Best German History
1 A Higher Call: An Incredible True Story of Combat and Chivalry in the War-Torn Skies of World War II
It was the encounter that would haunt both Charlie and Franz for forty years until, as old men, they would search the world for each other, a last mission that could change their lives forever. Simply told, splendid, and well worth the read.”—Joe Galloway, co-author of the #1 New York Times bestseller We Were Soldiers Once...and Young. “It is often said that ‘war is hell’—and it is—however, this story reveals how the human spirit can shine in the darkest hours.”—Colonel Charles McGee, Tuskegee Airman, WWII. “ A Higher Call exemplifies beautifully the brotherhood of warriors and will forever change how you look at World War II.”—Eric Blehm, author of the New York Times bestseller, Fearless.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"You are introduced to Franz (the German pilot) first and then Charlie's story (the American pilot) is intertwined later on."
"His Catholic background and his having been exposed to the honorable men he flew with, such as Ludwig Franzisket, Gustav Rodel, Werner Schroer, Johannes Steinhoff, Eduard Neumann, Emil Clade, Friedrich Korner, Adolf Galland, and especially Hans-Joachim Marseille reinforced that sense of chivalry, and code of honor among these airmen that is often overlooked in the post war propaganda and the maelstrom of uneducated bias. I suggest that this book, which is ironically in competetion with The Star of Africa, written by my wife and I, be read in public schools and by the average American. His experiences with JG-27 in North Africa, and the exposure he had to the previously mentioned men, especially Marseille, and the impressions left upon him, helped mold his attitude."
"A Higher Call by Adam Makos: Review by Tom Gauthier. How often do you have trouble reading the last page of an action packed war story because of the blur of tears? After eight years of painstaking research, Makos has produced a singular piece of work: the true and incredible story of two pilots who locked eyes--and I feel locked souls--across a span of deadly sky over Nazi Germany in 1943, changing the fortunes and the futures of all who were there. Engines failed, damage was extensive to flight surfaces, yet under the strong hands of their young pilot, Charlie Brown, the ship remained precariously in the air. As they approached the European coastline, Charlie knew that any moment the coastal flak guns would open up and finish them off. The story of their meeting decades later and the ability to share the personal feelings of all who were touched by the incident near Christmas 1943 over Germany."
As that first year unfolds and the shadows deepen, the Dodds experience days full of excitement, intrigue, romance—and ultimately, horror, when a climactic spasm of violence and murder reveals Hitler’s true character and ruthless ambition. Suffused with the tense atmosphere of the period, and with unforgettable portraits of the bizarre Göring and the expectedly charming--yet wholly sinister--Goebbels, In the Garden of Beasts lends a stunning, eyewitness perspective on events as they unfold in real time, revealing an era of surprising nuance and complexity. #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER NEW YORK TIMES NOTABLE BOOK OF THE YEAR WASHINGTON POST NOTABLE BOOK OF THE YEAR. NPR BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR O, THE OPRAH MAGAZINE BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR USA TODAY 10 BOOKS WE LOVED PUBLISHERS WEEKLY BEST NONFICTION BOOK OF THE YEAR KIRKUS REVIEWS BEST NONFICTION BOOK OF THE YEAR NEW YORK TIMES , JANET MASLIN'S TOP 10 BOOKS OF THE YEAR SEATTLE TIMES BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR THE WEEK BEST NONFICTION BOOK OF THE YEAR GLOBE AND MAIL VERY BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR. AMERICAN BOOKSELLERS ASSOCIATION INDIE BOOK OF THE YEAR “By far his best and most enthralling work of novelistic history….Powerful, poignant…a transportingly true story.” —New York Times. “Larson has meticulously researched the Dodds’ intimate witness to Hitler’s ascendancy and created an edifying narrative of this historical byway that has all the pleasures of a political thriller….a fresh picture of these terrrible events.” —New York Times Book Review. “Larson, a master of historical nonfiction, has written a fascinating book that, although carefully researched and documented, reads like a political thriller...highly recommended to anyone interested in the rise of the Third Reich and America’s role in that process.” —Jewish Book World. “Tells a fascinating story