One of those history books that is interesting, but only needs reading once.

Did enjoy, finished and definitely will recommend to those interested.

Loved this book. Lots of interesting information to digest. This is a great read for anyone who loves to read about history. Very well written

Princess Fuzzypants here: I am always fascinated with books about WWII especially ones that set the record straight. Hitler was a man who, was and is a magnet for many people. Sadly, there are still those out there who subscribe to his warped view of the world. They will seek to embellish the “heroic” or positive myths. The rest of the world leans more towards the myths that paint him as the monster he became. This book seeks to test the myth, the source and then apply other source material to determine if the myth has any basis in fact.

It is an interesting premise and one that is well researched. It looks at some common myths and adds in some that were less well known. For the student of history, there is some good reading. It is also a book that could be read cover to cover or dipped into one chapter at a time. Four purrs and two paws up.

This book looks at 19 myths which have persisted about Hitler & examines the evidence for each one: did Hitler really have Jewish ancestry? Was he the true author of Mein Kampf? Did he fake his suicide & escape from the bunker? The author looks at contemporary & historical sources & the investigations of others to find the true answers once & for all.

No matter how many books I read on WWII, there's always something new to learn. I had heard of some of the myths discussed in the book, but others were unfamiliar. The author looks at each question in detail & considers the possible issues if they were correct. I found the last chapter discussing whether Hitler was a demon one of the most interesting chapters with the ramifications of arguing that Hitler was evil personified. No, I agree that we should remember him & the others as examples of the fact that normal human beings can carry out evil deeds - we should never forget this so history is not repeated. I thought it was well-researched & considered some intriguing perspectives, but I found the writing style a little dry & stilted at times, therefore I rate this 3 stars.

My thanks to NetGalley & publishers, Pen & Sword/Frontline Books, for the opportunity to read an ARC.

This book would be great for readers of WWII. The information given is interesting and the sources he uses is documented very well.
This book is from publisher Frontline Books and downloaded from NetGalley.

Mr. De Boer and Pen and Sword republish in English his 2015 Non-Fiction book debunking the prominent "Hitler Myths." Was Hitler a Socialist? Did he kill his niece Gelli after an incestuous relationship? etc. De Boer does an admirable job chronologically making a case against the mythos of Hitler that has been built up over the years. The interesting question is why a mythos was created? Hitler was the leader of a country bent on taking over the world and responsible for the murder of at least six million Jews as well as tens of millions of others due to the war. Why did he need to be lied about, the horrible truth was much more frightening.

With so many story swirling about Hitler. The Hitler Myths leads the way of correcting news that have come up with Adolf Hitler
As a lover of history i found this book very interesting and one i would definitely have in my library.

My thanks to both NetGalley and the publisher Pen & Sword for an advance copy of this book on World War II history.

We live in a time where facts and figures for just about every subject can be Googled, Binged, Jeevesed, TOR Browsered in seconds, and yet many people treat knowledge, real facts and real figures as things that should be burned like books or witches. People talk about truthiness and fake news, while disseminating their own falsehoods, and heard-it-from-a-friend-whos without caring, or thinking or even feeling shame. In The Hitler Myths: Exposing the Truth Behind the Stories About the Führer, Sjoerd J de Boer attempts to tell the truth and expose some of the biggest fallacies about Adolf Hitler, a man whose myths continue to be excepted as fact.

Even before his suicide, which is a chapter in this book, many stories and lies were told about Hitler, from both supporters and foes. Hitler's heroism in the war, or lack of. Was he a poor starving artist in Vienna, or was he better off than he shared. Did he kill his niece, others, even himself. Was their an escape to Argentina, or did Hitler indeed die in the bunker. Unfortunately there are still many questions and half- truths that exist.

The book is told chronologically, starting with his birth and his parentage, through his student years, the First World War, and his ascension to power. The writer does a very good job of stating the story, how the myth might have started, and grown, presenting facts either backing or busting the story and giving more information for the reader to do their own research. The book is well sourced and written clearly, more a general history than an academic study. The chronology flows nicely and does not bog down, giving time to bigger stories, where needed.

An intriguing work, written well and without any purple prose or breathless tales of excess. The author does a very good job stating his case, making facts clear and helping the reader to understand where a story might have come from, why it gained traction, who gained and who lost from the lies, or untruths and why. Recommended for history fans who enjoy World War II and for those who like to read about conspiracy theories, and how they get lodged in the minds of people.

** Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for granting my wish to read this book **
I received an eARC, this opinion is my own.

Several bizarre myths and stories about the Führer seem to have taken root in our collective minds, in nineteen chapters the source of the myth is explained and where necessary debunked.
It is noted that this is not a biography - I rather refer readers to reading the biographies by Kershaw or by Volker Ullrich -

I studied German and worked as a German teacher - and have always been fascinated by the figure Hitler from a historical point of view. I have have most of the biographies and books that have been published about him at home.

The author eleborates on how Hitler became a highly decorated WWI soldier (EK1 & EK2), even when he was a footsoldier at the frontlines for a mere 11 days, the Langemarck Myth, the question whether he was poor and starving when he lived in Vienna, the rumour about him fathering a son, - Philip Loret - ( a French plumber); and the rumour that an English soldier spared his life during WWI; the author uses existing sources (Ian Kershaw, Mein Kampf, Internet, Newspapers).

A readable, fascinating and well-researched account, perfect for readers who want to know more about the man and the myth, but rather not read the fat encyclopedic biographies, and, of course for history buffs.
Highly recommended!! a five star read for me. *****

Publication date: April 30, 2022

World War II-era books are some of my favorite reads, so of course I was interested in checking out this book. I found this to be fascinating and engaging, albeit chilling. It was interesting to see all the myths about someone who seems to be quite well known in history. If you're interested in history, this is a book to add to your TBR pile.

Thank you so much to the publisher for granting my wish for this book. I am definitely someone who is fascinated by the incredibly dark and disturbing incidences that happen throughout history and of course the holocaust appears on that list. Therefore, when I saw this this book about Hitler and the myths and almost folklore that surrounds him I knew I had to read it.
It was a fascinating yet somewhat chilling read that washard to put down but also so hard to read. It is ironic that there are so many myths that surround one of the most well known men in history who in himself is almost a myth. I would highly recommend this book to anyone in history or especially Hitler or the holocaust.

This book was a bit of an eye opener for me, as some of the ideas I had about the rise of Hitler to power, and then the build-up of Germany leading to WWII, were not as I thought. The myth of Hitler grew so rapidly and out of proportion to the real man, in response to the country's needing to believe in an almost godlike leader after the almost unbearable loss to the Allies in the Great War. Hitler's beliefs tended to resonate with others looking for a scapegoat for their ills. It is frightening so see how, in basically a few short years, a whole people and country can become inured to the destruction of a whole group of people, burned books, persecution of the churches, etc. It is also rather frightening to see how yesterday's mistakes are still being made today, in deifying white men who lead others to their doom.

Wow! This is a fascinating and well documented look at the myths surrounding the 20th Century’s most evil dictator.