Berlin Diary
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| Berlin Diary | |
 Berlin Diary, Penguin Books edition 1979 |
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| Author | William Shirer |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre(s) | History |
| Publisher | Alfred A. Knopf |
| Publication date | 1941 |
| ISBN | N/A for first edition |
Berlin Diary (1934-1941) is a first-hand account of the rise of the Third Reich and its road to war, as witnessed by the American journalist William L. Shirer. Shirer, a radio reporter for CBS, covered Germany for several years until the Nazi press censors made it impossible for him to report objectively to his listeners in the United States; feeling increasingly uncomfortable, he finally left the country. Many of Shirer's German sources are disguised to protect them from retaliation by the Gestapo when the book was published. The contents of this book provided much of the material for his next book The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich - a definitive guide to Nazi Germany.
History is viewed as something that happened in the past. In his diary Shirer observes history as it unfolds, suspecting and hoping but not knowing, as is now known, what is coming. His closeness to events in pre-war and war-time Berlin, France and Belgium and to the Nazi leaders and middle-managers is often breathtaking.
A study of this period without reading Berlin Diary would be incomplete. Using the internet to find out what happened to those Shirer encountered is often particularly poignant as well as illuminating.
