The time is 1933, the place, Berlin, when William E. Dodd becomes America's first ambassador to Hitler's Germany in a year that proved to be a turning point in history. A mild-mannered professor from Chicago, Dodd brings along his wife, son, and flamboyant daughter, Martha. Written by the bestselling author of "Devil in the White City, In the Garden of Beasts" lends a stunning, eyewitness perspective on events as they unfold in real time, revealing an era of surprising nuance and complexity.

Reviews

"By far his best and most enthralling work of novelistic history....Powerful, poignant...a transportingly true story."--"The New York Times"
"Tells a fascinating story brilliantly well."--"Financial Times"
"Highly compelling...Larson brings Berlin roaring to life in all its glamour and horror...a welcome new chapter in the vast canon of World War II."--"Christian Science Monitor"
"Terrific."--"Los Angeles Times
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"A stunning work of history."--"Newsweek
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"Larson has meticulously researched the Dodds' intimate witness to Hitler's ascendancy and created an edifying narrative of this historical byway that has all the pleasures of a political thriller....a fresh picture of these terrrible events."--"The New York Times Book Review
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"Larson has taken a brilliant idea and turned it into a gripping book."--"Women's Wear Daily"
"Harrowingly suspenseful." "Vogue.com
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"A gripping, deeply-intimate narrative with a climax that reads like the best political thriller, where we are stunned with each turn of the page."--"Louisville Courier Journal"
"Electrifying reading...fascinating." "Minneapolis Star-Tribune"
"Larson's latest chronicle of history has as much excitement as a thriller novel, and it's all the more thrilling because it's all true."--"Asbury Park Press"
"A superb book...nothing less than masterful."--"Toronto Globe and Mail"
"Even though we know how it will end -- the book's climax, the Night of the Long Knives, being just the beginning, this is a page-turner, full of flesh and blood people and monsters too, whose charms are particularly disturbing."--"Portland Herald
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"Larson succeeds brilliantly...offers a fascinating window into the year when the world began its slow slide into war."--"Maclean's Magazine"
"Erik Larson tackles this outstanding period of history as fully and compellingly as he portrayed the events in his bestseller, THE DEVIL IN THE WHITE CITY. With e

Larson (Devil in the White City) delivers another spellbinding and lively history in this exploration of Adolf Hitler's rise to power as seen by U.S. Ambassador to Germany William E. Dodd and his daughter, Martha. Larson contrasts Dodd's family life with the larger political and cultural shifts occurring in the years leading up to WWII. And he provides new insights into U.S. foreign policy via a close examination of Dodd's letters and writings. Stephen Hoye provides compelling narration and reads with a commanding voice that is deep but never intrusive. His narration is deliberate and forces listeners pay close attention to the author's prose. He also captures Martha's emotion and excitement as she falls in-and eventually out of-line with the Nazi Party and engages in several affairs. The narrator's tone and delivery match Larson's prose, never condemning Martha's actions, but simply presenting her view of the world. At times, Hoye's narration slows, but his emphasis, inflection, flawless pronunciation, and energy will keep listeners engaged until the very end. A Crown hardcover. (May) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.