Europe Books

Do you like murder mysteries? If the answer is yes than this is the book for you. This book starts slow in 1533 with13 year old Grace in her bedroom writing in her journal. On the night of her Valentines Day ball she sees a sight no child should ever see. The next day she is forced to figure out who murdered one of her suitors. I give this book 4 stars because it is exciting and unpredictable.

-Acacia

this book is a fantastic novel that is not to short but not to long if you like mystries and blood shed this is the book for you.
Also the other books in the series are also fantastic and i would reccomend the books to 10 and above as it does have words that are hard to understand as i started to read them when i was 9.
Basicly to cut it all short ABSOLUTLY FANTASTICLY GREAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This book was captavating! I absolutely could not put it down! The very first sentance swept me away to a place far back in time, where mystery and drama in the World's finest court, the court of Enhgland, unfold. Lady Grace's brave heart must choose between being the ideal "little lady" (that Lady Sarah!) or being herself, helping her friends, and being loyal to the queen. When malicious mischief strikes, disguises unfold, death enters the court. When her engaged fiance is convicted for a murder he did not do, Lady Grace must uncover the truth. Could it all be a scheme to steal the lavish estates of the Cavendish's? This book is one of the best!

I loved this book! It's very exciting and it has a lot of history from that time.

Lady Grace Cavendish is a Maid of Honor for Queen Elizabeth. The Queen offers her three suitors to pick from to marry later. Then, one suitor is murdered and another is under suspicion.

It's very exciting and easy to get through!

Lady Grace is a brilliant mystery book and it keeps you on the edge of your chair right the way through. It is a diary and its about a maid of onner and she works for the queen but that is not it.There is a mystery in evry book and lady Grace goes under cover to try and find out who did it. It is set a long time a go and she goes to the extrem. Her friends masu and ellie try and come with her but sometimes they are in trouble.
this is a brilliant book and I advise reading it. i cant wait till the next one comes out as i am a big fan and have read all the books so far.

My son had to pick two books off of a large list to read over the summer for school. After reading the other reviews of this book, we picked it. It was a wonderful choice. The book was very interesting, fast paced, well written and easy to read. I read it in 3 hours, and my son was able to read in in a few nights without any complaints of boredom.

If any literary giant needs to have his work adapted to film, it is Myers. As one of the premier writers of fiction for juveniles, the author has added another significant piece to his long line of classics. This one tells the story of a little-known African princess who comes under the wing of England's legendary Queen Victoria.

Not only does the book reveal the horrors of the African slave trade, the atrocities that some tyrants inflict on their enemies, and the class system that pervades much of a "civilized" society, it is a marvelous tale of a girl who overcomes such obstacles and becomes the darling of English society.

Although Sarah's life is brief, it is a memorable one as the character grows from frightened child to a loving mother.
I am recommending that all my students read this book as well as others by Myers. Now, if only someone in "Tinsel Town" would discover this fine author.

I'd much rather see his stories on the big screen than any about a teenaged wizard.

"At Her Majesty's Request: An African Princess in Victorian England" tells the life story of Sarah Forbes Bonetta, who was born an African Egbado princess, captured by rival Dohamans and taken to Dahomey to be murdered in a ritual sacrifice, rescued and adopted by a British naval captain, taken to England and presented to Queen Victoria, and raised under the Queen's protection in England and Sierra Leone. This handsome book is a very fine biography for young readers; it includes many excerpts from Sarah's letters and the Queen's diaries, as well as historic illustrations. Relevant information about 19th century West Africa and Britain (e.g., the Dahomey empire, the slave trade and British actions to end it, Christian missions in Africa, Sierra Leone, the British class system, women's place in society, etc.) is well presented. Although Sarah's story is interesting because of its uniqueness, much about the lives of ordinary 19th century West Africans and Europeans can be learned here. Despite the fact that there is little material concerning Sarah's life, the author has done a fine job and readers interested in Africa should be glad he did. The book contains a useful bibliography which includes "Dahomey and the Dahomans" (1851) by Frederick E. Forbes (the captain who rescued and adopted Sarah).