brilliantly well.” —. Financial Times “A cautionary tale not to be missed.” —Washington Times “Highly compelling...Larson brings Berlin roaring to life in all its glamour and horror...a welcome new chapter in the vast canon of World War II literature.” —. Christian Science Monitor. He gives a throbbing pulse to the foolish and the wise, the malignant and the kind.” —The Oregonian “A masterly work of salacious nonfiction that captures the decadent and deadly years of The Third Reich.” —Men's Journal “Even though we know how it will end — the book's climax, the Night of the Long Knives, being just the beginning, this is a page-turner, full of flesh and blood people and monsters too, whose charms are particularly disturbing.” —Portsmouth Herald “Larson’s latest chronicle of history has as much excitement as a thriller novel, and it’s all the more thrilling because it’s all true.” —Asbury Park Press. In the Garden of Beasts reads like the true thriller it is.” —BookReporter.com “In this mesmerizing portrait of the Nazi capital, Larson plumbs a far more diabolical urban cauldron than in his bestselling The Devil in the White City...a vivid, atmospheric panorama of the Third Reich and its leaders, including murderous Nazi factional infighting, through the accretion of small crimes and petty thuggery.” —Publishers Weekly (Starred Review). “Larson writes history like a novelist...conveying quite wonderfully the electrically charged atmosphere of a whole society turning towards the stormy dark.” —The Telegraph Praise for Erik Larson. THUNDERSTRUCK “A ripping yarn of murder and invention.” — Los Angeles Times “Larson’s gift for rendering an historical era with vibrant tactility and filling it with surprising personalities makes Thunderstruck an irresistible tale.” —The Washington Post Book World. “Gripping….An edge-of-the-seat read.” — People DEVIL IN THE WHITE CITY “[Larson] relentlessly fuses history and entertainment to give this nonfiction book the dramatic effect of a novel….a dynamic, enveloping book.” — The New York Times. Exceedingly well-documented, exhaustive without being excessive, and utterly fascinating.” — Chicago Tribune “An irresistible page-turner that reads like the most compelling, sleep-defying fiction.” — Time Out New York ISAAC’S STORM “A gripping account…fascinating to its core, and all the more compelling for being true.” — New York Times Book Review “Superb...Larson has made the Great Hurricane live again.” — The Wall Street Journal “Gripping….The Jaws of hurricane yarns.” — Newsday.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"The fascinating and troubling story of Germany in the 1930s seen through the eyes of American Ambassador Dodd and his family.The book reads like a novel as Mr. Larson breaths life into the characters from one of the darkest times in modern European history there is much to be learned from this book, I can't recommend it enough."
"Dodd was an unlikely choice although he was a professor at the University of Chicago and certainly had the intelligence for the job he was not interested in the social requirements and bristled at the high style of living of the diplomatic corps in 1930's Berlin."
"Great personal, first hand account based on diaries and the personal papers of William Dodd who was appointed by Roosevelt to the ambassadorship of Berlin during the rise of Hitler and his Nazi party."
"I was in Berlin when the wall was built in August of '61 and traveled to Berlin in December '89 when it was safe and the watch the wall come down and checkpoint Charlie removed ,I have walked all the streets in Berlin many many times which were referred to by the author so I had a firm grip of the avenues but the slow step by step of evil and dictatorship had never quite enter my psyche until I read the thorough deveopent apparent in Berlin but not reported to the world ."
"The rise of Nazi Germany is a fascinating subject and this book particularly interesting as he was able to give the viewpoint of an American family along with a host of viewpoints within the American State Department to this rise."
"It was interesting but not compelling."
"Really liked the book since it brought out so much I never knew went on in early Nazi Germany and how the US maintained an isolationist posture during the early 1930's as we did prior to WWI and how it bit us on the butt each time."
"Larson's build the story expertly from you might think is just ignorance on the part of American diplomats, Pres Roosevelt, etc until you come to the ugly realization the Yanks know quite well what is happening in Nazi Germany, but prefer to ignore it and let the cards fall where they may."
