Who were the men who helped Hitler establish the Third Reich and then carry out some of the worst atrocities in modern history? In fifteen chilling profiles, Joachim Fest examines the lives of the most infamous Nazi leaders. They include Hermann Goering: the self-styled 'Iron Man', who directly issued orders for the Final Solution; Joseph Goebbels: the mastermind behind Kristallnacht; Heinrich Himmler: Reichsfuhrer of the SS, responsible for the deaths of over six million Jews and the most powerful man in Nazi Germany after Hitler; Martin Bormann: Hitler's private secretary, who wielded power by controlling access to the Fuhrer; Rudolph Hess: Deputy of the Nazi Party who was tried at Nuremberg; Albert Speer: 'the Nazi who said sorry', and of course Hitler himself. In this compelling account, Joachim Fest - one of the greatest authorities on the Third Reich and an icon of post-war Germany - shows how it was these individual personalities and their vicious power struggles that combined to give form to Hitler's terrifying vision.

Author Biography

Joachim Fest (1926-2006) was a German historian, journalist, critic and editor, best known for his writings and commentary on Nazi Germany, which included a hugely influential biography of Adolf Hitler as well as books about Albert Speer and the German Resistance. He was awarded the Eugen-Bolz prize in 2004 for 'Plotting Hitler's Death' and the Henri Nannen prize in 2006 for his journalistic achievements.