Reviews
"Chilling... To Hell and Back should be required reading in every chancellery, every editorial cockpit and every place where peevish Euroskeptics do their thinking.... Kershaw documents each and every 'ism' of his analysis with extraordinary detail and passionate humanism." -- The New York Times Book Review "Well suited to casual readers and professional historians alike, this enlightening consideration of the World Wars and the interwar years is a worthwhile purchase. It will delight fans of Barbara Tuchman's The Proud: A Portrait of the World Before the War, 1890-1914 ."-- Library Journal "Kershaw's strength is political and economic history... and he uncovers a number of largely forgotten events.... [A] well-organized history."-- Publishers Weekly "Kershaw manages to cover a vast canvas of events with judicious skill and immense learning, never getting bogged down in detail or devoting excessive space to his special area of German expertise. We move at a fair clip, and always feel that we are in the hands of a master historian with a firm grasp of his mountainous material."-- The Spectator (UK) "Ambitious."-- Kirkus "Even those who know this history well will find much to shock them in these pages. They will find much to enlighten them too, for it is not just a catalogue of horrors, but also a rigorous analysis of causes."-- The Times (UK) "A fresh look at a tragic era."-- Dominic Sandbrook, The Sunday Times (UK) "[A] political, economic and military history of the entire continent of Europe.... There are no easy explanations for the disasters that overwhelmed individuals who were caught... in the living hells fuelled by militarism, ethnic-racist politics, class conflict and economic crises. Kershaw leads his readers through this complex history in a clear and compelling manner."-- Prospect (UK), "Chilling... To Hell and Back should be required reading in every chancellery, every editorial cockpit and every place where peevish Euroskeptics do their thinking.... Kershaw documents each and every 'ism' of his analysis with extraordinary detail and passionate humanism." -- The New York Times Book Review "Remarkable and eminently readable.... Kershaw's book will deliver a jolt to American readers."-- Boston Globe "Mr. Kershaw has written a fair-minded, deeply researched and highly readable book that will serve as the first point of departure for anyone wishing to understand Europe's most terrible decades."-- The Wall Street Journal "Magisterial."-- The Economist "Well suited to casual readers and professional historians alike, this enlightening consideration of the World Wars and the interwar years is a worthwhile purchase. It will delight fans of Barbara Tuchman's The Proud: A Portrait of the World Before the War, 1890-1914 ."-- Library Journal "Kershaw's strength is political and economic history... and he uncovers a number of largely forgotten events.... [A] well-organized history."-- Publishers Weekly "Kershaw manages to cover a vast canvas of events with judicious skill and immense learning, never getting bogged down in detail or devoting excessive space to his special area of German expertise. We move at a fair clip, and always feel that we are in the hands of a master historian with a firm grasp of his mountainous material."-- The Spectator (UK) "Even those who know this history well will find much to shock them in these pages. They will find much to enlighten them too, for it is not just a catalogue of horrors, but also a rigorous analysis of causes."-- The Times (UK) "Other historians' books on the same period may be flashier or more provocative. But to read Kershaw on Europe's bloody century is to be driven through a ravaged landscape in the sleek, smooth comfort of a Rolls-Royce, guided by a historian who probably knows the territory better than anybody else on the planet."-- The Sunday Times (UK) "[Kershaw's] thoughtful and comprehensive history is likely to become a classic."-- The Observer (UK) "[A] political, economic and military history of the entire continent of Europe.... There are no easy explanations for the disasters that overwhelmed individuals who were caught... in the living hells fuelled by militarism, ethnic-racist politics, class conflict and economic crises. Kershaw leads his readers through this complex history in a clear and compelling manner."-- Prospect (UK), "Chilling... To Hell and Back should be required reading in every chancellery, every editorial cockpit and every place where peevish Euroskeptics do their thinking.... Kershaw documents each and every 'ism' of his analysis with extraordinary detail and passionate humanism." -- The New York Times Book Review "Remarkable and eminently readable.... Kershaw's book will deliver a jolt to American readers."-- Boston Globe "Well suited to casual readers and professional historians alike, this enlightening consideration of the World Wars and the interwar years is a worthwhile purchase. It will delight fans of Barbara Tuchman's The Proud: A Portrait of the World Before the War, 1890-1914 ."-- Library Journal "Kershaw's strength is political and economic history... and he uncovers a number of largely forgotten events.... [A] well-organized history."-- Publishers Weekly "Kershaw manages to cover a vast canvas of events with judicious skill and immense learning, never getting bogged down in detail or devoting excessive space to his special area of German expertise. We move at a fair clip, and always feel that we are in the hands of a master historian with a firm grasp of his mountainous material."-- The Spectator (UK) "Ambitious."-- Kirkus "Even those who know this history well will find much to shock them in these pages. They will find much to enlighten them too, for it is not just a catalogue of horrors, but also a rigorous analysis of causes."-- The Times (UK) "A fresh look at a tragic era."