In the Garden of Beasts by Erik Larson is a non-fiction book that is focused on the life of American ambassador, William E. Dodd, during his first year as ambassador to Germany during Hitler’s reign. Not only is Dodd experiencing Germany at this vital time, but so his family. His daughter, Martha is enamored by the glitz and glamor of the Third Reich. She finds the men of the Third Reich to be especially interesting and goes on to multiple affairs with top officers throughout her first year there. But Ambassador Dodd can see through this glitz and notices how Germany is being changed for the worse. He reports his findings to the State Department but they fall on deaf ears. This book explores the life of an ambassador and the start of a government that will change history forever. Immediately when I heard the summary of this book I was sold. It had everything that I enjoyed learning about. It felt like this book was written for me because I want to be a diplomat when I am older and I also am a World War II junkie. As I began to read, it further confirmed that this was the book for me. It gave me an insight in not only how the president picks the ambassadors but also what the U.S. government was thinking at the beginning of Hitler’s reign. I found the depiction of Dodd’s appointment to be very interesting. Dodd was not a top candidate in this appointment or even a candidate at all until Daniel Roper the Commerce secretary said to President Roosevelt, “How about William E. Dodd?” (Larson 18). Roosevelt agreed to consider, but Dodd was unlike any typical candidate. After Dodd’s appointment, many feared he was the wrong person for the job. He was stingy and lacked the personality that could keep up with Hilter and his government. This immediate concern over Dodd’s ability to handle this position made me realize the two differing perspectives the US had before World War II. Some people believed Hitler was a threat and others did not see any issues. Before reading this book, I thought the U.S. was united in their opinion of Hitler and the state of Germany, but by the end of the book I realized that this was far from the reality. Martha’s life in Germany differs greatly from her father’s. She has tales of lavish parties and handsome men. It gave me a perspective into why people didn’t immediately notice all the bad that Hitler was doing because from the outside it looked like a life of luxury that everyone could enjoy. This book made me reevaluate my ideas on the U.S. government and what it takes to be an ambassador. I would a hundred percent recommend this book to anyone who enjoys politics, history, and drama.
Immediately when I heard the summary of this book I was sold. It had everything that I enjoyed learning about. It felt like this book was written for me because I want to be a diplomat when I am older and I also am a World War II junkie. As I began to read, it further confirmed that this was the book for me. It gave me an insight in not only how the president picks the ambassadors but also what the U.S. government was thinking at the beginning of Hitler’s reign.
I found the depiction of Dodd’s appointment to be very interesting. Dodd was not a top candidate in this appointment or even a candidate at all until Daniel Roper the Commerce secretary said to President Roosevelt, “How about William E. Dodd?” (Larson 18). Roosevelt agreed to consider, but Dodd was unlike any typical candidate. After Dodd’s appointment, many feared he was the wrong person for the job. He was stingy and lacked the personality that could keep up with Hilter and his government.
This immediate concern over Dodd’s ability to handle this position made me realize the two differing perspectives the US had before World War II. Some people believed Hitler was a threat and others did not see any issues. Before reading this book, I thought the U.S. was united in their opinion of Hitler and the state of Germany, but by the end of the book I realized that this was far from the reality.
Martha’s life in Germany differs greatly from her father’s. She has tales of lavish parties and handsome men. It gave me a perspective into why people didn’t immediately notice all the bad that Hitler was doing because from the outside it looked like a life of luxury that everyone could enjoy.
This book made me reevaluate my ideas on the U.S. government and what it takes to be an ambassador. I would a hundred percent recommend this book to anyone who enjoys politics, history, and drama.