Hitler’s Northern Utopia

Drawing from a staggering trove of archival letters, maps, plans and diaries, Stratigakos's Hitler's Northern Utopia gracefully juxtaposes the oppressor's dream with Norway's brutal reality as she examines the country's occupation and the labor force that worked on building the Nazi fantasy state that never was. ---Lucy Tiven, Washington Post Unusual and provocative. . . . A special strength of the book is Stratigakos's attention to the fate of POWs-some Serbian, but mostly Russian. . . . Norwegian historians are coming to terms with both the occupation and their country's response in the 1950s and 60s. Hitler's Northern Utopia should be high on their must-read list. Nor will non-specialist readers be disappointed in it. ---Jonathan Beard, Michigan War Studies Review As well as being a fascinating account of an unfamiliar but important aspect of the Second World War, this book is an exemplary model of scholarship. . . . It is a remarkable achievement, compelling in its originality and fascination, and a vital addition to the huge literature on the most horrific war in modern history. ---Simon Heffer, The Telegraph If you thought (as I did) that, 75 years on from Hitler's death, there could surely be nothing new to learn about him, then this book by U.S. architectural historian Despina Stratigakos is an eye-opener. ---Tony Rennell, Daily Mail