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Books and documentaries recommending as intro to WWII&Nazis?

  • 26-11-2010 1:12am
    #1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,409 ✭✭✭


    I want to teach my kid about WWII&Nazis, specifically the socio-economic events that led up to the rise of the Nazis. Can anyone recommend some good starting points in terms of documentaries and books?

    I'm pretty reluctant to just go along with the Wikipedia thing. Not looking for "history for dummies" but I'm not sure where to start...


Comments

  • Closed Accounts Posts: 9,273 ✭✭✭Morlar


    I want to teach my kid about WWII&Nazis, specifically the socio-economic events that led up to the rise of the Nazis. Can anyone recommend some good starting points in terms of documentaries and books?

    I'm pretty reluctant to just go along with the Wikipedia thing. Not looking for "history for dummies" but I'm not sure where to start...

    There are lots of documentaries online or in cheap dvd boxsets. I think probably the overall top WW2 documentary series would be 'The World at War'. From what I recall it covers the Versailles/Weimar period reasonably well.

    Others worth checking out (beyond weimar) would include :

    The voices from Hitler's army series :

    Blitzkrieg voices from Hitler's army
    DEFENDING BERLIN, THE LAST BATTLES-VOICES FROM HITLERS ARMY
    RUSSIA, THE UNHOLY WAR-VOICES FROM HITLERS GERMANY etc

    The Nazi's a warning from History - series
    WAR OF THE CENTURY - series
    True Stories of WW2
    Dead Mens Secrets
    World War 2 in colour

    Some of these may be online in parts on youtube or google video.

    Books wise - you did not say how old is the person this is for. Most of the books I am familiar with would not fall under the 'Rough Guide' or 'introductory' kind of category.


  • Registered Users Posts: 821 ✭✭✭FiSe


    Mein Kampf, pretty much everything in there from the philosophical point of view.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,260 ✭✭✭PatsytheNazi


    The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich: A History of Nazi Germany by William Shirer is regarded as a classic. Really goes deep into the roots of Nazism, Hitler's youth in an Austrian border village, how it was a mix of politics and bizarre cults with pagan symbols that you see on their flags such as Roman eagles, lightening bolts, swaistika's etc And the personal qualities that the senior nazi's had that developed it's outlook. Excellent read.

    http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2/23/TheRiseandFalloftheThirdReich.jpg


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 613 ✭✭✭Misanthrope


    The socio-economic aspect of WW2 and Nazis is very poorly documented in history books.Not too many publishers have the balls to question the behaviour of many corporations and banks in Allied nations, leading up to and during the war.The accepted history on WW2 is stunningly anaemic.

    IBM,Brown Bros Harriman,Ford,Coca Cola are just a few names that are worth researching in this context.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 9,273 ✭✭✭Morlar


    FiSe wrote: »
    Mein Kampf, pretty much everything in there from the philosophical point of view.

    I think this is probably the best answer on the thread for the overall background (going back to even the pre ww1 era which is normally not even considered and more loosely the franco prussian war).


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  • Registered Users Posts: 141 ✭✭salutations


    The apocalypse series on c4 at the mo is very good for giving an overview of the basics with excellent footage. Prob on 4od on you tube


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,409 ✭✭✭Butch Cassidy


    Cheers folks. I've been watching some of the Ch4 show but it's really pre-war I'm looking for rather than the details of what happened at the frontline on the battlefield. Am I looking in the wrong place for an account of the society/economy of Germany that led to WWII? And the support the people gave it?


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 252 ✭✭teekayd25


    My recommendation has been mentioned but "The Nazis - A Warning From History" is a really great series. The first couple of episodes deal with the rise to power etc. so it could be what you are looking for.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 6,684 ✭✭✭JustinDee


    IBM,Brown Bros Harriman,Ford,Coca Cola are just a few names that are worth researching in this context.
    Even worse still see BASF, Siemens, Mercedes and Volkswagen


  • Registered Users Posts: 227 ✭✭Meself


    I can thoroughly recommend Richard j Evans the third Reich trilogy. It goes into great detail f socio economic issues that lead to the nazis taking power. Google him. The books are fantastic .. also I would second the world at war series made by the BBC in the early 70s . It's fascinating listening to accounts from nazis, German soilders and those close to Hitler and his men... Albert spear is interviewed throughout. I'm just back from auschwitz. Not sure how old ur kids are but this is a place u should consider taking them in time. Get the book and or dvd auschwitz the nazis and the final solution by laurence rees. A fantastic series


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  • Registered Users Posts: 821 ✭✭✭FiSe


    JustinDee wrote: »
    Even worse still see BASF, Siemens, Mercedes and Volkswagen

    Daimler - Benz, Porsche, Junkers, Steyer, Skoda, Continental, Carl Zeiss, BMW, Tatra, Bosch, Shell, Renault, Dornier, Opel, we can spend hours throwing names of companies whose products were used during the war on the German side.
    Pointless in this thread in my view.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 6,684 ✭✭✭JustinDee


    FiSe wrote: »
    Daimler - Benz, Porsche, Junkers, Steyer, Skoda, Continental, Carl Zeiss, BMW, Tatra, Bosch, Shell, Renault, Dornier, Opel, we can spend hours throwing names of companies whose products were used during the war on the German side.
    Pointless in this thread in my view.
    I was referring to slave labour of dehumanised and disenfranchised Jews, Roma, intellectuals, political dissenters especially following the Nuremburg Laws of 1935.
    Wholly relevant.


  • Registered Users Posts: 3,577 ✭✭✭jonniebgood1


    JustinDee wrote: »
    I was referring to slave labour of dehumanised and disenfranchised Jews, Roma, intellectuals, political dissenters especially following the Nuremburg Laws of 1935.
    Wholly relevant.

    +1
    The role of everyday company's in normalising slave labour played an enormous role in the processes of alienation of minorities. This is relevent in understanding what led to WWII and all that it entailed.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 6,684 ✭✭✭JustinDee


    A recommended insight is also available in transcripts of the Nuremburg trials. I've got two very good books on this but they're upstairs and I can't be arsed right now as I'm watching the cricket :)
    Will post them tomorrow.
    Lawrence Rees' books are mainly outlines backed up by personal accounts. A lot like Martin Gilbert's books about the Holocaust. Still very good though.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,409 ✭✭✭Butch Cassidy


    Thanks folks. Ye are a great resource


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 6,684 ✭✭✭JustinDee


    The Nuremburg books are 'Nuremburg' by Jason Owen and 'Nuremburg - Conversations with Defendants and Witnesses' by Leon Goldensohn.
    Both interesting illustrations of the arrogant delusions that the country was under.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 9,273 ✭✭✭Morlar


    This one is also worth checking out and quite inexpensive at the moment.


  • Registered Users Posts: 9,463 ✭✭✭marienbad


    the series of books by Max Hastings. I would never have read him as from his previous lives I would have expected 'little engendlander jingoism' but I picked them up cheap in a second hand shop and they are excellent

    Armageddon - the Battle For Germany 1944-45 is outstanding and is magnificently objective , so I owe you an apology there Maxie.

    Ideal if you want a good overview of the course of the war for general readers


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