Clouds gathering on the horizon in Europe

The first of three books in this famous series (The Start, Berlin Diary, End of a Berlin Diary) by William L. Shirer, I'm glad that I happened upon the "Berlin Diary" books first. They put you right into the middle of Berlin, as Adolph Hitler was gaining power. "The Start," which covers this renown Journalist and Author's early life, from growing up in middle America through his fantastic early career and experiences in pre-WWII Europe, gets off to a slow start. In fact, I'm afraid I would never have finished it, if I didn't already know what was in store for him and the reader in his latter two books in the series. Even after he gets a job right out of college in France as a cub reporter, this true story suddenly picks up tempo, as he ends up greeting Charles Lindbergh on a grass airstrip outside Paris. From that point on, it seems, he is always in the right place at the right time, interviewing European Heads of State and world-renown celebrities of the time, including Lindbergh. But this is also a story, as seen through his eyes, of an optimistic America in the first third of the Century, having survived "the War to End All Wars" and going into the Great Depression. So, hang in there for a great ride after he gets to Paris. The narration is excellent, although you might get real tired of hearing all the French names of people he meets and the addresses of dozens of cafe's he regularly visits. It is truly remarkable the level of detail he has written into his diary throughout his life, knowing from the very beginning, it seems, that he would write an excellent autobiographical piece like this some day. All three books comprise a story of one of America's finest Journalists. What a life!

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Grover Gardner brings this memoir to life

Grover Gardner is probably my favorite reader, and he does a great job as usual bringing this memoir of the early life of William Shirer to life. Since Shirer was a progressive historian and journalist this is more than just a personal memoir, but also a bit of a history of America and even the world during these first three decades of the 20th century. If you're a history buff and enjoy the nuanced, lively, and yet somehow calming readings of Grover Gardner this is highly recommended.

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You will laugh and cry

If you love William Shirer you will love this book - I laughed so much for

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Thank you Grover Gardner

To say I wanted to like this is an understatement. I loved "The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich" and "The Collapse of the Third Republic." And combined with the great Grover Gardner's narration is like fitting a hand to a glove. However, "The Start" is another kind of book altogether. It's a long winded, mostly unnecessary accounting of Shirer's early life. Cut in half or more it might be okay. Mostly it's about his encounters with various personalities in Europe, from Hemingway to Isadora Duncan, to name a few. And in the middle of this he manages to do all the cliches in wiggling his way out of closed minded Christian America and into free thinking Europe, etc. And this repeated ad nauseam. And then again when you think he's done. How many times has the reader heard a similar story? Seems like every day this is the story. If not for Grover Gardner it would a more painful listen. One could literally listen to him read the phone book without complaint.

3 people found this helpful

very informative but biased

I much enjoyed Mr. Shirer's other books finding them interesting and informative with a frank open mindedness that he applies to some of history's most villainess persons. So you can understand my surprise to listen to him comment over and over about the evil of his country, his country men and especially businessmen in America. I understand it was a different time but his continual lumping of capitalists specifically and businessmen in general as deep seated rotten folks without any redeeming qualities got a bit old. The pure amount of cynicism and scorn he displays from page to page really does a disservice to his talents in describing people and their motives that he nails in other books.

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very captivating

Part autobiography and part biography of all the people he met, this is a very interesting book. It captures the 1910s-1920s like no other story I've ever read.
And the reader reads it like only he can. Highly recommended.

Not Just An Autobiography

This a wonderful history of the first decades of the 20th century in our country and in Europe. A splendid look at the life and times of a youth from the Midwest whose curiosity and drive made him a gifted reporter and broadcaster and, as we see in this volume, historian.

I've been being enlightened by the author

for more than 40 years. I've read all of his books at least once. (Fall of 3rd French Republic was only one I didn't enjoy, likely because i still know little about French culture. I did study German.)
other reviewer noticed that this is less dramatic. However, I thotoughk enjoyed listening to him present a broader view introducing information and analyses involving other genres. this corresponds to a great broadening in my horizons from 46 years ago.

super interesting

I really loved this volume. Having previously read the Rise and Fall of the Third Reich I was eager to read more of Shirer's first hand experiences. He really is an excellent writer and his stories of working as young reporter are entertaining. I'm really looking forward to the next two volumes. Grover Gardner's narration is always on par.

A Rich Life

I enjoyed the history lesson. Some of his family history was! more than I needed. Great reading