19th century Dahomey is also the setting of "The Viceroy of Ouidah" by Bruce Chatwin.

I think this is a very well written book. I think that Walter Dean Myers is an amazing writer and that it is great he found this fantastic girl that many have never heard of.

The book, At Her Majesty's Request was the most wonderful book I've read because it tells the story of how Sarah Bonetta overcomed so many problems. First w/ the horror of watching her parents being killed, and then almost being sacrificed by the slave holders because of who she was and where she lived.Then when she was saved by a white man whom she couldn't even understand becase she spoke a different language.And then soon after that she learned how to speak english and then she became friends w/ the Queen of England, Queen Victoria.So the book to me was very heart-warming and I hope you love the book too! Go Wells Wolverines!

I have read many personal accounts of WWII combat and this is one of the best.

It was a bit hard to believe that this book wasn't written in first-person. The author did an excellent job in writing down someone else's words. Usually, retellings are not as vibrant or as engaging. But this was a pleasant surprise.

This is an awesome book! I was originally disappointed because based on the title I thought it was about D-Day. Well it's not. It's about the invasion of Sicily. Let me say it was one of the best mistakes that I have made. I could not put this book down. It is fantastic and easy to read. I read 86 pages the first day and I am usually a slow reader. It was impossible for me to put the book down.

Do yourself a favor - buy this if you have an interest WWII and or paratroopers.

Combat Jump tells the tale of the 82nd Airborne (specifically the 505th Parachute Regiment) as the prepared for and jumped into Sicily in WWII. In the tale, Mr. Ruggero tells of the forming of the 505th, their charismatic young commander (James Gavin), veterans of the unit that made the jump, and the veteran's tales of what happened during their assault on Sicily. Mr. Ruggero gives excellent background information on the different veterans, including their occupations prior to joining the Army, what they did in the Army (including in their time with the 505th), and their remembrances of this event.

The early part of the book is excellently crafted. I was seriously looking at this as being a 4.5 star book, but when the jump was made, several problems occurred with his telling; first, the stories jump all over the map. Mr. Ruggero's following of the invasion of Sicily is as scattered as the 505th was! I really wish he'd followed a little more structure with things. If he had, I'd have found the book much more pleasant to read. Having said that, I really wish he'd had a few maps included so readers were aware of where he was talking about on Sicily. Maps really help with history books (publishers, please pay the extra nickels to have a few maps in the books. It really makes the books more buyable!). Finally, Mr. Ruggero needed to have a nice wrap up of what happened to the 505th after their initial jump. Instead, Mr. Ruggero closes with the unit being relieved...

My rating... as said earlier, I was really hoping for 4.5 stars, however after reading the later parts, I have to rate the book 3.5 stars overall. I rounded it up to 4 stars for Amazon.

Ed Ruggero's "Combat Jump" is a wonderfully written and engaging piece of story-telling! Based mainly upon interviews with veterans of the 82nd Airborne Division (most specifically members of the 505th PIR), Ruggero has crafted a real page turner that takes the reader from the initial theoretical ideals of American Airborne forces to the first major combat - the Sicilian invasion of 1943 - seen by the fruits of the imaginative "fathers of the Airborne". Particularly interesting is the description of how initial concepts of the US Airborne Army were brought to fruition, and how a young West Point Captain, James ("Slim Jim") M. Gavin, played into these early events. Gavin is of course central to the entire story of the 82nd as he was a company commander in the 503rd PIR (Parachute Infantry Regiment) during training at Fort Benning, later regimental commander of the 505th PIR on its jump into Sicily and combat through Italy, and finally division commander of the 82nd Airborne (promoted to this post in August '44). While initially not of rank and stature to play a significant role in pushing the Airborne concept into reality, "Slim Jim" was certainly a major player in keeping the Airborne on the map - this is exemplified by his leadership of the 505th in the Sicilian campaign, which is so eloquently relayed here in "Combat Jump". It is the strong and steadfast picture of Gavin as a commander leading from the front that comes shinning through in "Combat Jump". It is no wonder that the US Airborne Army succeeded (in spite of many perceived tactical failures and let downs) with man like Gavin at the helm! Ruggero should be commended for bringing to life again the larger than life character that was Jim Gavin.

