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'With this third volume, Richard Evans has accomplished a masterpiece of historical scholarship ... [he] has produced the best and most up-to-date synthesis of the huge work carried out on the subject over the past decades.' --Anthony Beevor, Times
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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'The narrative is written with the same masterly historical flair and eye for telling detail that marked the first two volumes. This will surely be the standard history for many years to come.'
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
18 of 19 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Richard J Evans has written a magnificent book. The structure, narrative and sources are of the highest quality and the notes make this volume a veritable encyclopedia of life in war time Germany. In particular, the way in which Evans weaves in the leadership's strategy with the experience of ordinary people is outstanding.
Although on occasion his interpretation is open to dispute and the coverage is brief, possibly because of the amount of knowledge available elsewhere, it should be remembered that the war lasted almost six years and to re-tell it in less than 800 pages is an achievement in itself. The bibliography is extensive and includes many works in German.
What is clear from the outset is that the Nazis were motivated by an anti-human racism in which they identified themselves as the master race with the absolute right of determining the individual and collective fates of those they considered inferior. This expression of social darwinism facilitated acts of extreme cruelty which were considered normal behaviour, especially amongst those soldiers who were inculcated into the army under the Nazi regime. Old soldiers had more qualms about shooting women and children.
What is also clear is that the policy of murdering all and sundry was carried out with a ruthlessness that makes one wonder just how firm the concept of civilisation is in reality. SS Task Units were "Beasts in Human Form" and it was rare (though not impossible) to find anyone prepared to deny the Nazis' philosophy of treating other races as subhuman. In so doing they managed to draw on the racial hatred against the Jews present in conquered countries, whether such hatred was based on the Jews' success in business, clannishness or desire to retain their separatist traditions. The Nazis created the ideology but other non-German groups quickly bought into it.
Of course, history proved the Nazis and their ideology to be a chimera. Not only did Hitler's belief in the superiority of his military strategy contribute to the weakening of the German attack on the Soviet Union - by dividing the focus of the attack - but when the crunch came he, Himmler, Goebbels and, in time, Goering, all took the coward's way out. Hitler blamed everyone but himself for the failure of his regime. Evans puts the blame back firmly where it belongs on the Nazi leader and his cohorts. They created a dream for many Germans then fled the scene when it turned into a nightmare.
Other reviewers have stated they have been waiting for this volume having read Evans's earlier books on the Nazis. My situation is the reverse. I haven't seen Evans's other volumes but having read this brilliant work I'm putting my order for the two earlier volumes immediately. I'm sure all three will serve as fundamental texts for future study of the Third Reich.
Although on occasion his interpretation is open to dispute and the coverage is brief, possibly because of the amount of knowledge available elsewhere, it should be remembered that the war lasted almost six years and to re-tell it in less than 800 pages is an achievement in itself. The bibliography is extensive and includes many works in German.
What is clear from the outset is that the Nazis were motivated by an anti-human racism in which they identified themselves as the master race with the absolute right of determining the individual and collective fates of those they considered inferior. This expression of social darwinism facilitated acts of extreme cruelty which were considered normal behaviour, especially amongst those soldiers who were inculcated into the army under the Nazi regime. Old soldiers had more qualms about shooting women and children.
What is also clear is that the policy of murdering all and sundry was carried out with a ruthlessness that makes one wonder just how firm the concept of civilisation is in reality. SS Task Units were "Beasts in Human Form" and it was rare (though not impossible) to find anyone prepared to deny the Nazis' philosophy of treating other races as subhuman. In so doing they managed to draw on the racial hatred against the Jews present in conquered countries, whether such hatred was based on the Jews' success in business, clannishness or desire to retain their separatist traditions. The Nazis created the ideology but other non-German groups quickly bought into it.
Of course, history proved the Nazis and their ideology to be a chimera. Not only did Hitler's belief in the superiority of his military strategy contribute to the weakening of the German attack on the Soviet Union - by dividing the focus of the attack - but when the crunch came he, Himmler, Goebbels and, in time, Goering, all took the coward's way out. Hitler blamed everyone but himself for the failure of his regime. Evans puts the blame back firmly where it belongs on the Nazi leader and his cohorts. They created a dream for many Germans then fled the scene when it turned into a nightmare.
Other reviewers have stated they have been waiting for this volume having read Evans's earlier books on the Nazis. My situation is the reverse. I haven't seen Evans's other volumes but having read this brilliant work I'm putting my order for the two earlier volumes immediately. I'm sure all three will serve as fundamental texts for future study of the Third Reich.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
I studied fascism in the 1970s when I was at university. One of the books I read at the time was Karl Dietrich Bracher's (then) breakthrough work 'The German Dictatorship'. I kept up with the subject ever since, and I can say (a) scholarship has advanced dramatically since the 1970s, and (b) nothing I have read in the last 35 years comes close to these three books, which give us a masterly synthesis of the current state of knowledge. R.W. Southern set the standard in 'The Making of the Middle Ages', and Professor Evans maintains Southern's tradition of combining expertise and insight with a human face. From the way the Nazis wove their way into German society to the way they took it apart, these three volumes - which the auther reminds us were not written as a 'history' and therefore do not include everything a formal history would include - give a remarkable insight into this madness. I believe they give the best answer we can expect to the question 'How was it possible?' My criticisms are relatively minor and concern the poor standard of editing. The text reads in places as though it has been dictated: it sometimes rambles and repeats. This should have been picked up during editing. Every volume has spelling mistakes (for example, Franz Lehar is spelt incorrectly on one line, then correctly on the next line) as well as grammatical errors. Half a page in volume one is meaningless. These issues aside, however, and if you want one set of books to paint an all-round picture of the Nazi period, buy this one. All we need now is a definitive study of experimental U-boats like the 'Electroboat'!
