IN THE GARDEN OF BEASTS

IN THE GARDEN OF BEASTS by Erik Larson

From Amazon.com (Shane Hansanuwat):

In the Garden of Beasts is a vivid portrait of Berlin during the first years of Hitler's reign, brought to lfe through the stories of two people:  William E. Dodd, who in 1933 became America's first ambassador to Hitler's regime, and his scandalously carefree daughter, Martha.  Ambassador Dodd, an unassuming and scholarly man, is an odd fit among the extravagance of the Nazi elite.  His frugality annoys his fellow Americans in the State Department and Dodd's growing misgivings about Hitler's ambitions fall on deaf ears among his peers, who are content to "give Hitler everything he wants."  Martha, on the other hand, is mesmerized by the glamorous parties and the high-minded conversation of Berlin's salon society - and flings herself headlong into numerous affairs with the city's elite, most notably the head of the Gestapo and a Soviet spy.  Both become players in the exhilarating (and terrifying) story of Hitler's obsession for absolute power, which culminates in the events of one murderous night, later known as "the Night of Long Knives."  the rise of Nazi Germany is a well-chronicled time in history, which makes In the Garden of Beasts all the more remarkable.  Erik Larson has crafted 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, even though we already know the outcome.

I wasn't really thrilled with this book.  In fact, I thought it was on the dull and boring side.  I think I was probably expecting more of the atrocities that are associated with Hitler and Nazi Germany during WWII.  This book, however, covered the years before the war as Hitler was just coming into power.

I felt sorry for Ambassador Dodd.  He was given a position for which he was not suited or prepared.  He had no real support from home; in fact, he was made fun of by other members of the State Department.  His daughter Martha must have been an embarrassment to him as she slept her way through German officers and members of society.

I guess, as a history lesson, the book fulfilled its promise.  But as interesting reading for me, it didn't make the grade.