The Devils Diary by Robert K Wittman

The Devils Diary by Robert K Wittman

An unprecedented, page-turning narrative of the Nazi rise to power, the Holocaust, and Hitler’s post-invasion plans for Russia told through the recently discovered lost diary of Alfred Rosenberg – Hitler’s `philosopher’ and architect of Nazi ideology. A groundbreaking historical work, The Devil’s Diary offers a chilling window into the mind of Adolf Hitler’s “chief social philosopher,” Alfred Rosenberg, who formulated some of the guiding principles behind the Third Reich’s genocidal crusade. It also chronicles the thrilling detective hunt for Rosenberg’s diary, which disappeared after the Nuremburg Trials and remained lost for almost three quarters of a century, until author Robert Wittman, a former FBI special agent who founded the Bureau’s Art Crimes Team, played an important role and tells the story now for the first time. The authors expertly and deftly contextualize more than 400 pages of diary entries stretching from 1936 through 1944, in which the loyal Hitler advisor recounts internal meetings with the Fürher and his close associates Hermann Göring and Heinrich Himmler; details jealousy and rivalries within the Nazi leadership – particularly with Goebbels; describes the post-invasion occupation of the Soviet Union; considers the “solution” to the “Jewish question;” and discusses his overseeing of the mass seizure and cataloguing of books and artwork from homes, libraries, and museums across occupied Europe. An eyewitness to events, this narrative of Rosenberg’s diary offers provocative and intimate insights into pivotal moments in the war and the notorious Nazi who laid the philosophical foundations of the Third Reich.

`This engaging book deftly combines the various strands of the story … Lively and well written … Part detective story, part history book it restores Rosenberg to his rightful place … A fascinating read’ The Times

`Cannot be recommended too highly’ New York Journal of Books

`A fascinating scholarly detective story centring on the often overlooked ideological architect of the Third Reich. . The authors do an excellent job of teasing out the fine details and placing them in the larger context, in the bargain offering overdue acknowledgement of Kempner's many contributions to the short-lived effort to bring Nazis to judgement. A footnote to a much larger story but a welcome one’ Kirkus

`Mesmerising’ Daily Beast

Robert K Wittman served as the FBI's top investigator in cases involving art theft for 20 years. He helped recover more than $300 million worth of stolen art, resulting in the prosecution and conviction of numerous individuals. Now an art security consultant for the private sector, Wittman published his memoir `Priceless’ in 2010 which he recounts his career as an undercover agent.

David Kinney is the author of `The Dylanologists’ and `The Big One’. A Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist, his writing has appeared in newspapers around the world, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Boston Globe.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9780007575602
ISBN 10	0007575602
Title	The Devils Diary
Author	Robert K Wittman
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Hardback
Publisher	HarperCollins Publishers
Year published	2016-03-29
Number of pages	528
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.