Leaving Nazi Germany
In Summer of Long Knives, Rolf and Klara's main goal--disrupted by the murder of Gretl Hofstengl--is to leave Nazi Germany. Accomplishing this involved clearing a couple of very high hurdles: the…
RIP Nelson Mandela
When most people in their nineties or older die, survivors reflect on the changes the departed saw over the span of their lives. With Mandela, we reflect on the changes he…
Summer of Long Knives Holiday Buying Guide
Here you'll find a list of gifts perfect for someone who's already bought, read, stolen, or otherwise wrangled a copy of Summer of Long Knives. (Of course, if you haven't read Summer, I…
War For Growth: The Economy of the Third Reich During the Prewar Years
The Nazis came to power at a time of great economic peril in Germany. Unemployment was close to 30%, wages and living standards were in free fall, banks were failing.…
Do We Still Need Stories About the Nazis?
A negative review of the movie The Book Thief posed the question this way: When I reviewed 12 Years A Slave, which is based on the true story of a free black man who…
The Tegernsee, Heinrich Himmler, and the Night of the Long Knives
The Tegernsee proves once again that, whatever else one might think of the Nazi leadership, they had taste in real estate. A picturesque lake south of Munich, framed by mountains…
The Nazi Judiciary
The court system in Nazi Germany was an example of the meandering course of Hitler's efforts to reshape government institutions to suit his interests. Despite the lenient treatment he had…
Resistance to the Nazis in the 1930s
In the first months of Nazi rule, labor unions and opposition political parties ceased to exist as government and society were subjected to the Gleichschaltung process, which was intended to reorganize all…
Was There A Nazi Personality?
One of my Facebook friends posted about a book that led to my thinking about this issue. Here's the exchange: Now I'd like to revise and extend my remarks…
Falling In Love Again: Marlene Dietrich and The Blue Angel
"Then Marlene Dietrich appeared. Klara released her grip, as if daring Rolf to move. Rolf couldn’t." --Summer of Long Knives, page 113 The Blue Angel, based on a novel whose…