmler's diaries, letters, appointment calendars, speech transcripts and so on, and documents his sources in almost 250 pages of endnotes and bibliography. By the time I finished "Heinrich Himmler," I felt I had gained a great deal of insight into the personality, motivations and actions of the Reichsführer-SS--and an appalling picture it is. Today we would surely say Himmler was certifiably insane. But his story is an important cautionary tale that every thoughtful, civilized person should study to learn the horrible consequences of fanaticism.One more thing--and I know I'll take some flak for this, but so be it--I had a strong sense of déjà vu as I read about Himmler's views on birth control, abortion and homosexuality. As Mr. Longerich states: "[D]uring the years 1936-9, [Himmler] was preoccupied above all with the regulation of sexual activity, that is to say, the fight against abortion and homosexuality." My déjà vu arose because I heard virtually the same views propounded by several ultra-religious, right-wing candidates in the recent U.S. election. I won't mention any names, but suffice it to say that the same arrogant, ignorant, superstitious ideological obsessions that drove Heinrich Himmler to orchestrate the murder of millions of innocent people during the Nazi's reign of terror are alive and well in 21st century America. The Third Reich showed what happens when fanatics gain political power and wield it against those who are "different." We can never let that happen here.Buy "Heinrich Himmler." Read it. Learn from it. Remember it.

This has to be the definitive biography of himmler and his worldview. Well researched and comprehensively footnoted. No hesitation recommending this volume. It's as good as kershaw s two volume bio on hitler.

This book is undoubtedly historical work of professional level. It is a detailed, yet lively, account of the life and endeavours of this high ranking and influencial figure of the Nazi Germany. It rests on abundant and varied documentation.One comes to grasp the compounded impact of psychological, social, political and historical factors on individual lives and society.Such consideration can then be transferred to other societies and eras, making the book a study of general history.Comparable to some extend and in terms of intellectual achievement, to "Napoléon" by Jacques Banville, and "Hitler" by Ian KershawUpdate: recently finished reading the book. No doubt educationnal and based on thorough historical research. Too much details, repetitions and going back and forth in time and between events. It thus looses some dynamic qualities and lead the reader astray from a coherent and enlightened overall picture. Contrary to many books I own, I won't be going throuh it again for the reasons stated above. I am thus taking back two stars.

Great price, arrived promptly in perfect condition.

An excellent history of a Twentieth Century monster. The social and psychological forces that came into play to create someone like Himmler are examined in detail, although such evil can never be truly explained. As history, this book is invaluable, because we have to examine all the dark corners to arrive at a true picture of the events that shaped our world. Himmler, Hitler, and the rest tend to taint my bookshelves with their presence but they are as essential as Churchill and Roosevelt in helping to understand. Hold your nose if you must, but read this book.

I just finished reading this volume. It is impressive. I did find that the author repeats himself often. I dislike the fact that the biography is not necessarily chronological. From chapter to chapter the author bounces back & forth in time. We all know that millions of Jews were murdered, the author insists on repeating this hundred of times. The first 2 or 3 chapters are interesting enough as it explores the life and personality & childhood of the young Himmler.Just an average biography.