Hitler's Private Library, By Timothy W. Ryback
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Depressing for those who believe in the ameliorative power of literature, Hitler was a great book lover. The 1,200 surviving volumes of his library were removed to the Library of Congress where they were ignored until Ryback surveyed them in 2001.
His exploration of books that "possessed emotional or intellectual significance for Hitler" is of the greatest interest. These works range from a guidebook to Berlin that sparked Hitler's desire to make it "the capital of the world" to Madison Grant's chilling racist tract The Passing of the Great Race.
The career resurgence described in Carlyle's biography of Frederick the Great provided unjustified solace in the Berlin bunker. More encouragement would have been provided by Nostradamus, who predicted Britain would be "steeped in blood" by 1939, but the book was unread.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments