A deeply insightful social history of Hitler's rise to power and the attitudes of the German people during the Third Reich period.

Based on more than three decades of exhaustive historiographical research on Nazi Germany, Kershaw's book brings together for the first time the most important aspects of the distinguished British historian's research on the Holocaust. The chapters are structured into three sections: Hitler and the Final Solution, public opinion and Jews in Nazi Germany, and the Final Solution in historiography, accompanied by an introduction and an epilogue on the uniqueness of Nazism.

Historian Ian Kershaw is a pioneer of the social history of the Third Reich and throughout his career has conducted groundbreaking research on the social causes and effects of Nazi policy. His work has brought to light countless details about the ways in which the various attitudes adopted by the German people shaped or did not shape Nazi policy. This volume offers a comprehensive, multi-layered picture of both the destructive dynamics of Nazi leadership and the attitudes and behavior of ordinary Germans as the persecution of Jews escalated into full-scale genocide.

"Ian Kershaw once again demonstrates his mastery in interpreting the history of Nazi Germany and Hitler's policies, particularly in relation to the Jews. A must-read."
(Saul Friedlander, Professor of History, UCLA)

"For the past three decades, Ian Kershaw has been one of the most insightful scholars of Nazi Germany. He has contributed pioneering studies on public opinion and popular attitudes in the Third Reich, as well as his monumental biography of Hitler."

(Christopher R. Browning, University of North Carolina)