-- Dominic Sandbrook, The Sunday Times (UK) "[A] political, economic and military history of the entire continent of Europe.... There are no easy explanations for the disasters that overwhelmed individuals who were caught... in the living hells fuelled by militarism, ethnic-racist politics, class conflict and economic crises. Kershaw leads his readers through this complex history in a clear and compelling manner."-- Prospect (UK), Praise for The End "A master of both the vast scholarly literature on Nazism and the extraordinary range of its published and unpublished record, Kershaw combines vivid accounts of particular human experiences with wise reflections on big interpretive and moral issues ... No one has written a better account of the human dimensions of Nazi Germany's end." - New York Times Book Review "Kershaw's gripping and boldly intelligent work of scholarship...will surely become the standard popularly accessible account of the Nazi system's terrible final phase." - Financial Times "Gripping yet scholarly.... Kershaw, the author of the best biography of Hitler, is the finest sort of academic, for he combines impeccable scholarship with an admirable clarity of thought and prose." -Antony Beevor, Telegraph "Well-written, penetrating ... and ground-breaking." -Andrew Roberts, Evening Standard "Kershaw...understands as well as any man alive the complex power structure that existed in Nazi Germany...gripping...arguably the most convincing portrait of Germany's Gotterdammerung we have seen so far." - The Wall Street Journal Praise for Hitler: A Biography "An achievement of the very highest order."- Michael Burleigh, Financial Times "A superb biography."- Ian Buruma, New York Times Book Review "Kershaw is the indispensable and definitive guide to Hitler, Nazism, and the nation that, for a while, shamefully refracted his evil genius."- Martin Rubin , Los Angeles Times, "Kershaw's strength is political and economic history... and he uncovers a number of largely forgotten events.... [A] well-organized history."-- Publishers Weekly "Kershaw manages to cover a vast canvas of events with judicious skill and immense learning, never getting bogged down in detail or devoting excessive space to his special area of German expertise. We move at a fair clip, and always feel that we are in the hands of a master historian with a firm grasp of his mountainous material."-- The Spectator (UK) "Ambitious."-- Kirkus "Even those who know this history well will find much to shock them in these pages. They will find much to enlighten them too, for it is not just a catalogue of horrors, but also a rigorous analysis of causes."-- The Times (UK) "A fresh look at a tragic era."-- Dominic Sandbrook, The Sunday Times (UK) "[A] political, economic and military history of the entire continent of Europe.... There are no easy explanations for the disasters that overwhelmed individuals who were caught... in the living hells fuelled by militarism, ethnic-racist politics, class conflict and economic crises. Kershaw leads his readers through this complex history in a clear and compelling manner."-- Prospect (UK), "Chilling... To Hell and Back should be required reading in every chancellery, every editorial cockpit and every place where peevish Euroskeptics do their thinking.... Kershaw documents each and every 'ism' of his analysis with extraordinary detail and passionate humanism." -- The New York Times Book Review "Remarkable and eminently readable.... Kershaw's book will deliver a jolt to American readers."-- Boston Globe "Magisterial."-- The Economist "Well suited to casual readers and professional historians alike, this enlightening consideration of the World Wars and the interwar years is a worthwhile purchase. It will delight fans of Barbara Tuchman's The Proud: A Portrait of the World Before the War, 1890-1914 ."-- Library Journal "Kershaw's strength is political and economic history... and he uncovers a number of largely forgotten events.... [A] well-organized history."-- Publishers Weekly "Kershaw manages to cover a vast canvas of events with judicious skill and immense learning, never getting bogged down in detail or devoting excessive space to his special area of German expertise. We move at a fair clip, and always feel that we are in the hands of a master historian with a firm grasp of his mountainous material."-- The Spectator (UK) "Even those who know this history well will find much to shock them in these pages. They will find much to enlighten them too, for it is not just a catalogue of horrors, but also a rigorous analysis of causes."-- The Times (UK) "Other historians' books on the same period may be flashier or more provocative. But to read Kershaw on Europe's bloody century is to be driven through a ravaged landscape in the sleek, smooth comfort of a Rolls-Royce, guided by a historian who probably knows the territory better than anybody else on the planet."-- The Sunday Times (UK) "[Kershaw's] thoughtful and comprehensive history is likely to become a classic."-- The Observer (UK) "[A] political, economic and military history of the entire continent of Europe.... There are no easy explanations for the disasters that overwhelmed individuals who were caught... in the living hells fuelled by militarism, ethnic-racist politics, class conflict and economic crises. Kershaw leads his readers through this complex history in a clear and compelling manner."-- Prospect (UK), "Well suited to casual readers and professional historians alike, this enlightening consideration of the World Wars and the interwar years is a worthwhile purchase. It will delight fans of Barbara Tuchman's The Proud: A Portrait of the World Before the War, 1890-1914 ."-- Library Journal "Kershaw's strength is political and economic history... and he uncovers a number of largely forgotten events.... [A] well-organized history."-- Publishers Weekly "Kershaw manages to cover a vast canvas of events with judicious skill and immense learning, never getting bogged down in detail or devoting excessive space to his special area of German expertise. We move at a fair clip, and always feel that we are in the hands of a master historian with a firm grasp of his mountainous material."