None better

Shirers book is doubly excellent First by the very nature of the many eyewitness accounts of this man to things in history one can only imagine. Second by the always expert reading by Gardner Listen how Shirer repeatedly comes within easy observing distance of Hitler , Mussolini, Ghandi and countless others
The very best book I have. Of over 2000. Yes it’s that good

10 people found this helpful

Best of audible

Wonderful narration. Having lived through many of those years, it brought so many memories. Having traveled so many years, the descriptions of cafes, neighborhood and streets in Paris and Berlin allowed me to relive my own travels. He speaks of Barcelona, the Estoril in Portugal and the river Tagus. I was able to recall Chamberlin, the Munich treaty, the rail car where the Germans surrendered in ww1 and the French in Ww2. Overall a great read.

6 people found this helpful

Just like being there

As the author recounts the historic events he has witnessed, the many conversations he had with top Nazi ,Gestapo or SS brass.
Or the tours of the front lines provided to him by nazi generals.
The detail of what he is seeing is amazing
It made me feel like I was riding With him.
The war as seen from the other perspective sheds light on everything fromGerman brutality to troop moral and destruction seen as the German army advances with the French and British in retreat.

4 people found this helpful

Long deep read

While long and at times, overwhelming with names and dates, this is an amazing memoir offering an American newsman's perspective of Nazi Germany from within Germany at the time of Hitler's rise. The detail and anecdotes are superb. Grover Gardner is flawless as always!

2 people found this helpful

Excellent book

Once again, Shirer delivered an excellent book. The narrator has the perfect voice for the material. I highly recommend this.

1 person found this helpful

Fascinating

Shirer's first-hand account of his experiences in the beginning of the war are eminently listenable. He writes very well and Grover Gardner of course is an exceptional narrator. On to the third and final volume!

1 person found this helpful

Eyewitness & Man of Integrity

William L. Shirer is one of the most influential men of our time. Why, because he gave a supremely honest 1st hand account of the Monster of the 20th century. Whether by choose or by luck Shirer was in the right places at the right times and left his journal for all of us to inhale. No other man was given this opportunity & thankfully, Shirer recognized his obligation to mankind by sharing the dreadful experiences he witnessed. We all owe this uncommon man from Iowa.

1 person found this helpful

Good Companion Book

A good companion to The Rise and Fall book, filling in personal details of his life and career. Also demonstrates the everyday unfolding horror of living near the third reich nightmare.

Well Written and exciting Memoir

William Shirer reports on his time spent living in pre-war Berlin. It’s as if you are there.

One small annoying quirk

I actually read this book years ago, as well as Shirer's “Berlin Diary” and “Third Reich,” and have heard some of his original radio broadcasts (easily found on the net). The book's format, combining 1930s world history with a personal career memoir, makes for enjoyable listening and is a fairly easy way to learn about the run-up to the war, although you may find the personal interludes — job hunting, his wife’s medical problems, even his account of his first meeting with fellow CBS correspondent Edward R. Murrow — less interesting than the history.

This book relies heavily on “Berlin Diary.” The Shirer that emerged in those pages, and here even more so, is a decent but rather high-minded, humorless character who’s a bit smug about his discerning taste in art (El Greco, Picasso), classical music, and literature. One quirk of his that I found annoying in the diary and that annoyed me here is his penchant for reading way too much into the faces of people glimpsed in public. Hitler, walking out of a meeting or delivering a speech or even spied 50 yards away through binoculars, is always described as looking triumphant or scornful or glum or uncertain or filled with hate. Soviet Ambassador Molotov, seen riding past in a car, is described as looking “dour.” Not only does Shirer claim to interpret public figures' expressions; he’s actually confident he can divine the emotions beneath them: Of General Halder, sitting on a rostrum at some Nazi rally, Shirer notes “his classically intellectual face masking a weariness and a sadness.” I call b.s. on that.

P.S. This audiobook benefits from the usual superb narration by Grover Gardner.