'Hitlers Hangman The Life of Heydrich'

[Woolgar]

Anyone read the above book by Robert Gerwarth?

If so I would like to hear your review

Thanks

Nick

[Woolgar]

'''''''

[Mil-Archive]

I have read it. Gerwarth teaches not that far down the road from where I live so I got a signed copy from a friend of mine.

Overall it is not too bad.

I learned some biographical things about Heydrich (also his father in relation to playing for Wagner relative & NY Philharmonic).

One minor irritant is that the author seems to go to great lengths to avoid using the word 'communist' anywhere in relation to what the Freikorps were opposed to. Anytime there was a red rising or attempted takeover anywhere in post-war Germany the word communist is nowhere to be found. They were 'revolutionary soldiers', whereas Heydrich's Civil Defence involvement in protecting his home town is dismissed as 'pathetic attempt to compensate for no combat experience'.

The author also has no problem with statements like 'no records of the meeting exsist but it is likely they discussed . . . ' & proceeds into detail of who said what at a meeting for which no records exsist.

The stuff about Heydrich's stint as a turret gunner over poland Sept 1939 was new to me. Also as a fighter pilot over Yugoslavia & competing in national fencing competition into 1942 (I think).

The author also references authors like Longereich & Snyder very easily. If you can read around the top-heavy PC side of it this book there are some interesting biographical details.

[Woolgar]

Thank you for that review I am looking forward to sterting it

Nick

[pasoleati]

So far the best Heydrich bio by far has been the one published by Ulric of England. I really hate biographers who don't even try to be objective. Just recently I read an excellent new biography on Lev Trotski by a Finnish historian Christer Pursiainen. An excellent one with zero moralizing.

[pimberg]

I totally agree with Pasoleati. Don't waste your money on any Heydrich bio especially the most recent one. Buy the two volume set by Max Williams published by Ulric of England.