Heinrich Himmler: A Nazi in the Making, 1900-26

by Bradley F. Smith

Hoover Institution publications, 93

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction

211 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1971

Reviews

[Rachel Heil · Rating 5 out of 5]

It has often been asked, in relation to the history of the Third Reich, how people from seemingly traditional backgrounds came to become the people they did. Were they born anti-Semitic? Did they become that way over time? What drove them to take the actions they did? Author Bradley F. Smith tries to answer some of these questions by studying the early life of one of the most infamous Nazi leaders; Heinrich Himmler. Himmler is a good case study to help answer these questions as he grew up in an upper middle class family and showed no signs of becoming a Nazi for a long time. Yet, as Smith's research shows, events soon transpired in Himmler's life that made him take the path he would eventually take.

With recent books like The Himmler Brothers and The Private Heinrich Himmler, I was somewhat apprehensive about reading this book since it was older and I was unsure how much new information could be presented. Surprisingly, the book was valuable and Smith was able to present some information that has either be discarded or forgotten about. Smith goes into detail about Himmler's early life, which can be helpful to any person interested in the time period, while also providing his own analysis that doesn't sway the reader's view point. I would highly recommend this book to anyone wanting to a glimpse into Himmler's early life or anyone who wants to have some answer as to why Nazi leaders became who they are. It's a short read and Smith writes in a way that makes it easy to understand the ideas and concepts he is presenting.

[Otto]

Selective editing by reactionary publisher to "prove" a deterministic life path and poor psychological health.