From the standpoint of precision of presented historical facts "Combat Jump" suffers in a fashion not uncommon in similarly presented second-hand "oral histories", such as works by Stephen Ambrose. Mr. Ruggero has no doubt taken the relayed oral histories of veterans at face value (in fact Ruggero essentially conveys this message in the last paragraph of his Author's Note at the end of the book) as historical inconsistencies are present in the text. One glaring example is the common reference to battles with numerous Tiger tanks during the first 3-4 days of battle in Sicily. No doubt lightly-armed paratroopers fighting as essentially as foot infantry without support of mechanized forces and little by way of supporting artillery would "see" any German tanks as the dreaded Tigers. In reality just 17 Tiger 1 tanks were actually present on Sicily at the time of the invasion on July 10, 1943, and were essentially rendered non-combatant by pressing US Naval Gunfire. Moreover, by D-Day+3 ten of these tanks were destroyed by the Germans themselves to avoid their capture (six of the remaining seven met a similar fate in the days that followed). It therefore seems almost certain that many of the "Tigers" fought by the 82nd on Sicily were in fact Mark IV or Panther tanks. This in no way diminishes the valor and bravery of the paratroopers who took on multi-ton armored vehicles, often with little more than adrenalin and a carbine, it merely points out that soldiers fighting in the field seldom see the events historically, but rather from the real perspective of life or death. To the trooper in the field any tank might as well be a Tiger when he was exposed without shelter and on his own. Neither Ruggero nor the veterans relaying their experiences can be particularly faulted for such errors. It is only pointed out here to illustrate the point from a "purity of history" vantage point.

Despite errors in precision of historical facts, "Combat Jump" is a wonderful read and worthy of attention as a tribute to the men who fought with the US Airborne, not just those of the 82nd Sicilian campaign. A solid read, not quite 5 stars but definitely 4 and three-quarters!!

Discourses on Livy or Discourses on the First Decade of Titus Livius by Niccolo Machiavelli

Love it! Just as advertised!

Machiavelli's Discourses... a book that is a compendium of historical events analyzed in such a way as to obtain a lesson that is both precise as well as eternal. I think that all who consider going into politics or any kind of management role should be handed a copy of this book. And by any kind of management I mean from management of a state to managing a home and family. It is practical, ruthless and efficient. You can glimpse its central premises through the actions of those who succeed.
The translation of this book is flawless and delivers the full content of the author's message.
I'm convinced that this was a life changing book for me to read, it certainly affected my perspective of events around me and my way to interact to them. It is a self help book if you can interpret it beyond the historical dressing.
I strongly recommend this book to anyone who has an interest in history, management, or politics.

This book describes how Rome was being governed as a Republic and gets into detail about the wars they fought. Even for Machiavelli these writings we distant history and what really surprised me was the way this book has been written and translated.

Being an admirer of Rome and its golden age this book really gave me new insights, despite reading a lot of other books about this subject. As in Machiavelli's most famous book 'The Prince' politics are again the major subject. It is really astonishing to see the details and consequences of the actions that are being taken.

If you would like to know more about Rome, history or politics, grab a copy of this book.

Nicholo Machiavelli earned a bad rep with those who read and mis-read his best knon work, The Prince. It was not his intention to write this book to correct that bad image, but with this book we are given a different look at the great Itsalian poitical scientist/historian. He shows us the virtue of a democratic form of government. Recommended by anyone who wants a clearer view of the author, the Renaisance, and the growth of political theory.

Niccolo Machiavelli, (1469-1527), writes the greatest treatise on keeping a republic vibrant by comparing Rome to republican Venice. Machiavelli has gained an unwarranted notorious reputation for his "evil" treatise on political thinking and acting through his authorship of "The Prince". "The Prince" received more notoriety than his politically erudite work "Discourses on the First Ten Books of Livy" in which Machiavelli espouses his belief that the Roman Republic was the best and most virtuous form of government to emulate. His breadth and understanding of Roman history is remarkable. Machiavelli's love of his country Florence, and the proud political work as a minor government administrator and ambassador Machiavelli performed during its years as a republic show through in this work. It was on his many ambassadorial trips to the French, Papal, and Italian courts that he learned to observe political leaders and their governmental institutions which formed the basis of his political theories in his many writings. My favorite quote from Machiavelli is; "It's better to act and repent then not to act and regret".

