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Germany - Jekyll and Hyde

• Message 1. 

  Posted by Parti-NG-ton Blue (U13898629) on Thursday, 22nd October 2009

  I am currently reading this book by Sebastian Haffner and although I agree with a lot of what he has written I find that the style of writing strikes me as very similar to Mein Kampf.
  
  Not in content obviously but in the way that he constantly repeats the same arguement so that by the fifth time you've read it it must have sunk in.
  
  I am finding it very repetative.
  
  Has anybody else read this and found the same?
  
  Peter

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• Message 2

  , in reply to message 1.

  Posted by Thomas_B (U1667093) on Thursday, 22nd October 2009

  The Reverend,
  
  I haven´t read any book written by Sebastian Haffner, but I know that he is well known for his books about Hitler and Mein Kampf (most with commentary books about Hitler himself and Mein Kampf). Maybe he used too much quotations from Hitlers book in his own. I just saw Haffners book you are currently reading in an book shop and read what was written on the cover. The book describes - as I remember well - just the years 1938 to 1939 in the eve of WWII.
  
  In general, you can read any book from any writer when it comes to this history period, there are always very much repetitations on the subject. What differs among them are just sentences which might bring informations you wouldn´t knew before or more personally experiences of the writer.
  
  Regards
  
  Thomas

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• Message 3

  , in reply to message 1.

  Posted by Poldertijger (U11154078) on Friday, 23rd October 2009

  Hello Reverend and Thomas,
  
  Haffner came of age during the Weimar republic, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that he is using the rhetoric of the literature of that time. His style may have a nazi-ring to it, but such a rhetoric was in use by democrats of that period that are above suspicion, too.
  
  Regards,
  Poldertijger
  

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• Message 4

  , in reply to message 3.

  Posted by Thomas_B (U1667093) on Friday, 23rd October 2009

  Hi Poldertijger,
  
  I hope you are well.
  
  You might be right, as I´ve stated above, I´ve never read any book of Haffners collection he has written. Those books didn´t attracted my interest and don´t know why.
  
  I´ve read several books from other authors to the same historical period, including original books from that time (which are not a pleasure to read, but necessary to understand the term of that time).
  
  What I know from Haffners biography is, that he was against the Nazis and emmigrated to the UK in the 1930s. After WWII he returned to Germany and published his books. His books has been estimated as the best books among others about that time. Younger historians, including Joachim C. Fest (which wasn´t an younger historian, but younger than Haffner himself), got different opinions, although he also has read his books for his own books among other books from people which worked in the inner circle of Hitlers administraion, like Christa Schröder - one of Hitlers Secretaries - or Ernst Hanfstängel, which has been the Chief of Press by the party for foreign affairs (Auslandspressechef) until 1935/1936.
  
  I think that the rhetoric you are referring to cames more from the old "Kaiser Reich" than from the "Third Reich". By the way, your sentence is an very good example for the kind of language the Germans used in the first part of the 20th Century. Very remarkable because that rhetoric changed just from the late 1960s onwards. Now we have many people here which complain that there are too many English words used in German language. But this would be another matter, which I suppose the Dutch are not that affected which such discussions at all.
  
  Regards
  
  Thomas
  

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• Message 5

  , in reply to message 4.

  Posted by Parti-NG-ton Blue (U13898629) on Saturday, 24th October 2009

  Haffner is definitely anti-regime and moved to the UK because he was engaged to a Jewish girl and it didn't go down well.
  
  In the book Haffner makes sound judgements and argues very well (and predicts the downfall and outcomes).
  
  My only quarm is the repeating of facts over and over until they sink in. The style of writing reminds of the old way of learning times tables. Repeat and Repeat until you know it by heart.

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• Message 6

  , in reply to message 4.

  Posted by PaulRyckier (U1753522) on Saturday, 24th October 2009

  Thomas, Poldertijger and Reverend,
  
  I read two books from Haffner from the local library in Dutch translation from the German original:
  
  "Germany:Jekyll und Hyde.1939:Deutschland von innen betrachtet" (Germany: Jekyll and Hyde.1939:Germany seen from inside)
  
  "Het duivelspact: de Duits-Russische betrekkingen van de Eerste tot de Tweede Wereldoorlog" translation from: "Der Teufelspakt: die deutsch-russischen Beziehungen vom Ersten zum Zweiten Weltkrieg" (The devil's pact: the German-Russian relations from the first till the second worldwar).
  If it exists in English translation it would be an interesting read for my friend Suvorovetz.
  
  Perhaps my in Dutch translated version of Jekyll and Hyde was perhaps a bit "free" translated but if I remember it well (it's already a while ago that I read it) it was for me! interesting and again if I recall it well I found it not "too" boring, perhaps because of my interest in the subject . If I have time I will reread it once...sparked by this thread...
  
  Warm regards to the three of yours,
  
  Paul.

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• Message 7

  , in reply to message 6.

  Posted by suvorovetz (U12273591) on Monday, 26th October 2009

  Hi, Paul If it exists in English translation it would be an interesting read for my friend Suvorovetz  I actually found it on Amazon. Can't ignore your advise under the circumstances.
  

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