30 of 33 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
With this third volume, Professor Evans brings his rightfully acclaimed "History of the Third Reich" to a very fruitful end indeed. All the major developments from 1939 till 1945 are at least touched upon in a very insightful and balanced manner, blending social history, the biographies of well-known heavyweights of the Nazi regime such as Hitler, Göring, Goebbels, Himmler or Speer and the lesser known experiences of ordinary Germans into one complex but highly readable narrative, exposing a good deal of the inner workings of Hitler's dictatorship rather than taking an overly abstract bird's eye view on this disastrous epoch.
Abstaining from any form of moralising, which is unnecessary anyway in the face of the well-known enormity of the crimes committed, there is, of course, a heavy emphasis on the horrifying genocidal activities of the Nazis and the political arena, yet economic, cultural and military events are also accounted for in a convincing way. Most of the major controversies concerning the historiography of Nazi Germany like Daniel Goldhagen's "Hitler's Willing Executioners" are mentioned, although Evans does not always take up a clear position and understandably refrains from making any new untested hypotheses, for which a book of this scope cannot be intended anyway.
For students of modern history the book offers a remarkably well-crafted starting-point to develop their own research interests, providing also a detailed bibliography of the major works on the Nazi era. The only real downside perhaps, along with a certain tendency towards oversimplifying complex military events, is an apparent lack of explicit theoretical reflection on his own position within the field of historical research on the part of Evans, like his rejection of the Great man theory of history, which is responsible for his concentration on social history. As a consequence, lay readers not familiar with the major currents in historical research may not be able to fully comprehend and appreciate Evans' findings. Reading the preface to the first volume, in which Evans explains his methodology in greater detail, is therefore strongly recommended.
Abstaining from any form of moralising, which is unnecessary anyway in the face of the well-known enormity of the crimes committed, there is, of course, a heavy emphasis on the horrifying genocidal activities of the Nazis and the political arena, yet economic, cultural and military events are also accounted for in a convincing way. Most of the major controversies concerning the historiography of Nazi Germany like Daniel Goldhagen's "Hitler's Willing Executioners" are mentioned, although Evans does not always take up a clear position and understandably refrains from making any new untested hypotheses, for which a book of this scope cannot be intended anyway.
For students of modern history the book offers a remarkably well-crafted starting-point to develop their own research interests, providing also a detailed bibliography of the major works on the Nazi era. The only real downside perhaps, along with a certain tendency towards oversimplifying complex military events, is an apparent lack of explicit theoretical reflection on his own position within the field of historical research on the part of Evans, like his rejection of the Great man theory of history, which is responsible for his concentration on social history. As a consequence, lay readers not familiar with the major currents in historical research may not be able to fully comprehend and appreciate Evans' findings. Reading the preface to the first volume, in which Evans explains his methodology in greater detail, is therefore strongly recommended.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Decent book behind the Marxist leanings
As with the previous two books of the trilogy Evans has written this is as well researched and a good read. Read more
Published 9 months ago by G. W. Mclean
Very detailed.....
This is one of a trilogy. Ideal for someone who already knows plenty about the period, but wants to read about it in more depth. Read more
Published 15 months ago by A. Northcote
Good objective view
A fascinating and at times, quite harrowing history of the war in Europe. A good conscise account and that the historian approaches in an objective manner.
Published 16 months ago by Cailean
Dissapointment from the first page!
I may be reasonably well read concerning WWII but I was looking forward to this book. As usual I turned to the photographs first. Read more
Published 18 months ago by mark hardaker
DETAIL,DETAIL,DETAIL.......
I PURCHASED THIS BOOK A FEW MONTHS BACK AND I HAVE TOO SAY ITS ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS I HAVE EVER READ ON THE SUBJECT OF THE THIRD REICH. Read more
Published 18 months ago by bertie.71
An excellent history of the Nazi regime in the second world war
The Third Reich at war is the third and final installment in a trilogy of books by Richard Evans on the Third Reich, the other two being The Coming of the Third Reich and The Third... Read more
Published on 23 Feb 2010 by Adam Bartleby
A magisterial work...
This is the final book in a trilogy spanning Nazi Germany right through from its origins in the years after the First World War through to the end of the war in the 1945, but it's... Read more
Published on 2 Jan 2010 by C. Ball
The culmination of Barbarity
The Third Reich at War is the final volume of Professor Evan's magisterial account of the rise and fall of the Third Reich. Read more
Published on 29 Nov 2009 by F. Julius
A monumental new work
This 3rd book of the trilogy of Richard Evans will definitely stand the test of time as a new reference book on the Third Reich. Read more
Published on 8 Oct 2009 by Philippe Geril
But did German women wear trousers on the shop floor?
So many books have been written about the Third Reich and WWII - do we need another one on the subject? Richard J. Read more
Published on 21 Aug 2009 by Aldo Matteucci
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