Modern philosophers starting with Machiavelli reject the classical view of politics as undemocratic and elitist. Only wealthy men of leisure would have time to develop the virtues and character necessary to rule. Machiavelli believed that man by nature was selfish and driven by ambition. Machiavelli is not interested in character formation and moral appeal but in building the right kind of institutions to govern society. Laws and justice would protect men from power hungry rulers. Modern philosophy is an out growth of the revolution that takes place in the natural sciences during the Enlightenment. The purpose of science is the conquest of nature man is in control of human life. Philosophers from Machiavelli on become sectarian. "Everything good is due to man's labor rather than to nature's gift."

As a retired Army officer and student of political philosophy, I found this to be an indispensable book to continue one's journey into political philosophy and history of Europe.

I have used these calendar books for years. Anyone who likes France and looking at charming pictures of France will enjoy using these books as their combination daily calendar and address book.

i love these photographs! i feel as i am there! thank you linda for taking me to france every time i open your book!

This is the tenth year I've used a "French Country Diary" as my appointment calendar, and I don't know what I'd do if they stopped making them! Beautifully bound - a page a week - with just the right amount of space to mark several appointments each day along with notes, etc. I'm always complimented on the gorgeous souledo fabric hard cover. It's a discreet and lovely accessory that'll bring joy to your every day!

This item was for my wife; she really likes it. Perfect for her.

This is the third year I have used a French Country Diary and will continue to record my years in this fine diary as long as it is published. The photography is outstanding and reminds me of treasured visits to France. Quality is excellent. I was delighted to find it on Amazon.

A very moving look into the fragile psyche
of soldiers in combat. I couldn't put it down from the first page until the end, and I strongly recommend it to young soldiers and junior leadership in the armed forces today. Not only is it historically accurate, it is a testament to the strength of the human emotion and the bonds of friendship during war.

A Vet I met at the Bloomsburg PA county fair told me about this book. He said that the author was in his unit and that the stories were very well retold in the book. You as the reader can get a real feeling of what Bill Boyd and the men in unit went through. When you finish the story you are left with an feeling that it just incredible that anyone survived those final months of the war as the Germans fought to save there homeland and sadness for those who didn't make it. You will thoroughly enjoy reading this book.

This story was so gripping you felt like you were with William Pope (the main character) every step of the way. It provides the reader with great insight into World War II, as well as into the personal journies of the soldiers. I have not been so captivated by a book in a very long time.

One of the best books among the many about infantry combat. That it is fictional detracts not one iota. The author quite obviously writes from experience and makes use of the freedom fiction provides to paint a powerful and realistic picture of ground warfare, particularly the randomness through which men live and die. As one who fought in the infantry during the Battle of the Bulge, the setting for Mr. Boyd's novel, and produced three highly researched chapters about it in a memoir, I am proud to recommend "The Gentle Infantryman" as an authentic account of the way it was. Fiction can indeed be more true than fact. This honest little book is a primary example.

This is the best book about the WW2 combat soldier I've ever read. The information is historically accurate and exacting in detail, told with a true storyteller's memory and eye for a good yarn. The fact that the author experienced WW2 in Europe gives you the feeling that he is writing his own life story. The story is neither sentimental nor maudlin, nor is it gritty; it is realistic. Easy to read, it makes you proud to be an American and will leave you with immense respect for the "Greatest Generation." A must for every WW2 historian.

