The Third Reich At War, 1939-1945 (2000) - Plot & Excerpts
Richard J. Evans has capped off his trilogy of the Third Reich with a meticulous, yet very readable, account of it's horrifying history. Utilizing contemporary accounts of troop and POW movements, the reader is forced to relive some of the most barbaric actions of the war, and not just that of German soldiers. The account of the German occupation and resettlement of large segments of Polish, Ukrainian and Russian lands is presented in fascinating detail I have not encountered before. I would not hesitate in recommending this work, along with Mr. Evans' first two works in the series, The Coming of the Third Reich, and The Third Reich in Power. The final volume of Evan's brilliant trilogy hurtles the reader through WWII with insight and tremendous narrative drive. By concentrating on life in Germany as much as the on the battlefront, Evans deals decisively with several historical questions:* The Holocaust was no secret. Anti-Semitism was omnipresent throughout the Reich, and ordinary citizens happily participated in its application, especially as the Reich expanded into Eastern lands.* Evans' vivid description of Allied firebombing campaigns makes it clear that atrocity was not a one-way street.* German leaders knew the war was lost years before the end, but few questioned Hitler's genocidal zeal to prosecute it towards the horrific end and bring total ruin upon his people.* Germans were not in some maniacal thrall to Hitler. They loved him only as much as he improved their and Germany's position.All-in-all, Evans' trilogy is a magnificent achievement that succeeds at the highest level of history writing -- documenting the past while subtly illuminating our times.
What do You think about The Third Reich At War, 1939-1945 (2000)?
One of the most interesting and equally horrifying books I've ever read.
—Maree
7/26/12: An engrossing, if grim and depressing, tome.
—Isha
