Konrad Heiden's penetrating, firsthand portrayal of Hitler's developing career and the Nazi's consolidation of power remains as incisive and compelling as it was when first published at the height of the Second World War. As a German citizen, Heiden watched Hitler grow from a small-time demagogue and failed revolutionary to a dangerously influential politician and finally dictator in total control of his party and eventually Germany. Starting with Hitler's unpromising youth and first political missteps, Heiden concludes with a gripping account of the "blood purge" of June 1934, in which Hitler executed his potential rivals in the Nazi Party and confirmed his monstrous vision for Germany. This striking narrative of the great German dictator's rise also illuminates the national character of the German people - those people who committed the crimes that aided the Fuhrer and those who allowed them to be committed. "Unique in its abundance of details, and it ranks beside the classics of historical writing" - Christian Science Monitor "Remorselessly, ruthlessly objective" - New York Times Book Review "[A] superior piece of writing . . . Essential for all libraries" - Library Journal "The most complete study in the field" - The New Yorker