Schutz's photographic tour in "Great Cathedrals" is one of the most superb "coffee table" books on the market. The volume is massive in size and tips the scales at a number of pounds, but one glance is all it takes to be hooked. This is professional photography with results that only a seasoned photographer can produce, and then reproduced in the highest quality with splendid detail and high gloss, heavy weight paper. Browsing through these monumental pictures that pay homage to the monumental cathedrals, we forget all about the technical details of how the great Gothic structures were built and simply enjoy the fantastic beauty and immense impact the medieval architects planned all along. There are surprisingly few of these types of books in the American market (a plethora of them exist in France, England, and Germany), but Schutz's book fills the bill, and makes a splendid addition to the genre. From what I can see from the other posted reviews, it seems there is 100% agreement on the beauty of this book.

I got this book as an Xmas gift for my Dad who is a self confessed cathedral "junkie". He loved it and spent most of Xmas day and boxing day with his head buried in it.

He is a photographer and he commented on the great quality of the images, so I'm assuming that they must be good as he's really fussy about that sort of thing.

Awesome and great selection. Text provides enough information about the buildings. One of my favourite books.

This book has been around for at least 3 decades; I'm 43 and remember looking over an earlier edition with awe and reverence in the town library when I was a teenager.

The current edition has some nice updates, including added coverage of the great eastern European cathedrals, such as St. Vitus in Prague. The photography is splendid, and gives a feel of the look and scale of each building, as well as for the smaller details like sculpture and stained glass that makes each great cathedral a triumph of Western civilization.

If you are looking for a book that covers the major cathedrals of Europe in a thorough, satisfying way via photographs and a text providing the history of each building, a discussion of its style, and so forth, search no more. This is EASILY the best book out there that provides what you want.

Magnificent photography, both general views and close-ups of architectural details and stained glass. The book covers France, Germany, England, Spain and Italy. UIt contains a useful glossary of architectural terms and floor-plans of each cathedral. The "Crazy Vaults" of Lincoln Cathedral are not to be missed! I wanted this book to study cathedral design in general, and it more than met my expectations.

I liked the book because I am a history major but some parts are hard to get through. It is a classic however and is a great stepping stone to use when reviewing ancient history

Cornelius Tacitus knows perfectly what the cardinal human characteristic is: `From time immemorial, man has had an instinctive love of power.' And, `the reward for virtue was inevitable death.'
His book is a mighty illustration of the ruthless fight for the top spot: emperor. The ambitious and the wealthy fight one another without mercy. `The truth is that revolution and strife put tremendous power into the hands of evil men.' The vanquished are brutally slain.
For Tacitus, the most important factors in the power struggle are money (`money was the sinews of civil war') and control of the military (`the lesson that an army can create an emperor'). If you could `reward` your soldiers, you could win. However, the legions were not interested in war itself only in looting, plundering, raping and enslaving. `The men wanted campaign and set battles, as the prizes here were more attractive than their normal pay.' The victims were innocent peasants, women and children.
Overall, `Italy found it hard to put up with such hordes of infantry and cavalry, and with violence, financial loss and acts of lawlessness.'

While the `Annals' contain more human touch, the `Histories' are nearly completely centered on military, diplomatic and tactical manoeuvres, followed by terrifying and merciless violence after the battles (`the fury of the soldiers').

This for mankind severe and pessimistic book is a must read for all those interested in the lessons of history and for lovers of great classical literature.

Every now and then a pivotal moment in history is witnessed and recorded by a master communicator. The mid-first century of Rome was such a time and Tacitus was such a communicator. The Histories will forever be a benchmark of good history with its observations on human nature and behaviour along with their impact on history. The historian will do well to read Tacitus not just for the historical lessons but for his approach to history as a record of human activity. While observing and commenting on the human element in history, Tacitus avoids making moral judgements and remains as objective as possible in the midst of turmoil, wars, and rumors of wars. His beloved nation and people were suffering under the barbarity of fratricidal war yet he remains above the madness and records the events with passion tempered with objectivity. His example is one that has remained difficult for others to follow.

A word on this translation in particular - I found Mr. Wellesley's translation very readable and poetic. He seems to have captured the literature value of the text as well as the content. Well done.

