For all the literature about Adolf Hitler, there have been just four seminal biographies; this is the fifth, a landmark work that sheds important new light on Hitler himself. Author Volker Ullrich deftly captures Hitler’s intelligence, instinctive grasp of politics, and a gift for oratory as well as his megalomania, deep insecurity, and repulsive worldview.

For decades, the world has tried to grasp how Hitler was possible. By focusing on the man at the center of it all, on how he experienced his world, formed his political beliefs, and wielded power, this retrieving biography brings us closer than ever to the answer.

“[A] fascinating Shakespearean parable about how the confluence of circumstance, chance, a ruthless individual and the willful blindness of others can transform a country – and, in Hitler’s case, lead to an unimaginable nightmare for the world” – Michiko Kakutani, The New York Times.

The full title of this book is “Hitler: Ascent, 1889-1939”. Published by Knop (September 2016).

Compiled and reviewed by Clara Rayes.