3 A Higher Call: An Incredible True Story of Combat and Chivalry in the War-Torn Skies of World War II
It was the encounter that would haunt both Charlie and Franz for forty years until, as old men, they would search the world for each other, a last mission that could change their lives forever. Simply told, splendid, and well worth the read.”—Joe Galloway, co-author of the #1 New York Times bestseller We Were Soldiers Once...and Young. “It is often said that ‘war is hell’—and it is—however, this story reveals how the human spirit can shine in the darkest hours.”—Colonel Charles McGee, Tuskegee Airman, WWII. “ A Higher Call exemplifies beautifully the brotherhood of warriors and will forever change how you look at World War II.”—Eric Blehm, author of the New York Times bestseller, Fearless.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"You are introduced to Franz (the German pilot) first and then Charlie's story (the American pilot) is intertwined later on."
"His Catholic background and his having been exposed to the honorable men he flew with, such as Ludwig Franzisket, Gustav Rodel, Werner Schroer, Johannes Steinhoff, Eduard Neumann, Emil Clade, Friedrich Korner, Adolf Galland, and especially Hans-Joachim Marseille reinforced that sense of chivalry, and code of honor among these airmen that is often overlooked in the post war propaganda and the maelstrom of uneducated bias. I suggest that this book, which is ironically in competetion with The Star of Africa, written by my wife and I, be read in public schools and by the average American. His experiences with JG-27 in North Africa, and the exposure he had to the previously mentioned men, especially Marseille, and the impressions left upon him, helped mold his attitude."
"A Higher Call by Adam Makos: Review by Tom Gauthier. How often do you have trouble reading the last page of an action packed war story because of the blur of tears? After eight years of painstaking research, Makos has produced a singular piece of work: the true and incredible story of two pilots who locked eyes--and I feel locked souls--across a span of deadly sky over Nazi Germany in 1943, changing the fortunes and the futures of all who were there. Engines failed, damage was extensive to flight surfaces, yet under the strong hands of their young pilot, Charlie Brown, the ship remained precariously in the air. As they approached the European coastline, Charlie knew that any moment the coastal flak guns would open up and finish them off. The story of their meeting decades later and the ability to share the personal feelings of all who were touched by the incident near Christmas 1943 over Germany."
Best European History
Hailed as “one of the most important works of history of our time” ( The New York Times ), this definitive chronicle of Hitler’s rise to power is back in hardcover with a new introductory essay by Ron Rosenbaum ( Explaining Hitler and How the End Begins ) commemorating the fiftieth anniversary of its National Book Award win. Ron Rosenbaum is the bestselling author of Explaining Hitler and The Shakespeare Wars and has written or edited six. other books.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I have not ready any other histories of Nazi Germany, but I can't imagine another more comprehensive account of the horror that was the Third Reich. In reading this book I began to get a clearer understanding of how such an atrocity could have come to exist. If Hitler's grandfather had not belatedly married his grandmother, he would have remained Adolf Schicklgruber and certainly would not have achieved any of the power that he did. But reading it, not as an obligation, but for an understanding of this bleak moment in our world's history, it is a masterpiece. If you choose to read this book, be prepared for an extremely detailed account of every correspondence, letter, speech, meeting that went on with each move and conjecture in this almost chess game of a war. Also, I started to get annoyed that there was so much on the war and nothing about the concentration camp atrocities and the genocide that was taking place."
"Written by a man who lived through the years leading up to the Nazi Party's birth, growth, eventual election to power and all the subsequent insane and inhuman events that followed; a journalist keeping detailed diaries and then supplementing with years of detailed research through vast amounts of other documents, diaries, court records, interviews."
"In the late 90s, purchased still another copy and read it a third time."
"Shirer presents a straight forward and accurate accounting of Germany and the Third Reich. Armed conflict will never stop and the Holocaust may have targeted Jews and other “undesirables” but other societies have and are still persecuting people based on religious beliefs or ethnicity."
Best Argentinian History
Hitler in Argentina: The Documented Truth of Hitler's Escape from Berlin (The Hitler Escape Trilogy)
This book not only tells of the escape of Adolf Hitler, Eva Braun and others of the Third Reich; it includes photographs, files from the FBI, CIA and OSS that show the US knew they escaped, interviews and much more.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Good for a self published book."
