Heinrich Himmler: The SS, Gestapo, His Life and Career

[Carrots]

I am considering purchasing this book written by Roger Manvell & Heinrich Fraenkel and would like some opinions on it from previous readers. Is there a better biography that I should consider? I enjoyed their piece on Goebbels but I do like to mix it up author wise, and this is now rather 'old' text.

Thanks folks

[Nigel N]

you might try reading himmler-reichsfuhrer ss, by peter padfield, i enjoyed that one, or for something a little different try ss1, the unlikely death of heinrich himmler, by hugh thomas!!

[Huntzman]

I think that the Padfield recommendation is a good one.

If you are looking for a very good, although dry, read on the dysfunctional family that was the SS I would also recommend "Order of the Deaths Head" by Heinz Höhne. It's a rather indepth look at all the players.

Andrew

[Carrots]

Thank you gentlemen, I shall check them out

[Michael Fay]

The Kersten Memoirs

Carrots,
I highly recommend the Padfield book also, as other members have already suggested. It is extremely packed with details, perhaps more than you want. Copious notes , citations, etc. One page of text can take a hour of reading, IF you follow all the notes and original sources.

Another book on Himmler that I continually enjoy(and cited in depth in the Padfield book), is:
Kersten, Felix. "The Kersten Memoirs: 1940-1945." I believe it has been reprinted and is available at this time. Kersten was Himmlers personal doctor and became for Himmler a kind of "confessor." It is not a "history book" but an interesting avenue to understand Himmler's psyche, and a way to comprehend SS ideology.....great fun

Cheerio,
Michael

[Carrots]

Thank you very much Michael, memoirs of that ilk are EXACTLY the kind of thing that usually tickles this little soldier. I will certainly seek those out, along with Mr Padfield’s 'Reichsfuhrer'. Is 'Himmler’s Black Order' also worth considering, perhaps as an alternative (or maybe an addition) to Höhne's ‘The Order Of The Death Heads’ ? I have January all to myself and so I could probably chew my way through all four if the consensus is that each is worth the time, and that there won't be too much overlap.

[Michael Fay]

book review

Carrots,
I have all those books you ask about(and then some) within 10 feet of where I type. "The Black Order" is a must for the SS history library in my opinion. Unlike some academic text, it is not jargon laden and is actually enjoyable reading,in my opinion.
Hohne's book, well...it is an academic study of the very old school (and before historian's dared look much at the actual ideology) . ..and so I only read it by perusing the index and reading only what I wanted to know. A positive for Hohne's book is that it has been reprinted many times in paperback over what must be 30 years now, and so can be found for very very cheap in many a used book store.
--Michael

[Carrots]

Ok 10-4 Michael, I had hoped to hear good things on The Black Order as I believe that Mr Lumsden post here. Do you know if the reprinted editions of Hohne's include the photographs and charts that the original pressing did? You're right the reprints of that are as cheap as chips, but aside from page number, year and the binding the descriptions assigned by the various online sellers are not at all comprehensive. I did see a first of that for sale, but alas I was too late and it ended up selling for $3.85. Someone got the quite the bargain.

[Michael Fay]

Ok 10-4 Michael, I had hoped to hear good things on The Black Order as I believe that Mr Lumsden post here. Do you know if the reprinted editions of Hohne's include the photographs and charts that the original pressing did? You're right the reprints of that are as cheap as chips, but aside from page number, year and the binding the descriptions assigned by the various online sellers are not at all comprehensive. I did see a first of that for sale, but alas I was too late and it ended up selling for $3.85. Someone got the quite the bargain.

Actually , no. I have no idea if the whole corpus of the original is carried through in any of the other printings...good point as in paperbacks esp in 60s/70s was sometimes produced in an pared down format.

My 1977 ballantine paperback has some photo plates and a fold out chart of SS org. (Along with age issues-yellowing pgs--acidic paper +a a few pages falling out).
One thing, a paperback is smaller so the text is smaller too. A hardback is a bit bigger and so more comfortable to peruse.
but the price is right

mf

[stgeorge64]

try ss1, the unlikely death of heinrich himmler, by hugh thomas!!

I cannot help you with 'Heinrich Himmler: The SS, Gestapo, His Life and Career' however, I did read 'SS1 The Unlikely Death Of Heinrich Himmler', which I found very interesting indeed.

Some very emotive conclusions.......worth a read.

Regards Richard.