Would you die for the Fuehrer? ;) (Women of the Third Reich - Anna Maria Sigmund)

Member Name: LaylaStar

Product:	Women of the Third Reich - Anna Maria Sigmund
Date:	19/11/08 (69 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Fascinating read of amazing histories of women in the Nazi circles

Disadvantages: bad translation into English, I hear..

I came across this book in a public library, when I was in one of my 'researching' moods!
I was intrigued by the black-and-white photos of attractive women on the book cover (slightly different version, as I read the book in Slovenian), & by the title itself!
I had watched a documentary on Hitler before, & how he treated his women terribly.. I was intrigued to read more...

This book was hugely interesting!!
My Grandma LOVED it too!!

There is drama, excitement, intrigue... Stories of great riches won (& lost), stories of having 'all' & losing all..

Did you know one of the leading women in pro-Hitler circles had a Jewish lover? & stepdad?
No, neither did I.

What was Hitler's taste in women? How did he meet Eva Braun?

What was the ideal Third Reich virgin like? (hint: nicely round, among other things...)

And what were women of the Nazi leaders really like?

Meet Carin and Emmy Goering, Magda Goebbels, Leni Riefenstahl, Gertrude Scholtz-Klink, Geli Raubal, Eva Braun and Henriette von Schirach...

Divorced, with Jewish friends (or relatives!), acting, piloting planes... - not exactly your cheerful tall blonde oven-bound prototype of your ordinary 3rd Reich Woman sporting a ladle in one hand & a heap of kids in another...

And their men... unemployed pilot Goering sweeps off her feet a swedish duchess (married off course)...
PR tricks including stinky gas & white mice...

Aristocratic ladies swooning over Hitler & throwing jewels & limos at him, paying off his debts... (another source of income was his 'literary bestseller' Mein Kampf).

Highly intriguing.

Austrian historian Ana Maria Sigmund tells all... Or at least, quite some of it. :)
There are footnotes, heartbreaking histories, drama, little known secrets (at least to me!), dirty low-down on some of the most notorious war criminals of the millenia, & more!

As mentioned, I read the book in Slovenian translation, & it was a fascinating read. I came across a few reviews of the book in English & their authors complained of poor translation or 'crippled prose'... I suggest you give this book a shot because it's a fascinating read nevertheless... (Or read it in German. Or Slovenian.)

PS In my opinion German & Slovenian book covers are 'prettier' too! ;)

Summary: Fascinating read of amazing histories of women in the Nazi circles