"This was given as a gift for a Birthday."
"A wonderfully researched, poorly written and possibly never edited journey back to Hitlerian Deceit."
"Bought this for my son who loves to watch Finding Hitler with us."
"Interesting and seems very likely."
"I had learned of some of this information during the 1980's, and it was good to see that substantial revision of. this work occurred in 2014 when FOIA finds were attached to the book showing that the CIA had excellent knowledge. of Hitler's presence in South America."
"I have read several books on this subject before and knew all about San Carlos de Barriloche but this provided DETAIL in a way that others don't. Because there are SO many references , it's rather turgid to read as there are, literally, pages and pages of them but I checked a few and , lo & behold, they are accurate and confirm the text."
"Mucha fantasía agregada a hechos reales."
Best German Travel Guides
DK Eyewitness Travel Guide: Germany takes you by the hand, leading you straight to the best attractions this country has to offer, from its beautiful castles and cathedrals to its popular beer halls, festivals, and Christmas markets to walks and hikes through the countryside. • Detailed city maps of Berlin and Munich include street finder indexes for easy navigation. With hundreds of full-color photographs, hand-drawn illustrations, and custom maps that illuminate every page, DK Eyewitness Travel Guide: Germany truly shows you this country as no one else can. "Known… for its four-color maps, photos and illustrations, the [DK] Eyewitness Guides are extremely user-friendly for travelers who want their information delivered in a concise, visual way."
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"In good condition."
"It's a great book, but heavy to carry."
"By then, I was choke full of history and my shoulder couldn't handle the extra weight."
"This arrived quickly and I have been reading the history and similar sections; it follows the format of all DK Eyewitness Guides."
"This book came highly recommended by my seasoned traveler friends."
"This is a great guide with all the information anyone could ever need when traveling to Germany."
"We always look at the 4 or 5 standard guides for each country we visit and as usual this time we decided DK Eyewitness the best one."
Best History of Islam
Islam expert Robert Spencer reveals Islam's ongoing, unshakable quest for global conquest and why the West today faces the same threat as the Crusaders did--and what we can learn from their experience. "A much-needed antidote to the poisonous propaganda that compromises our current battle against jihadist murder." "A much-needed antidote to the poisonous propaganda that compromises our current battle against jihadist murder." "The courageous Robert Spencer busts myths and tells truths about jihadists that no one else will tell."
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I already have a copy of the Quran in English, and a book that describes and praises Islam and its history."
"Every freedom loving individual should read this before it's too late."
"A great read."
"An absolutely fascinating and informative analysis of Islam and the true history about the Crusades, as well as the current looming crisis with Islam."
"Very good info."
"A very important look at an enemy we will have to face more and more."
"We have to do our own homework when it comes to learning the truth about history."
"I have recommended this book to everyone I know."
Best Clergy
Heroism and Genius presents some of these formidable men: Fathers of Western Culture, of free-enterprise economics, and of the institution of chivalry; leaders of nations, statesmen, and defiers of tyrants; music composers, pioneers of universal education, and architects of some of the world’s loveliest buildings; and, enigmatically, the clandestine revolutionaries behind the explosion of the culture of romantic love bonded to Christian marriage whose aura still enchants the air of the West. Historians Have Spoken: The Verdict. Priests: Channels. of. Lifeblood. Milestones of the Catholic Struggle to Build a New Civilization, circa a.d. 200-1300. Chapter 7: Fathers of Chivalry: A New Type. of. Warrior. Chapter 8: Clandestine Revolutionaries. of. Romanticism. Chapter 9: Men with Music, Artistry, and Drama in. Their. Souls Chapter 10: Founders of. Free-Market. Economics. Conclusion: Standing on the Capitoline: Gazing toward Past and. Future. Horizons Afterword:May the Long Line Never. Be. Broken!
