How to Read Hitler
Neil Gregor
[Granta]
Reading Hitler is a dangerous game. Certain expectations come with being a first-time reader of Mein Kampf or the lesser-known Zweites Buch. These works are synonymous with charges of incoherence, violence and vitriol, insistent upon a logic driven onwards by unquenchable hatred.
Step into the fray then Neil Gregor, whose thoughtful and authoritative reframing of Hitler’s literature indicates the ample space available for further close reading of the Nazi Führer’s books. Professor of Modern European History at the University of Southampton, Gregor’s expertise is evident throughout, marked by skilful analysis and close reading of specific passages. Each chapter tackles a separate motif within Hitler’s works, providing an effective and detailed picture of the then would-be dictator’s worldview.
At its core, How To Read Hitler is a comprehensive introductory guide on understanding the ideological, social and historical background to Hitler’s words. Gregor’s style is well suited to this type of book, bringing his knowledge to bear through close readings of the texts in question. While this provides fruitful analysis of the quotes chosen, the effect can sometimes be repetitive, relying on consolidating Hitler’s later thought in order to justify the earlier literature. This is a minor quibble, however, as Gregor’s hermeneutics provide numerous angles to apprehend these books anew. Gregor’s book is an excellent introduction to Hitler’s thought, and a prerequisite for those wishing to study the obsessive tour de force that is Mein Kampf.
Words: James Hussey
