Review of a new biography of Hitler has many people thinking of ... someone else
Sometimes a review of a Hitler biography is just a review of a Hitler biography—and sometimes not.
On Tuesday, the New York Times book reviews covered a new volume on the rise of Hitler. Funny thing is, though the Times review mentions no one except historical figures, people have been reading more into the review.
Why would anyone draw connections to Trump from the review? Well, here are some highlights.
Hitler was often described as an egomaniac who “only loved himself” — a narcissist with a taste for self-dramatization and what Mr. Ullrich calls a “characteristic fondness for superlatives.” His manic speeches and penchant for taking all-or-nothing risks raised questions about his capacity for self-control, even his sanity. …
Hitler was known, among colleagues, for a “bottomless mendacity” that would later be magnified by a slick propaganda machine that used the latest technology (radio, gramophone records, film) to spread his message. A former finance minister wrote that Hitler “was so thoroughly untruthful that he could no longer recognize the difference between lies and truth” and editors of one edition of “Mein Kampf” described it as a “swamp of lies, distortions, innuendoes, half-truths and real facts.”
We’re talking about Hitler. So don’t go getting any wrong ideas. But hey, let’s read some more …