The Nazi Mind

""The making of 'the Nazi mind' from 1919 to 1945 is both enthralling and chilling on its own terms. As a 'warning from history' in the age of Trump 2.0, it's compulsive reading.""--Independent (London) ""This is a brilliant piece of work: learned, compelling and frankly terrifying.""--James Holland, Telegraph (London) ""In excavating deep beneath the surface of familiar history - exploring rich, unexpected sources - Rees shows us that the reign of the Nazis is not a story of monsters, but much more terribly of recognizable humanity. A book for our time, and for all times.""--Sinclair McKay, author of Berlin and Dresden ""I will recommend to everyone . . . superbly researched and structured."" --Alastair Campbell ""How was it possible that people from a cultured nation perpetrated the worst atrocities in history? If you want answers to this fundamental question--and who would not--this is the book to read. The Nazi Mind is yet another compelling study from the pen of historian Laurence Rees. There is no one writing today with more insight into the mentalities of card-carrying Nazis and the wider penumbra of supporters of the regime, and with more understanding of the warnings we should heed from a study of the Nazi belief structure."" --Victor Bailey, Distinguished Professor of History, Kansas University ""This book is brilliant. Impeccable history combined with psychology explains how the Nazis' crimes were made possible. Rees' conclusions are spot on for our age, particularly his comments on conspiracy theories, which have become so turbocharged in this new era of social media. In an age when the term 'Nazi' is used with wild abandon, his exposition of what the actual Nazis perpetrated is a very timely reminder of their unique evil."" --Paul Phillips, OBE, Joint President of the Holocaust Educational Trust ""A chilling analysis of a mind perverted by relativism, delusion, cravenness, amorality and downright evil."" --Allan Mallinson, author of The Shape of Battle ""A fascinating study offering new insights into the psychological forces driving the Nazis - essential reading for anyone seeking answers to the haunting question of how and why Germany became consumed by Hitler's evil."" --Julia Boyd, author of A Village in the Third Reich ""Chilling, brilliantly researched . . . only Laurence Rees could have written this book."" --Keith Lowe, author of Naples 1944 ""The Nazi Mind recounts one by one the chief ways in which Nazism attracted and held its many millions of followers. It is not just an unsparing, detailed reminder of the horrors of the past, based on decades of exhaustive research, but, unmistakably, a challenge to us to check our own no-longer-so-complacent twenty-first century consciences and act accordingly."" --Frederick Taylor, author of 1939: A People's History ""Why were individuals, often from cultured and well-educated backgrounds, prepared to commit mass atrocities, culminating in genocide? That is the central issue that Laurence Rees tackles. He asks good questions and has good answers. This disturbing book is timely, relevant and important.""--Professor Sir Ian Kershaw, author of Hitler: Hubris and Hitler: Nemesis