Most people don't need a review of Tacitus's work. Most people want to know if a particular translation is any good. With that in mind, I recommend this Penguin edition of Kenneth Wellesley's translation. The translation itself is highly readable, and Wellesley indicates the rare instances where he emends the Latin text in footnotes. Wellesley also uses the footnotes to help the reader keep track of some of the less prominent characters in the work, a feature which is a big help for the non-specialist. Probably the best aspect of this edition is the map section at the end. The book contains 11 maps that include maps of large areas, maps of cities, and diagrams of important battles. Wellesley also refers the reader to the appropriate map through the footnotes. This review makes it sound like the book contains a lot of footnotes, but really there are usually just one or two a page. The one minor defect of the book is that the index only contains personal names. A general index would have made this user friendly book even better. But like I said, this is a great English copy of the Histories.

Reading Tacitus' Annals I oft remembered Thucydides' account of the Peleponnesian wars. An important theme of the latter work was the corrupting effects of prolonged war on the morals and intellect of the Athenian people, who were ultimately degraded so much that they voted the destruction of the people of a small island just because they had chosen to remain neutral. Tacitus, on the other hand, seems to have dedicated himself in this work to examining the corrupting effects of absolutism on the Roman people after the fall of the Republic. He shows how absolute power brought out the worst traits in the character of rulers like Tiberius and Nero, who grew more and more tyrannical with every year on the throne, and how members of the illustruous Roman senate and other sections of the Roman political society turned into a horde of spineless sycophants, informers and debauches. There were still a few honourable individuals, but as Tacitus shows in an endless series of judicial and non-judicial murders, most of these paid the price of sticking to the ancient traditions of liberty and honour with their lives. Tacitus also deals at length with the relations of the Romans with the subject peo-ples. I may be wrong here, but it seems to me that in such passages Tacitus draws a parallels between the fate of these enslaved peoples and that of the enslaved Roman people -the first a slave to the Romans, the second a slave to the emperor and his bureaucracy made up of ex-slaves. Many subject peoples rebelled and some like the Cherusci under Arminius (towards whom he does not seem averse at all) could successfully preserve their liberty against the in-trusion of the Romans. Those Romans who dared defy the tyrant on the other hand, and especially those who could wisely remain independent and yet stay alive, were far fewer, Tacitus seems to imply. Insofar as it demonstrates how closely liberty (including liberty of thought) and morals are intertwined, this work is still relevant today as a central work of liberal humanism.

This is a wonderful introduction to Italian Renaissance art, completely accessible and scholarly at the same time. Not to be read in one sitting though. An hour at a time is enough. Good for use as a college text as well. Don't feel you have to read every page. If your interest flags, go on to another section where you find the art more appealing.

Gave it to my husband for Christmas. He likes it very much and he is very fussy about books.

Its a subjective opinion "Good as New" - I would not give this description to the book I received. It was in Good condition, but definitely NOT "Good as New" - The book looked well used but not abused - Oh well, its a great book and will be well used again and again and again.

I don't give 5-star ratings very often. I reserve them for only the best, and this is indeed the best Italian Renaissance book. I received my undergraduate degree in art history and this was the text used in my Italian Renaissance class. Now, I am completing my master's and we are using the same text, updated edition. It does not read as a textbook for those considering leisure reading. It reads like art history books by Marilyn Stokstad. It is written in easy to understand language, with chapters being grouped by years. There are a TON of pictures! I would say 50% of the book is pictures and 95% of those are in color. There are a few B&W pictures but they are of obscure sculptures or paintings. The book was originally written by Frederick Harrt who was one of the 'Monument Men' in World War II who went around Italy documenting art, missing, damaged, or otherwise. He has passed away but David Wilkins has kept up on the new editions with the current scholarship being done in Renaissance Art. Whether you get this as a textbook for a class, or leisure reading, a coffee table book perhaps, or even a Christmas book for a hard-to-but-for relative, it is well worth the money.

Frederick Hartt wrote the original book The History of Italian Renaissance Art however, he is now deceased. David Wilkins, Professor Emeritus Art History, University of Pittsburgh and recognized expert on this important period of world art, has authored the recent History of Italian Renaissance Art books.

