Himmler: Reichs Fuhrer-SS (Cassell Military Paperbacks) [Englisch] [Taschenbuch]

Padfield creates a narrative of Himmler's life that takes the reader on a first class tour of the Third Reich, the upper echelons of the SS heirarchy, and the 'hell on earth' of the Holocaust created by Nazi ideology. It is particularly gratifying that Padfield never succumbs to the temptation of 'adjectival' history. He never describes events or people as 'evil' or 'monstrous', preferring to let the facts speak for themselves. He is free to do so because of the extraordinary clarity with which he presents the facts for the reader.

A particularly brilliant example is the juxtaposition of Himmler's outrage at the brutality of a hunting party he took part in in October 1941 - "Nature is so wonderfully beautiful, and every animal has a right to live." which is followed by an account of the clearing of the Riga Ghetto in November of that year (just two weeks later) carried out under his orders. "it is not a Weltanschauungs-question to rid oneself of lice; it is a matter of cleanliness." (pages 351ff)

His presentation of the micro-processes of Einsatzgruppen mass-murder is probably the best I've ever read. The methodology of dehumanising both victim and murderer by a series of incremental steps, coupled to a 'normalising' tempo which leads inevitably to the pit is vital to understanding both the brutality of the crime, and it's essentially human, militarist, 'technically dispassionate' character. As an Organisational Development consultant I find this particularly fascinating given the extent to which corporations seek to 'normalise' human behaviours to suit their own goals.

Padfield is equally clear in tracking the larger history of the Holocaust as it developed over time. He deftly avoids falling into the 'intentionalist' or 'functionalist' camps by sticking to the facts available and presenting the series of orders, actions, refining of methods, and further orders in the context of both the organisations and individuals involved, and in the tempo of the times.

The book is weakest in it's attempts to psycho-analyze Himmler which come across as Freudian psycho-babble when set against the scale of Himmlers crimes, but this is a minor quibble. The honesty with which Padfield's analysis is developed from the facts is refreshing. Where he has a theory or explanation unsupported by the evidence available to him he labels it clearly as 'conjetcture' and returns to the historical record. I have read scores of books on the Nazism and the Third Reich and this is one of the very best. An excellent resource, clear, lucid and rich with the sort of detail that illuminates reather than clutters. Buy this book! ... Aristeas.

Padfield spends much of the early part of the book delving into Himmler's childhood, upbringing (by a strick disciplinarian professor father, and soft mother), early adult years and his time during the "day's of struggle" - the early Nazi years. This introduction does a lot to set the scence for Himmler's life. While we certainly can't forgive the man for hwat he did and stood for, we might be able to understand more clearly the mind set behind the decisions he made. Padfield's research paints Himmler as a man who was deeply scared by his upbringing and retreated into a fantasy world which he went deeper into as time went on. When he eventually gained respect and power as one of the Nazi elite he expressed his fantasy world overtly to the world.

Himmler's years in power in Nazi Germany are well documented, yet Padfield does a great job showing not just what Himmler ddid but how he did it - from establishment of the SS and Gestapo to the Holocaust. Himmler didn't do it on his own - again Padfield is carfule not to excuse him or even take blame from him, but rather to show how Himmler created a system within tthe Nazi power structure that allowed him to orchestrate such attrocities on man kind. He was a consumate suck up to others in power - keeping with him his whole life his feelings of insecurity and uselessness, even at the height of his power.

All in all, "Himmler" is a must read for those interested in understanding the how's of WWII's crimes and how a single human can, with the aide of others, so change history.