Recently inspired by James McBride’s interview in the New York Times Book Review, I decided to pick up a long-overlooked copy of William Shirer’s The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich from our shelves. McBride said of the 1,100 page tome “I wish there were more…I should have read it years ago” to which I responded with a word that sounds vaguely like bullschmidt. Dubious, I decided to tackle the giant– and y’all can just go ahead and color me impressed.
Don’t be frightened by the size or giant swastika on the spine and cover! Yes, people might look at you like you have something growing out of your forehead if you leave it on your coffee table (I haven’t moved my copy yet, I like having it right where I can grab it if I want it- so on the coffee table it stays), but let me tell you, this marvelously researched book is worth the time and the stares. Published in 1960, Shirer chronicles in great detail the names and events that made up the formidable reign and destruction of the Third Reich. I think what is making this book extra interesting for me is the knowledge that Shirer experienced first hand a lot of the things that he was writing about– for those of you who don’t know, he was a news correspondent in Berlin from 1934 until 1940. Peppered occasionally into his writing are his own personal experiences, bringing the narrative into much clearer focus.
I know I’m late to the game here, and hopefully all of you have already cracked open this beauty, but if you haven’t, I heartily encourage you to read through it (or re-read it!) with me.
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