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"As night fell over Rome, and the west devolved into the chaos brought on by successive waves of barbarian tribes, the church alone kept learning and justice alive. As the historian Toynbee wrote, "It is no exaggeration to say that the whole of the...economic development...of the west...can be traced..to St. Benedict" (p 61), and his hard working monks. The monks did not spend their time only in prayer, but they strove to clear lands, drain wetlands, and made great strides in agriculture, including many new inventions. Yet only in the comparatively primitive Catholic Middle Ages did science begin and flourish, not to mention universities and the concept of human rights. All of which developed because the Catholic church taught that God was reason, and brought the world "into existence sealed with a causal structure" (p 61) which man could study and learn from. The knight went through a solemn rite of initiation, rich in symbolism and Christian vows, and went out to fight, not just for a lord, but only for holy, just causes."
"The stories of their lives could fill an endless amount of volumes, and each would be a remarkable read, no doubt. Part One explains what modern historians have concluded with the Church's role in the shaping of Western Civilization, why the book asserts that priests were the constructors of this civilization, and the milestones from from 200 A.D. to 1300 A.D. Part Two "describes the gradual shaping from A.D. 300 to A.D. 1000 of the embryo of medieval Christendom." Part Three shows the "decisive role of priests" in the building of different social, artistic, and economic institutions. Chapter Five focuses heavily on Charlemagne, his model of Europe, and the man who mentored him, Alcuin. This book explains the vital role that priests have played in Western Christendom and culture since Christ founded the Church, and it does so with history to prove it."
Best Euthanasia
The Future of Assisted Suicide and Euthanasia provides the most thorough overview of the ethical and legal issues raised by assisted suicide and euthanasia--as well as the most comprehensive argument against their legalization--ever published. "Gorsuch lucidly lays out the key ethical and philosophical arguments on both sides. "Gorsuch reviews the case law and the range of ethical and legal issues surrounding assisted suicide and offers a strong argument against legalization of these practices, even as he considers both positions in the debate." "For those who need insight into the part played by legislators and courts of justice in recent euthanasia discussions, Neil M. Gorsuch's book . "Neil M. Gorsuch builds a powerful moral and legal argument against [assisted suicide's] legalization, one based on a principle that has largely been overlooked in the debate--the idea that human life is intrinsically valuable and that intentional killing is wrong." Gorsuch is especially successful when exploring the relevant legal cases raised by assisted-suicide and euthanasia advocacy." Every reader, whether or not ultimately persuaded by his arguments, will emerge better equipped to tackle the profound questions surrounding euthanasia and assisted suicide. "Justice Gorsuch’s first published monograph is a philosophically informed argument for the inherent dignity of human life.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"This book shows how a good legal mind prepares. It surveys the examples, reasons, and consequences of assisted suicide and euthanasia. To the extent that the book catalogs as data the consequences of assisted suicide and euthanasia policy from other times and places I applaud it. The author supposes the lack of Blacks choosing assisted suicide in Oregon is evidence of it being a “cultural choice”. With less than 70 assisted suicides in any one year and 1 in 60 ratio of Blacks in Oregon, it is statistically very unlikely any Black person in Oregon wanting assistance would have had a Black physician to ask, one who would not see a professional risk in agreeing. Over half of USA suicides are with a gun, and a third of gun fatalities are suicides. The average gun dealer sells a gun used in a suicide every 5 years – almost certainly more often than a physician will ever be asked to assist suicide. Legal arguments establish no responsibility to the sellers or makers of guns – why would similar arguments not be valid for those who assist suicide? Early in the book “assisted suicide” is analyzed as a situation where the person assisting must have an intent that the other person will die. The author never seems to consider that assistant could be sincere in not wanting the person to die, but committed to supporting the individual right of choice."
"Excellent review of both issues."
"Excellent analysis of the legal and ethical pitfalls of adopting the assisted suicide regime."
"Extremely well written."
"Order was shipped promptly."
"I liked it better when I read this material the first time in the 1984 article in the Indiana Law Journal, and an academic article published in 2000."
