An endlessly revealing look at the Nazi regime that touches on large issues and small details alike.
German historian Ullrich completes his comprehensive biography of the man who is perhaps history’s most hated figure.
Adolf Hitler celebrated his 50th birthday on April 20, 1939, with a huge party. But even then, months before World War II began, writes the author, “Nemesis was knocking at his door.” Five birthdays followed until, hours after his 56th, he and the loyal though surprisingly impudent Eva Braun died by suicide. Ullrich has numerous concerns in this significant project, which, like the first installment, remains readable across its 800-plus pages. Far be it from finding excuses for his compatriots, he is unabashed in saying that “the Führer enjoyed the overwhelming support of the German populace, particularly after the Anschluss of Austria,” so much so that had he been assassinated, he would be remembered today as a brilliant leader. Indeed, Hitler himself said, “In the future there will never be a man who holds more authority than I do….But I can be killed at any time by a criminal or an idiot.” Another of the author’s goals is to supply the Holocaust with a precise chronology; he notes that Nazi leaders had made provisional plans to export Europe’s Jewish population to French-ruled Madagascar, which would become a German prison colony. This was a small mercy, however, since the Nazis figured that the Jews would quickly die in the tropical climate. Though “Hitler rarely missed an opportunity to scapegoat ‘the Jews’ as those pulling the strings behind the conflict,” the author argues that after the euthanasia of handicapped citizens as a kind of proof of conflict, the mass destruction of the Jews in areas of German control began piecemeal, with SS and police executions behind the front lines that only eventually became regularized in the concentration camps. Ordinary Germans knew about the killings, Ullrich maintains, but looked the other way. So did the Allied leaders for too long, he adds, faulting them for not stopping the mercurial Hitler while they had the chance.
An endlessly revealing look at the Nazi regime that touches on large issues and small details alike.Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-101-87400-4
Page Count: 848
Publisher: Knopf
Review Posted Online: June 9, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2020
A slick, vacuous glimpse into the former first lady’s White House years.
A carefully curated personal portrait.
First ladies’ roles have evolved significantly in recent decades. Their memoirs typically reflect a spectrum of ambition and interests, offering insights into their values and personal lives. Melania Trump, however, stands out as exceptionally private and elusive. Her ultra-lean account attempts to shed light on her public duties, initiatives, and causes as first lady, and it defends certain actions like her controversial “I REALLY DON’T CARE, DO U?” jacket. The statement was directed at the media, not the border situation, she claims. Yet the book provides scant detail about her personal orbit or day-to-day interactions. The memoir opens with her well-known Slovenian origin story, successful modeling career, and whirlwind romance with Donald Trump, culminating in their 2005 marriage, followed by a snapshot of Election Day 2016: “Each time we were together that day, I was impressed by his calm.…This man is remarkably confident under pressure.” Once in the White House, Melania Trump describes her functions and numerous public events at home and abroad, which she asserts were more accomplished than media representations suggested. However, she rarely shares any personal interactions beyond close family ties, notably her affection for her son, Barron, and her sister, Ines. And of course she lavishes praise on her husband. Minimal anecdotes about White House or cabinet staff are included, and she carefully defuses her rumored tensions with Trump’s adult children, blandly stating, “While we may share the same last name, each of us is distinct with our own aspirations and paths to follow.” Although Melania’s desire to support causes related to children’s and women’s welfare feels authentic, the overall tenor of her memoir seems aimed at painting a glimmering portrait of her husband and her role, likely with an eye toward the forthcoming election.
A slick, vacuous glimpse into the former first lady’s White House years.Pub Date: Oct. 8, 2024
ISBN: 9781510782693
Page Count: 256
Publisher: Skyhorse Publishing
Review Posted Online: Oct. 14, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2024
PERSPECTIVES
SEEN & HEARD
A stunning memoir about discovering one’s identity late in life.
A transgender man comes to terms with his identity.
Born into a wealthy English family, Radclyffe began life as a girl in denial about her crushes on other women. After coming out as gay, the author visited the Bluestockings bookstore in New York City, a short train ride from the Connecticut home where Radclyffe was masquerading as a housewife despite suffering from hair and weight loss and random moments of pain associated with gender dysphoria. At Bluestockings, the author met and began dating a woman. When they slept together, Radclyffe imagined having a phantom penis, which, in retrospect, he recognized as a possible sign that he was transgender. However, only after getting a divorce and falling in love with another woman did he come out as a man. Although his relationship didn’t survive his transition, Radclyffe found acceptance among his chosen family, his parents, and his children. Perhaps most importantly, he discovered self-acceptance and learned that his identity didn’t negate his ability to be a loving and effective parent. “The world had tried to tell me that I couldn’t care for myself,” he writes, “and also for my children, that I couldn’t be trans and queer and be a source of stability.…Whatever my failings as a parent—and I knew there had been many—my children would walk out into the world armed with all the tools I’d once lacked: courage, curiosity, the confidence to form their own opinions and trust their own instincts.” This book is consistently frank, vulnerable, perspicacious, and insightful, covering an impressive variety of aspects of the transgender experience in intimate, lyrical language and dry, compassionate humor. The author’s analysis of privilege is particularly refreshing, as is his description of transitioning as a parent.
A stunning memoir about discovering one’s identity late in life.Pub Date: Sept. 17, 2024
ISBN: 9780802163158
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Roxane Gay Books/Grove
Review Posted Online: June 14, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
PROFILES
PERSPECTIVES
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