Product Description

As secretary to the Führer throughout the time of the Third Reich, Christa Schroeder was perfectly placed to observe the actions and behaviour of Hitler, along with the most important figures surrounding him.

Schroeder's memoir does not fail to deliver fascinating insights: she notes his bourgeois manners, his vehement abstemiousness and his mood swings. Indeed, she was ostracised by Hitler for a number of months after she made the mistake of publicly contradicting him once too often.

In addition to her portrayal of Hitler, there are illuminating anecdotes about Hitler's closest colleagues. She recalls, for instance, that the relationship between Martin Bormann and his brother Albert (who was on Hitler's personal staff) was so bad that the two would only communicate with one another via their respective adjutants - even if they were in the same room. There is also light shed on the peculiar personal life and insanity of Reichsminister Walther Darré.

Schroeder claims to have known nothing of the horrors of the Nazi regime. There is nothing of the sense of perspective or the mea culpa that one finds in the memoirs of Hitler's other secretary, Traudl Junge - who concluded `we should have known'. Rather the tone that pervades Schroeder's memoir is one of bitterness. This is, without any doubt, one of the most important primary sources from the pre-war and wartime period.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #103017 in Books
• Published on: 2009-05-21
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 272 pages

Review
'Christa Schroeder provides a rare, fascinating insight into Hitler and his household' -- Sunday Telegraph,

Customer Reviews

A wonderful insight
The Nazi years continue to fascinate. This book, written from the records of one of Hitler's secretaries, gives a rare insight into the 'inner world' of the Third Reich. It concentrates upon the day to day routines of Hitler and his closest circle of aides and advisors, and reminds us that notorious tyrants such as Hitler are also very human. As a boss, he was courteous, kind, and approachable - he even received criticism with good grace. For those who wish to understand the dynamics of Hitlerism - from the early 1930s to the last days of the Fuerher bunker - this is a must read.