In his introduction, James Cross Giblin poses questions that he hopes to answer with this insightful and gripping biography: “What sort of man could plan and carry out such horrendous schemes? How was he able to win support for his deadly ventures? And why did no one try to stop him until it was almost too late?” To answer these questions, Giblin looks closely at Hitler’s formative years, writing extensively about his rise to the top and his ability to stir up a crowd with his mesmerizing oratorical skill. He presents Hitler not as evil personified but as a brilliant strategist and a deeply disturbed man with a hunger for power. Archival photographs illustrate an exceptionally gutsy biography of a man who had a tremendous impact on the 20thCentury. (Age 14 and older)

2003 Sibert Medal Winner

Many people believe Hitler was the personification of evil. In this Sibert Medal-winning biography, James Cross Giblin penetrates this façade and presents a picture of a complex person--at once a brilliant, influential politician and a deeply disturbed man.

In a straightforward and nonsensational manner, the author explores the forces that shaped the man as well as the social conditions that furthered his rapid rise to power. Against a background of crucial historical events, Giblin traces the arc of Hitler's life from 1889 to 1945: his childhood, his years as a frustrated artist in Vienna, his extraordinary rise as dictator of Germany, his final days in an embattled bunker under Berlin. Powerful archival images provide a haunting visual accompaniment to this clear and compelling account of a life that left an ineradicable mark on our world. Author's note, bibliography, index.