Death in the Bunker

by Ian Kershaw

Translated widely across the world, Ian Kershaw's award-winning two-volume Penguin biography of Hitler is widely regarded as the definitive work on the megalomaniac Nazi leader. Death in the Bunker offers a compelling account of the final hours of Germany's Third Reich: the oaths and betrayals of the Fuhrer's henchmen, and his ultimate suicide in an underground chamber alongside his new wife Eva Braun.

Genres: History, Biography, World War II, Nonfiction, War

58 pages, Paperback

First published June 5, 2005

About the author

Ian Kershaw is a British historian, noted for his biographies of Adolf Hitler.
Ian Kershaw studied at Liverpool (BA) and Oxford (D. Phil). He was a lecturer first in medieval, then in modern, history at the University of Manchester. In 1983-4 he was Visiting Professor of Modern History at the Ruhr University in Bochum, West Germany. From 1987 to 1989 he was Professor of Modern History at the University of Nottingham, and since 1989 has been Professor of Modern History at Sheffield. He is a fellow of the British Academy, of the Royal Historical Society, of the Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin, and of the Alexander von Humboldt-Stiftung in Bonn. He retired from academic life in the autumn semester of 2008.

Reviews

[Themistocles · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not really sure what this is supposed to be. An introduction to the end of the Third Reich and Hitler? An exercise in history writing? A students' aid? Something Kershaw enjoyed writing during a rainy afternoon?

Whatever it may be, this 57-page long desceipion of Hitler's last days in the bunker reads very nicely and easy; the complete lack of any references makes it flow like water and Kershaw's language is vivid enough.

If you haven't read anything else about Hitler's sad demise, then make this the first (or the one) to read. Otherwise, just move on to fuller histories.

[Amy Joy · Rating 3 out of 5]

pains me to say this after the wrath of ian kershaw during history a level but this was an enjoyable read- realised i didn’t really know a lot ab hitler’s final days so was great to find out more !

[Leonie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short extract from Kershaw’s Hitler: Nemesis. This actually made me want to read the full book.

[Coenraad · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yesterday I finished reading Laurent Binet's novel HHhH, a metanarrative about recording the assassination of Reinhard Heydrich in Prague. Today I read Ian Kershaw's account of the last days in Hitler's bunker in Berlin. Whereas Binet writes as novelist pondering his task of recording history, very aware of his freedom to invent scenes and conversations, Kershaw writes as historian; yet his text is densely packed with detail, often evoking strong emotions, often analysing emotions and motivations amongst the characters present in the bunker. In the full biography he has written there will surely be more information about his sources; these probably include testimonies at trials after the war. By using all the facts he could find, Kershaw creates a powerful narrative of those last days. The reader is stunned by the madness of it all: the refusal to end the destruction of lives and property for the sake of an ideological stance. When, in the final lines of this extract, one 'sees' the bodies of Hitler and his wife, Eva Braun, on the couch in his private room, there is something profoundly pathetic about the scene. And one is then suddenly reminded of the millions who had already died because of his ideological stance by that time. Is anger - seventy years after the event - a useful emotion?

Kershaw bied 'n pakkende narratief oor die laaste dae voor Hitler se selfmoord in Berlyn. Hy baseer sy vertelling sekerlik op historiese feite - hy is immers 'n historikus en nie 'n romansier nie. Tog kies hy en plooi hy en bied hy sy feite só aan dat die leser emosioneel saamgesleur word. Die finale blik op die liggame van Hitler en Eva Braun wek patos: dat dié invloedryke megalomaan deur sy eie toedoen tot menslike oorskot gereduseer is, soos soveel miljoene voor hom. Woede borrel op: maar is dit nuttig ná sewentig jaar?

[Vitória Regina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lido no trem entre Berlim e Hengelo!!

Coletei esse livro em uma biblioteca comunitária em Bergen Een Zee (junto com outro livro - Palmwijn - cujo conteúdo só saberei se algum dia o Kervin ler pra mim) e o timing não poderia ter sido melhor... Ter acabado de sentir a guerra ainda muito viva na memória da Alemanha foi o gatilho que eu precisava pra conseguir me sentir mais próxima da história que mais me levantava perguntas do que respostas. Conhecer (in loco) o que foi e no que se transformou a máquina naz**** deveria ser uma obrigação de todo mundo a se cumprir porque todos os museus, monumentos e memoriais são verdadeiros serviços prestados à humanidade... Como foi de se esperar, não consegui parar de traçar paralelos com o Brasil de 2022 e um outro país se revelou ali na minha frente. Saber como foram os dias finais de Hi***, como ele escolheu morrer e os caminhos que a Guerra tomou depois disso desconstruiu na minha cabeça uma série de relações que eu fazia com esse personagem.

"Say yes to freedom, peace, dignity and respect for all. Say NO to terror and repression towards all living beings. In the beginning was freedom."
- Jolly Kunjappu no Muro de Berlim, 1990

[Ian McHugh · Rating 4 out of 5]

A superb little read. Detailed and with a swift and engaging narrative pace. Kershaw does this so well and this format allows a quick look at an important few weeks in global history. A real sense of the claustrophobia of Hitler's bunker is given here alongside the delusion of the man in his final hours.

[Daniel Headifen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brought at the Featherston Book Day. I found I knew the contents of the list 10 pages really well but they’re still horribly depressing. Hitler obsessed with his awful prejudices, it still startles. The bit where he has told everyone he will kill himself that evening then has his luck as usual really horrifies. All that pain he caused the world and you almost feel sorry for him.

[Sam Schulenburg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well worth a read for those who have enjoyed Kershaw's more extensive works on Hitler (especially given how slim this volume is). True to the author's broader approach as a historian, this account marries the emotional and political stakes into a piece that is equal parts engaging and informative.

[Redfox5 · Rating 1 out of 5]

I found this book quiet dull. I did read it but it was making me tired and my eyes kept wondering off the page, so had to keep re-reading bits. I thought I'd like this so I was a bit disappointed.

[Liltiki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Riveting.