|
|
In one way this is quite a difficult book to review. The author's main aim is to prove that Hitler suffered from a specific mental illness – paranoid schizophrenia. The author is a qualified medical doctor, but this reviewer is not, and so is unable to judge the accuracy or credibility of his diagnosis.
I can make some comments on the quality of the direct evidence the author uses to support his case. At the heart of his argument is the idea that Hitler heard and obeys 'voices' in his head – auditory hallucinations. A number of sources do support the idea that Hitler talked about getting ideas from 'the voice' – the question is whether this was meant literally or was simply a devise to explain his 'inspirations'. The reader will also have to judge if the author has sometimes referred to some of Hitler's beliefs as being medical delusions when they were simply wrong.
Away from the medical material the book contains some good material on the sources of many of Hitler's beliefs, which can often be traced back to the German nationalist right of the pre First World War era and the immediate aftermath of defeat in 1918. There are also sizable sections looking at the way these beliefs were put into practise during the war.
Overall this is a curious but interesting book, taking a different approach to Hitler, his beliefs and his crimes.
Chapters
1 - Hitler's Family Background
2 - Vienna
3 - Germany in Crisis
4 - Further Humiliation for Germany
5 - Mein Kampf: Hitler's Manifesto
6 - Hitler: Racist and Liar
7 - The Origin of Hitler's Ideas
8 - The Concept of the 'Aryan'
9 - Guido von List
10 - Jorg Lanz von Liebenfels
11 - Ostara
12 - Liebenfels' Wilder Notions
13 - Germany Again in Crisis
14 - The 'Saviour' Cometh
15 - A New 'Holy Order'
16 - Nazism in Practice: Echoes of Ostara
17 - Private Life and Family
18 - William Patrick Hitler
19 - Hitler's Relationship with Women
20 - Lebensraum
21 - Marxism: a Threat to Germany?
22 - 'International Communism'
23 - The Jews as Aggressors
24 - Russian under Stalin
25 - World War
26 - The Planned Invasion of the Soviet Union
27 - Operation BARBAROSSA
28 - The 'Final Solution'
29 - Hitler and his 'Inner Voices'
30 - Hitler's Schizophrenia: the Most Dangerous Type of All
31 - Finale
32 - Aftermath
Author: Andrew Norman
Edition: Hardcover
Pages: 214
Publisher: Pen & Sword Military
Year: 2011