If you're an armchair historian on World War II,then this is an excellent account of Hitler's obscure rise to ultimate power.This is a fascinating look at all the secret saboteurs against the furiose fuhrer.If you're intrigued by the history surrounding the Hitler topic,you'll be spellbound by this book.I never realized the various plots ,inside and outside his inner court,that were being hatched around him.Some will argue it was fated that he would survive.Many would agree it was just bad luck.I still find myself asking if Hitler wanted to destroy Germany on purpose,in revenge for being an 'oddball outcast'.Hitler was seen as a backwood peasant,and not of Viennese artistic quality.Many 'Hitler Histories' claim he was a 'house-painter'.This was not true.He was a failed baukunstler student,that later painted postcards for tourists.Himmler is often listed as just a 'chicken-farmer's geek',when he in fact had technical training at an argicultural institute,as well.The sagacious Himmler was aware of Hitler's ill-gotten birth,ab ovo,and probably felt he was better off as the 'propaganda-direktor'.Rather than the Nazi party's leader.Himmler saw the potential marriage between Hitler and his niece ,Gisella Rubel,as another generation of 'genetic-trouble' for the Fuhrer and an image-problem for the party.It was not discussed in this book,yet it can be speculated ,that Himmler's SS had Rubel killed and Himmler then instructed a 'suicide-scene' staged.Hitler believed fully that 'in-breeding' was preserving of the Aryan race,when in fact it was creating genetic dead-ends for extinction of the human race.At any rate,the various Allied countries valiently tried to eradicate the polemic dictator from his post.This engaging book gives the agentry accounts of the agent-provocateurs involved.From his egregious wanderings into the beer-hall rants then onto his fusty bunker of despair.This is a gripping book about the assassins of change,who failed to curtail the actions of a desperate madman,whose demagoguery bedeviled an entire nation into ruin for a generation.

Well written, readable account of the major plots and attempts to kill Hitler over the course of his political ascension to his final self demise. Impressive telling from young Georg Elser's early attempt to kill Hitler in 1939 with an ingenious self made bomb that exploded on time but after Hitler prematurely left the podium to his military enemies the British who initially found the task undesirable. The telling of these grand and individual plots parallels the rise and fall of the Third Reich. The detail is quite refreshing discussing how initially vulnerable to assassination Hitler was partially due to his grandiose perception that he was supernaturally protected from death. Aside from external and internal plots within the military, the author explains in impressive detail how the various heroic undergrounds were successful in killing numerous Nazis while suffering great and shocking reprisals for their success particularly in Poland and Czechoslovakia. An ultimate example is the Czechs pulling off a major assassination with the killing of Heydrich. Impressive is the author's documentation of the various anti-Hitler networks involving such prominent military men such as Wilhelm Canaris and Hans Oster who both suffer once exposed. The highlight of the book of course is the great attempt that almost kills Hitler, the bomb planted by war hero Stauffenberg in the Rastenburg map room. The author also tells why the assassination failed that is an interesting and new revelation. Another interested party is Hitler's favorite architect and armories coordinator, Albert Speer, who the author recognizes as potentially self serving at Nuremberg but the author also recognized Speers' desire not to have Germany destroyed as Hitler wished at the end. The book also includes an excellent collection of photographs of the collaborators and other fascinating photos such as Goring inspecting the destroyed map room to a startling picture of the extraordinary intense gaze of British Colonel Noel Mason-McFarland during a pre-war German military review. Mason-McFarland emphatically stated before the war that a sniper could easily dispatch Hitler and save Europe.

I really enjoyed this look at the various attempts on Hitler's life. Moorehouse not only gives the reader the straight facts of the attempts, but manages to give the right amount of background information so you can see just how each plot came together. It left me wondering just how many other schemes were out there that were swept away by the winds of time. A book like this really makes you think of how things could have been so different.

Although I was aware of some attempts on Hitler's life, I did not know that there were so many and from so many different sources - both within Hitler's entourage as well as far away from it. The author has provided well-researched and reasoned renderings of a subset of these attempts - the most fascinating and surprising ones. But in addition to discussing these various attempts in detail, the author has also presented much valuable information on the background history and evolving politics of Germany from the end of World War I to the end of World War II. The brutality of the Nazi regime is also amply discussed. As expected, particular attention has been paid to the instigation, structure and evolution of Hitler's security organization. The book's writing style is clear, friendly, authoritative and very engaging. It should be most relished by history buffs that have a penchant for the Second World War.

Roger Moorehouse's "Killing Hitler" is a tragic chronicle of the alarmingly few individuals and groups in Nazi Germany who saw early on (or too late) that their "leader" was a mass murdering psychopath and acted accordingly--to no avail.

Though their bravery is commendable, one cannot help feel terrible anger and frustration as one gets into the thick of Moorhouse's feverish narrative. At long last, one has to ask, why didn't someone in the Wehrmacht simply get on good terms with Hitler, stand next to him, and ignite a live grenade? Suffice to say that any evaluation of posterity is just that, and only a slight percentage of those still living have had the experience of living in a ferocious totalitarian state like the Germany of 1933-45.

Perhaps the most impressive of the would-be assassins is Maurice Bavaud, a young idealist with deep roots in Christendom who, in 1939, waited for Hitler to show up at his annual "Beer Hall Putsch" celebration (where the equally courageous Georg Elser would plant a bomb which missed only because of a chance early departure by the dictator) took a pistol, and was foiled because of a group of German civilians. This was not the first time Bauvaud would make such a naked, furious attempt on the Fuhrer's life. Captured and guillotined in 1941, Bavaud stated baldly that whether Germans would accept it or not, he had been acting not only in their interest but the interest of all humanity. Only Col. Claus Von Stauffenberg's already well publicized attempt rivals that kind of courage.

The Warsaw Uprising of 1944 is given an impressive, if limited, recounting here: the PHM (Polish Home Army) managed to kill 9,000 SS soldiers and, through the utlitization of suicide bombers and guerilla attacks, eliminate a few important members of the Third Reich. The RAF's bungled, halfhearted attempts to bomb Hitler's HQ in East Prussia really didn't need mention here.

How desperate some former Wehrmacht soldiers were for Hitler's death is given heart pounding illustration here, in history's first suicide bomber, Rudolf-Chriastoph Von Gersdorff. Having served as an unofficial emissary for Henning Von Tresckow, a lifelong opponent of the Nazi regime and a key figure in the July 20th attempt, agreed to an act of utter self-sacrifice in order to get rid of Hitler: "At this point it became clear to me that an attack was only possible if I were to carry the explosives about my person, and blow myself up as close to Hitler as was possible."
Lining his uniform with "clam mines" obtained from a fellow officer (Col. Brandt, who knew nothing of the attempt, and who ironically would be the man to move the briefcase bomb away from Hitler on July 20th), he armed the mines with a trigger that would give him exactly ten minutes in which to approach his target and "kiss the sky". Hitler was, at the time, speaking in a German museum--originally Gersdorff was to approach him while the speech was being made and stand beside him.

Hitler cut the speech, was intended to be thirty minutes, to two minutes, and despite Gersdorff having already activated the device--with 5 minutes left--his attempts to stay near Hitler were in vain. Hitler may have noticed that Gersdorff was unusually "eager to talk" and the demonic instinct of self preservation kicked in: in any case, he said goodbye very quickly. Gersdorff then ran to the restroom and defused the bomb with trembling hands.

Moorhouse gets downright unethical--probably desperate for material, but still--including Albert Speer in this book. Speer was Hitler's devoted architect from the beginning of the war to the end and was much a brainwashed Nazi as Himmler, Goerring or Goebbels; he was just charismatic and knew how to BS the judges at Nuremburg. He lied about his knowledge of the atrocities and the Allies, not having evidence ofhis full knowledge which would emerge years later, bought it. Aside from a few scholars who have an unhealthy fascination with him, the general consensus is that he should have been dangling at the end of a rope with all the rest. The only reason he had even a passing thought about assassinating a man he otherwise had nearly homoerotic feelings for was the destruction of Germany. And that's all it was, a passing thought. It should probably be removed from the book.