Hitler

Ian Kershaw's 'Hitler: A Biography' is an abridged version of his two-volume series, 'Hitler: 1889-1936 Hubris' and 'Hitler: 1936-1945 Nemesis'.

The book provides a detailed and nuanced portrait of Adolf Hitler, from his origins as a failed artist in Vienna to his final days in the Berlin bunker.

Kershaw draws on a wide range of sources, including previously untapped materials like Goebbels's diaries, to explore Hitler's rise to power and the societal conditions that facilitated it.

The biography emphasizes Kershaw's 'Working towards the Führer' theory, which suggests that Hitler's subordinates often took initiative to fulfill his broadly outlined wishes, leading to radicalization and atrocities.

The book also critically evaluates the complex character of Hitler and the broader historical context of Nazi Germany.