Uncool History - The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich

Jeff's Uncool history series continues with a look at Nazi Germany...

"The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich" by William Shirer.

I'm not all that fascinated with World War II and the Nazi's but if you want any kind of grasp on the 20th century you have to have some perspective on it. Shirer's book is pretty meat and potatoes with names and dates and some general analysis. It is most famous for being the first major work on the topic.

It get bashed by the academics for lots of reasons but if you are looking for one book to get you up to speed, this should handle it.

I was particularly interested to find out how a poor man from a nothing family could rise up from nothing to be one of the biggest monsters in history. One lie at a time, I suppose...