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Title: At the Heart of the Reich

Subtitle: The Secret Diary of Hitlers Army Adjutant

Author: Gerhard Engel

Narrator: Stefan Rudnicki

Format: Unabridged

Length: 5 hrs and 56 mins

Language: English

Release date: 06-02-17

Publisher: Brilliance Audio

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 11 votes

Genres: History, 20th Century

Publisher's Summary:

A revealing account of Hitler's thoughts and actions throughout World War II from one of his closest aides.

Major Gerhard Engel was Hitler's army adjutant from 1938 to 1943. During his years with Hitler, Engel kept a diary. After the war, he added material to shed further light on certain events, military and political decisions, and Hitler's attitude to particular problems. His diary covers the decision-making process behind crucial military actions, including the annexation of Austria, the invasion of Czechoslovakia, and the war against Russia. He also addresses intrigue within Hitler's inner circle and his casual conversations with other key Nazi figures.

At the Heart of the Reich sheds important light on the Fuhrer's core beliefs. It includes the statement made by Hitler in 1941, "I am now as before a Catholic." It also details his views on German Jews and dwells on the extent to which they served in the Wehrmacht. Engel also addresses the deportation of Jews from Salonika and Hitler's order to Himmler to select a destination, the details of which Hitler was apparently unconcerned with. The final part of the diary is mostly devoted to the war against Russia. Engel's reports confirm that the master plan was to take Leningrad and Rostov, then close pincers behind Moscow. The plan was frustrated by senior army commanders' lack of enthusiasm and Hitler's failure to exert firm leadership. Engel depicts Hitler as a vacillating, contrary man. It is not unlikely that this encouraged his generals to impose themselves and argue their plan to rush Moscow, which ultimately contributed to the defeat of the Third Reich.

Members Reviews:

Much more interesting than the von Below memoir.

Fascinating in-the-moment eyewitness descriptions of concrete events - and the author's opinions of them. As an example of the level of detail, an entry for 26 March 1938 where someone first suggests that the Hitler salute be used in the army; the author writes, "I was appalled and asked him if he could imagine a positive reaction particularly from officers and NCOs."

Here's an interesting one that will remind the reader of Ribbentrop's infamous superficial showmanship: 20 May 1938. "F. [this is how the author refers to Hitler in the diary] made fun of the new Foreign Ministry uniforms. Compared them with those of a circus master of ceremonies...He regretted very much that his foreign minister went along with this nonsense."

The author does not have the writing gift of von Hassell (who left an excellent diary before being executed by the Nazis), and his diary might not have the dramatic interest of Ciano's (the foreign minister of Italy, who was executed by Mussolini but whose diary helped hang Ribbentrop). Nevertheless, it is an amazing document.