I've only read the first 100 pages, which in itself is still a sizable amount, and the amount of name-dropping is nauseating. The book reads like a scholarly text book, and is so heavy-going and dense in its subject matter.
Is there anything else that's more accessible and easy-going that you'd recommend?
What about William Shirer's book – 'The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich'?
by prankster999
10 Comments
Who’d have guessed that a book about the rise of the Nazis would be heavy going
William Shirer’s book is drier than Evans. In my opinion anyways.
Shirer’s book is great, I really recommend it. Note that it’s a book written by a news correspondent situated on Germany at the time, not a professional history book per se. But it’s super interesting.
Were you expecting some levity and wry humor from “The Coming of the Third Reich”?
It’s not really an easy going subject. Some of the best writers can make you forget you’re reading a history book, but I’m not sure that they tend to focus on the rise of the Third Reich, unless you’re interested in autobiographies.
I’m not sure what ‘name-dropping’ is in this context .
You might find Frank McDonough’s Hitler Years: Triumph more accessible… perhaps not.
Good luck!
You won’t find Shirer’s book any less heavy. I’m reading the series now and am almost finished the second book. At no point have I found it to be a chore. You have to know what you are getting into, a 3 book series on the Nazis that’s over 2000 pages is not going to just hit the high points and breeze buy like nothing.
I had no problem with Shirer’s book at all, it was very readable.
If you want the most readable, try any by Laurence Rees
Yeah you would not have liked where it was going, about 200 pages ahead of you. Gotten through the trenches of the Depression and all the stock market talk, now onto the elections of the late 20s and early 30s. I love this shit but it’s not for fun
It is something between a scholarly text book ans popular history. Don’t read Shirer’s Third Reich without Evans, it is outdated. You could read Shirer’s Berlin Diary and see if that gives you more interest in the subject to go through Evans.