#41 of 2011-12 - #162 of All Time
- 3 nods out of 5 -
Before the Worm hears the chorus of groans – “No, not another book on the Nazis” – how about a recall on the importance of Hitler, the Nazis and their period of History? It is a topic in which Laurence Rees has made a highly distinguished career creating documentaries, most notably Auschwitz: The Road to the Final Solution. Yes, this is another book on the Nazis, but coming from the pen of Rees and based on his documentary research, it is one worth a closer look.
The Nazis: A Warning From History was initially a successful TV documentary for the BBC. It charts the rise of the Nazis, from minnows in Bavaria, to gain control of Germany, and – for a time – mastery of Europe. The book charts a similar path, from the years of rule of chaos and consent (the euthanasia policy, the formation and working of the Gestapo, the growing anti-Semitic legislation), the world war and the road to the Holocaust. Interwoven into the narrative are the comments of the vast hours of interviews Rees conducted with survivors of the war. This particular feature is a valuable asset, separating Rees’ work from the countless other books on the book shelves.
However, this particular version of A Warning From History suffers from a case of the Writer’s Return: revisiting material from the past in order to update with fresh interpretations. It is an event rather common to historians, and although updated research can sometimes help further conclusions, it can also warp the original narrative with bulked material. This book is a case of the latter, with Rees injecting much material from a different book, War of the Century, which recounts the gruesome war between the Germans and the Russians. In the introduction, Rees argues that this war is needed for a full assessment on the Nazis: to reach into Nietzsche’s abyss to find what they are really made of. But its appearance sways the narrative from the Nazis, their rise and dominance, to the rooms of the Soviet government and the disputes between Stalin and Zhukov. This is not to doubt that the material is exciting and griping, but rather that it should remain part of its original book.
The wealth of Rees’ material confirms his eminent place in recent historical research; however, this position is much due to his documentaries, rather than the resulting books. The documentaries, harrowing and well edited, benefit from being the first and foremost of the products. The books can never escape their truncated purpose, and as such, the Worm strongly recommends readers watch the DVDs before turning to the page of Rees’ large and informative back catalogue.
Buy it here:http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Nazis-Warning-From-History/dp/056349333X
