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The Life and Death of Adolf Hitler
Giblin, James Cross. 2002. THE LIFE AND DEATH OF ADOLF
HITLER. New York: Clarion Books. ISBN 0395903718.
After explaining that the events surrounding the disposal of Adolf
Hitler's body remain a mystery, Giblin spends the rest of this
biography detailing how a man could become so hated that he is in
danger even after death. The text recounts the life of Hitler in
a chronological manner with dates and locations carefully noted. Giblin
begins with Hitler's birth in Austria in 1889, tells of the events of
his young adulthood and how they shaped his thinking, and then tells of
his rise to power and ultimate demise.
Giblin writes in a straightforward style with great attention to
detail. This biography tells not only the story of Hitler, but
the author also devotes much time to explaining the political
climate throughout the world at this point and how these events
affected Hitler and his life. For example, Chapter 5 "The Power of
Speech" goes into great detail about the end of World War I and how the
terms of the Versailles treaty left Hitler feeling that his service in
that war had been for naught and spurred him to political
activism. The careful explanation of the losses of Germany due to
this treaty (Giblin, pp.26-27) give the reader a road map into Hitler's
plans
for revenge.
Woven throughout the story are carefully researched quotes from Hitler
himself and others such as relatives and political insiders that give
further insight and punctuate Giblin's narrative. The variety of the
sources of the quotes serve to give the reader a balanced look into
Hitler's world. The extensive access features of the book further
show the author's dedication to accuracy. Included are a glossary
of German words and terms, source notes and bibliography, and an
index. In the introduction to the "Source Notes and Bibliography"
section, Giblin reveals his own motivation for the story and how
researching and writing this book has answered questions he has held
for fifty years.
An impressive aspect of this work is the way actual photographs, maps,
and political cartoons of the time extend the author's
words. Very few double page spreads do not include a
relevant picture, and these pictures depict many different types of
scenes of the times. Well written captions give further
information that help the reader get a better sense of Hitler's story.
After telling of the horrific results of Hitler's regime, the author
uses the last chapter, "Hitler Lives," to inform young readers of how
the philosophies of the Nazis are still being practiced by extremist
groups of today. In his review, Sieruta labels this section of
the book "chilling," and comments on Giblin's ability to "provide
evidence of the despot's long shadow on today's world." This chapter
rounds out the book well by showing
how this book is relevant to young people today. Giblin ends by
issuing the challenge that it is up to all of us to make sure that
Hitler's wishes are never realized.
Sieruta, Peter D. 2002. The life and death of Adolf Hitler (book). Horn Book Magazine 78(3). In
EBSCOHost (database online). Available
from http://search.epnet.com/login.asp. Accessed 25 February
2005.
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