As featured on World War II Today

WW2 Today

Featured in the 'new and noteworthy' section

WWII History, Summer 2020

Creating Hitler’s Germany makes clear which internal and external elements were responsible for the increase of extremism in Germany in the period 1914-1915. Heath knows how to engage the reader by finding a balance between the general narrative of the First and Second World War and personal stories. As a result, the author creates a nuanced image without repeating himself even once. The book is clearly written for a wide audience and reads easily.

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Traces of War

These sources make Creating Hitler's Germany essential reading if one is to understand the embryo of Adolf Hitler's Third Reich

SirReadALot

This is the third book by Tim Heath that I have read about Germany, and I always find his work very well researched, presented and written. He very much focusses on the everyday person, the youth or even the women of the Third Reich, and I find this excellent because I enjoy this views of topics rather than the usual overall view from above or from the powers that be point... This hardback book of about 210+ pages is a fantastic book about Nazi Germany with many reports and first-hand accounts from local people, this book is a real gem and together with the authors other works it is a definite must have read. I would certainly award it 5 stars out of 5.

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UK Historian

I take 2 things away from this book. First, a better understanding of how a government and it’s people can become corrupted. Second, a warning that as a citizen of a democratic country I need to be very careful when evaluating my leaders because it may not take much to tip the scales towards evil. Finally, I want to acknowledge the resilience and determination that Germany has demonstrated in turning around their country after WWII.

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A Line From A Book, Jennifer Sahmoun

This book makes incredible use of primary sources, most coming from interviews conducted by the author. These powerful voices really help the reader to put themselves in their shoes and get a real feel for the climate of the times... This book has a very authentic feeling to it and was an enjoyable read.

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Queens & Emperors, Tayla McRae

Editor's Choice

It's gripping, sobering, fascinating stuff.

The Armourer, September 2019

A book that I strongly recommend to understand how Hitler did not "fall from the sky" but how it slowly took root like a malign plant in the consciences and lives of millions of people.

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Old Barbed Wire Blog

This book takes an original approach seeing a part of Nazi Germany through the eyes of German families – Highly Recommended

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Firetrench

As featured on Argunners

Argunners

This is a fascinating and very good piece of social history, showing the many nuanced facets of a dark and disturbing time in the world and particularly German history.

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A Question Of Scale, Seb Palmer

If we do not learn the lessons of history we will be doomed to repeat the behaviors, national and personal, that have resulted in the tragedies of the past. One outstanding 20th Century example is how Germany was treated at the end of World War I and how she was treated at the end of World War II -- that latter treatment having prevented a World War III for the past 75 years. Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, Tim Heath's "Creating Hitler's Germany: The Birth of Extremism" is very highly recommended for community and academic library 20th Century History collections.

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Midwest Book Review

The rise of Nazism and its impact on ordinary Germans are questions of ongoing historical interest. Oral history researcher Heath, who previously focused on the experiences of German girls and young women under the Third Reich in Hitler's Girls (2017), brings these big-picture issues to life in a survey of German social history in the interwar and WWII periods. While he breaks no new interpretive ground, Heath draws extensively upon letters and diaries, memoirs, and his interviews with elderly survivors and descendants, presenting vivid details and their reflections on their experiences through extended quotations that lend the events a sense of immediacy. With informants ranging from concentration camp survivors to Wehrmacht soldiers, he brings both the absolutes of good and evil and the ambiguities of everyday life into focus. Many of the most memorable testimonies come from sources who were teens or young adults facing the challenge of coming-of-age under the Nazis or within their orbit. Heath provides an engaging introduction to the period and a valuable resource for all interested in the full scope of WWII.

Sara Jorgensen, Booklist Online Exclusive, June 2019

As featured in

The Bookseller Buyers Guide

A well crafted book bringing personal accounts to assist in describing the conditions that led to the rise and fall of the National Socialist regime. Some powerful insights demonstrate the moral failings of individuals allowed the bad ideas to gain traction in a society feeling very hard done by after the Great War. A thought provoking read.
As a postscript I was leading a group in Munich the day after Lehman Bros crashed. With fears of a truly global crash eliminating assets, jobs and savings I posed the question, ‘If I promised to restore your finances and fortunes would you vote for me?’ – everybody raised their hand.

Michael McCarthy. Battlefield Guide

Michael McCarthy