-- The Spectator (UK) "Ambitious."-- Kirkus "Even those who know this history well will find much to shock them in these pages. They will find much to enlighten them too, for it is not just a catalogue of horrors, but also a rigorous analysis of causes."-- The Times (UK) "A fresh look at a tragic era."-- Dominic Sandbrook, The Sunday Times (UK) "[A] political, economic and military history of the entire continent of Europe.... There are no easy explanations for the disasters that overwhelmed individuals who were caught... in the living hells fuelled by militarism, ethnic-racist politics, class conflict and economic crises. Kershaw leads his readers through this complex history in a clear and compelling manner."-- Prospect (UK), "Magisterial.... Kershaw handles the dark materials of his story with extraordinary grace, weaving his themes together with admirable analytical clarity.... Kershaw's account is illuminating precisely because it tightens the focus of the analysis, allowing us to see the continent as a diagram of contending forces, like the storm fronts and wind barbs on a weather map." --Christopher Clark, The New York Review of Books "Remarkable and eminently readable.... Kershaw's book will deliver a jolt to American readers."-- Boston Globe "Mr. Kershaw has written a fair-minded, deeply researched and highly readable book that will serve as the first point of departure for anyone wishing to understand Europe's most terrible decades."-- The Wall Street Journal "Magisterial."-- The Economist "Well suited to casual readers and professional historians alike, this enlightening consideration of the World Wars and the interwar years is a worthwhile purchase. It will delight fans of Barbara Tuchman's The Proud: A Portrait of the World Before the War, 1890-1914 ."-- Library Journal "Kershaw's strength is political and economic history... and he uncovers a number of largely forgotten events.... [A] well-organized history."-- Publishers Weekly "Kershaw manages to cover a vast canvas of events with judicious skill and immense learning, never getting bogged down in detail or devoting excessive space to his special area of German expertise. We move at a fair clip, and always feel that we are in the hands of a master historian with a firm grasp of his mountainous material."-- The Spectator (UK) "Even those who know this history well will find much to shock them in these pages. They will find much to enlighten them too, for it is not just a catalogue of horrors, but also a rigorous analysis of causes."-- The Times (UK) "Other historians' books on the same period may be flashier or more provocative. But to read Kershaw on Europe's bloody century is to be driven through a ravaged landscape in the sleek, smooth comfort of a Rolls-Royce, guided by a historian who probably knows the territory better than anybody else on the planet."-- The Sunday Times (UK) "[Kershaw's] thoughtful and comprehensive history is likely to become a classic."-- The Observer (UK) "[A] political, economic and military history of the entire continent of Europe.... There are no easy explanations for the disasters that overwhelmed individuals who were caught... in the living hells fuelled by militarism, ethnic-racist politics, class conflict and economic crises. Kershaw leads his readers through this complex history in a clear and compelling manner."-- Prospect (UK), "Magisterial.... Kershaw handles the dark materials of his story with extraordinary grace, weaving his themes together with admirable analytical clarity.... Kershaw's account is illuminating precisely because it tightens the focus of the analysis, allowing us to see the continent as a diagram of contending forces, like the storm fronts and wind barbs on a weather map." --Christopher Clark, The New York Review of Books "Remarkable and eminently readable.... Kershaw's book will deliver a jolt to American readers."-- Boston Globe "Mr. Kershaw has written a fair-minded, deeply researched and highly readable book that will serve as the first point of departure for anyone wishing to understand Europe's most terrible decades."-- The Wall Street Journal "Magisterial."-- The Economist "Well suited to casual readers and professional historians alike, this enlightening consideration of the World Wars and the interwar years is a worthwhile purchase. It will delight fans of Barbara Tuchman's The Proud: A Portrait of the World Before the War, 1890-1914 ."-- Library Journal "Kershaw's strength is political and economic history... and he uncovers a number of largely forgotten events.... [A] well-organized history."-- Publishers Weekly "Kershaw manages to cover a vast canvas of events with judicious skill and immense learning, never getting bogged down in detail or devoting excessive space to his special area of German expertise. We move at a fair clip, and always feel that we are in the hands of a master historian with a firm grasp of his mountainous material."-- The Spectator (UK) "Even those who know this history well will find much to shock them in these pages. They will find much to enlighten them too, for it is not just a catalogue of horrors, but also a rigorous analysis of causes."-- The Times (UK) "Other historians' books on the same period may be flashier or more provocative. But to read Kershaw on Europe's bloody century is to be driven through a ravaged landscape in the sleek, smooth comfort of a Rolls-Royce, guided by a historian who probably knows the territory better than anybody else on the planet."-- The Sunday Times (UK) "[Kershaw's] thoughtful and comprehensive history is likely to become a classic."-- The Observer (UK) "[A] political, economic and military history of the entire continent of Europe.... There are no easy explanations for the disasters that overwhelmed individuals who were caught... in the living hells fuelled by militarism, ethnic-racist politics, class conflict and economic crises. Kershaw leads his readers through this complex history in a clear and compelling manner."-- Prospect (UK)