Best European Politics Books
Settling Accounts became Mein Kampf, an unparalleled example of muddled economics and history, appalling bigotry, and an intense self-glorification of Adolf Hitler as the true founder and builder of the National Socialist movement. For in its pages Hitler announced -- long before he came to power -- a program of blood and terror in a self-revelation of such overwhelming frankness that few among its readers had the courage to believe it ... That such a man could go so far toward realizing his ambitions, and -- above all -- could find millions of willing tools and helpers; that is a phenomenon the world will ponder for centuries to come." Mein Kampf must be read and constantly remembered as a specimen of evil demagoguery that people whenever men grow tired of thinking and acting for themselves. In his translation Ralph Manheim has taken particular care to give an exact English equivalent of Hitler's highly individual, and often awkward style, including his occasional grammatical errors. We believe this book should stand as the complete, final, and definitive English version of Hitler's own story of his life, his political philosophy, and his thwarted plans for world domination. The book details Hitler's childhood, the "betrayal" of Germany in World War I, the desire for revenge against France, the need for lebensraum for the German people, and the means by which the National Socialist party can gain power. As Hitler and the Nazis gained power, first party members and then the general public were pressured to buy the book.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I am not here to criticize or defend Hitler, but as a historian, professor, author and a journalist, I am here to release a factual, fair, unbiased and objective analysis of this book, yet first to make a few points: I. In America we don’t ban or censor information (like this book is banned in Germany), on the contrary we allow public to read Communist, Fascist, Islamic, Nazi and all other ideologies’ texts, and then judge for themselves about these texts. As much as Hitler is criticized and hated in the West, yet he is admired and adored in many parts of the world such as East Europe (Romania, Bulgaria, and Hungary), Middle East (Turkey, Iran, and many Arab nations) and other areas. Like it or not, Hitler is the architect and creator of a global political and economical ideology named National Socialism (Nazism) which any free thinker or curious person must study like he studies any other ideology. There is also a fine introduction by Bob Carruthers (Scottish historian, scholar, filmmaker and author) included."
"If you read this book with focus, objectivity, and equip yourself with the tools for critical thinking, you will gain much insight into the causes of these endless wars and social upheavals that plague the planet today."
"Interesting book."
"Yaay colorized pictures on the back and it's easy to write essays with, thanks to its annotations and organization."
"It is not the easiest book to understand."
"very eye opening, you really get a sense of what was going on in his head."
Best Economic Inflation
This is a straightforward budget planning method that will completely transform your finances, and eliminate your money worries once and for all. Grady Harp. (Hall of Fame, Amazon Top 100 Reviewer, Vine Voice). " This is the rarest of all rarities - a really good ebook on personal finance. ". "Avery Breyer's self-help guide to consumer finances... is filled with great ideasfor getting out of a financial rut . I found her reasons for setting up a budget to be compelling and was impressed by the Money Tracker program she includes with the book... Avery Breyer is the best-selling author of the Smart Money Blueprint Series.Avery has been quoted on/in Woman's World magazine, Time.com, Fool.com (Motley Fool), MSN Money, GoBanking Rates, and featured as a guest on WOR 710 "The Voice of New York," on The Financial Quarterback , hosted by Josh Jalinski.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"How you manage your money (however much or little it may be) affects every aspect of your life - your physical and emotional well-being, your relationships, what hobbies you can pursue and where you can live. Don't make the mistake of thinking that you can avoid taking control of your spending by simply getting a job that pays more. It's a wonderfully readable combination of advice, fascinating examples, and moral support. It's like sitting down with that favorite aunt or uncle (or grandparent) who understands that people make mistakes and who believes in your ability to turn things around."
"I bought this for myself."
"But if you don't know what the basics is, then read this book."
"I thoroughly enjoyed this book."
"I liked the plan a b c approach as we all know that even with the best intentions getting to our financial goals don't always go to plan."
"Avery Breyer uses a step by step systematic approach to the discipline of MONEY..."
"Really found this helpful and if you want simple tips to work with a budget - this is for you!"
Best Hamburg Travel Guides
Using simplified sentence structures and a very basic vocabulary, this collection of short stories is carefully crafted to allow even novice learners to appreciate and understand the intricacies of coherent German speech.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"What lovely, charming books these are."
"Start with Dino in Berlin; each new set of stories ramps up the vocabulary and difficulty."
"Klein's book is a wonderful way to spruce up your German."
"Love these books, makes learning Deutsch fun."
"My class loves this series."
"I have all eight books."
"These stories are just challenging enough for a beginner."