New Books to Read on Hitler: the Philosophies Behind His Actions

Under Adolf Hitler and his Nazi administration, the German Student Association of Nazi Germany ceremonially burned books. The books were authored by classical liberal, anarchist, socialist, pacifist, communist, Jewish and others. Reason for doing so is that what was written in them were considered subversive or featured ideologies which may undermine the National Socialist administration.

But while Hitler had a hand on the Nazi book burnings, it cannot be said that he does not like books per se.  He derived his fixation on warfare from a picture book about the Franco-Prussian War which his father had. And while he has been associated with disdain of books, it cannot be avoided that he will be a subject of many books and important ones at that. And why not, he is a very important figure in world history despite his horrible evilness.

When talking about Hitler, we always focus on his obvious extreme evilness. If we further research about him, we will find out that history is not the only important theme about this one historical figure. There is also philosophy. Hitler was a man and a leader. In each of this personality and capacity, he should have a philosophy or more. Such is the topic of some more books about him. Specifically, the central theme of these books were about whether he focused more on his reason or his emotion and what were the specific philosophical principles on which he may have based his mentality and actions on.

You can learn more about Hitler’s philosophies from three new books: “Hitler’s Philosophers,” “Hitler’s Charisma: Leading Millions Into the Abyss” and “Landscapes of the Metropolis of Death.”

“Hitler’s Philosophers” is published by Yale University Press and just released this May. Author Yvonne Sherrat, a historian educated in Cambridge, looks into the enthusiasm of Hitler for philosophy. The book identifies the philosophers who shaped and driven Hitler’s ideologies. It also talks about the prominent figures who opposed the Nazi leader.

“Hitler’s Charisma: Leading Millions Into the Abyss” is produced by Pantheon and went out into book stands in April. Its author is Laurence Rees who had a long service record in BBC as director of history programs and has the book “Auschwitz: A New History” tucked under his name. In the book, Rees describes and analyzes in consistent minute detail the political life of Hitler with focus on his well known charisma and how it worked to advance his goals.

“Landscapes of the Metropolis of Death” by Harvard University Press which was released in March is a no-holds-barred account of a respected Holocaust historian – who is an Israeli and has a commitment to tackle the subject with sobriety – when he was a 10 year old inmate in Auschwitz, the author himself Otto Dov Kulka.

By: Prospect Solution

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