Defying Hitler: A Memoir

An absolute classic of autobiography and history
One of the few books to explore how and why the Germans were seduced by Hitler and Nazism.

Praise for the book:
"If you have never read a book about Nazi Germany before, or if you have already read a thousand, I would urge you to read DEFYING HITLER. It sings with wisdom and understanding" — DAILY MAIL

Overview of the Memoir:
Sebastian Haffner, a non-Jewish German who emigrated to England in 1938, offers a deeply personal and insightful account in this memoir. Written in 1939 but only published now for the first time, the narrative begins in 1914, when the outbreak of war abruptly ends a family summer holiday, and concludes with Hitler's assumption of power in 1933.

This memoir is both a portrait of Haffner himself and of his generation in Germany—those born between 1900 and 1910. Through his own experiences and observations, as well as those of his friends, he brilliantly explains how his generation came to be seduced by Hitler and Nazism.

Key insights explored in the book:

• The Germans lacked an outlet for self-expression:
  While the French had amour, food, and wine, and the British had gardens and pets, the Germans had nothing, leading to a tendency towards mass psychosis.
• The impact of post-WWI upheaval:
  The revolution, factionalism, and inflation left Germans addicted to excitement and action—and Hitler provided this, and more.