In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler's Berlin

In the Garden of BeastsLove, Terror and an American Family in Hitler's Berlinby ERIK LARSON1. Introduction. This book is divided into ten parts, with a total of fifty five chapters. The writer of this review has a strong need for both an Index and a Table of Contents. Since the author of this book does not include the chapters in his Table of Contents, an expanded version is produced below. Note that Das Vorspiel is defined by such words as: prelude; prologue; preliminary match; foreplay and audition. Note also that the photo credits refer to the pictures on the book title pages that are part of the title page for each PART.Opening Quotation xiDas Vorspiel xiii1933The Man Behind the Curtain 3PART I: Into the WoodChapter 1: Means of Escape 9Chapter 2: That Vacancy in Berlin 16Chapter 3: The Choice 23Chapter 4: Dread 27Chapter 5: First Night 40PART II: House Hunting in the Third ReichChapter 6: Seduction 53Chapter 7: Hidden Conflict 61Chapter 8: Meeting Putzi 70Chapter 9: Death is Death 74Chapter 10: Tiergartenstrasse 27a 83PART III: Lucifer in the GardenChapter 11: Strange Beings 93Chapter 12: Brutus 103Chapter 13: My Dark Secret 113Chapter 14: The Death of Boris 120Chapter 15: The "Jewish Problem" 128Chapter 16: A Secret Request 132Chapter 17: Lucifer's Run 138Chapter 18: Warning from a Friend 145Chapter 19: Matchmaker 154PART IV: How the Skeleton AchesChapter 20: The Führeur's Kiss 157Chapter 21: The Trouble with George 163Chapter 22: The witness Wore Jackboots 169Chapter 23: Boris Dies Again 174Chapter 24: Getting Out the Vote 175Chapter 25: The Secret Boris 179Chapter 26: The Little Press Ball 184Chapter 27: O `Tannenbaum 194!934PART V: DisquietChapter 28: January 1934 209Chapter 29: Sniping 216Chapter 30: Premonition 218Chapter 31: Night Terrors 223Chapter 32: Storm warning 229Chapter 33: "Memorandum of a Conservation with Hitler: 231Chapter 34: Diels, Afraid 242Chapter 35: Confronting the Club 245Chapter 36: Saving Diels 249Chapter 37: Watchers 254Chapter 38: Humbugged 255PART VI: Berlin at DuskChapter 39: Dangerous Dining 263Chapter 40: A Writer's Retreat 268Chapter 41: Trouble at the Neighbors 277Chapter 42: Hermann's Toys 278Chapter 43: A Pygmy Speaks 283Chapter 44: The Message in the Bathroom 290Chapter 45: Mrs. Cerruti's Distress 292Chapter 46: Friday Night 297PART VII: When everything changedChapter 47: "Shoot, Shoot" 304Chapter 48: Guns in the Park 309Chapter 49: The Dead 313Chapter 50: Among the Living 319Chapter 51: Sympathy's End 323Chapter 52: Only the Horses 330Chapter 53: Juliet #2 336Chapter 54: A Dream of Love 340Chapter 55: As Darkness Fell 349EPILOGUE: The queen bird in Exile 359CODA: "Table Talk" 365Sources and Acknowledgments 367Notes 377Bibliography 423Photo Credits 435INDEX 437End Quotation 449There are also very interesting maps inside the front and back covers. The back cover map is entitled: "Pharus Plan Berlin." It has a highlighted section for the Tiergarten Area. The front cover map is for this area in 1933. Ten locations are flagged, including 27a Tiergartenstrasse; Soviet, French and British embassies; the U.S. Embassy Chancery, and the U.S. Consulate; and the German Foreign Office, the Reichstag Building and the Gestapo Headquarters.2. Major Inputs . This is a large book with 60 segments, 55 chapters plus five other components.. Many of these will be reviewed. A picture of the "American Family" is shown on the PART I cover.Chapter 0. The Man Behind the Curtain. Perhaps the worst exhibition of Nazi brutality against Americans occurred on Thursday, 06/29/1933. An expatriate, a Joseph Schachno, 31 year old physician from New York, came to the consulate, but in terrible condition. The skin had been literally whipped off his body. "From the neck down to his heels he was a mass of raw flesh." George S. Messersmith (GSM)--the America's consul general for Germany since 1930, was visiting the consulate that night and learned his wounds were nine days old. Messersmith ordered him taken to a hospital and issued him a new U.S. passport. He soon fled to Sweden and then to America.There had been beatings of Americans before, but not as brutal. For GSM this new beating was another indicator that life under Hitler had changed Germany in a fundamental way. He understood it, but was convinced that few others in America did, including the State Department. Messersmith was sure that Hitler was secretly leading Germany to another war of conquest. However, Germany still did not have a U.S. ambassador in residence. The former ambassador had left in March at the end of FDR's inauguration. The new appointee was not expected for another three weeks. GSM did not know him, but he knew that "the new ambassador would be entering a cauldron of brutality, corruption, and zealotry and would need to be a man of forceful character, capable of projecting American interest and power, as power was all that Hitler and his men understood."However, the new man was said to be most unassuming, and had vowed to live a modest life in Berlin. He was even shipping his beat up old Chevy to Berlin, to "a city where Hitler's men drove about town in giant black touring cars each nearly the size of a city bus."Chapter 1: Means of Escape. The American Family in this story were the Dodds. William E. Dodd (WED) was a professor of History at the University of Chicago, and a summertime farmer in Virginia. He loved his farm with a passion. His wife, Martha, known to one and all as Mattie, did not enjoy it nearly as much. They had two children: William, Jr. and Martha Dodd (MD), both in their 20s in 1933, when this story began.While Dodd loved teaching history, the routine demands of his job bothered him. Although he had worked out a reduced schedule with his department, staff departures and pressures coupled with the Depression had left him working as hard as ever. He was also very concerned that he should have been along further in his career, but the above demands left him little time for writing in rather uncomfortable conditions, such as a very cold office.On 03/15/1933, Dodd went to DC to meet FDR's new Secretary of State, Cordell Hull. They talked of a possible assignment to Holland or Belgium. Suddenly, "forced to imagine the day-to-day reality of what such a life would entail" Dodd backed off. He told Hull he could not accept such a position. "But his name remained in circulation. "And now, on that Thursday in June, his telephone began to ring."Chapter 2: That Vacancy in Berlin. No one seemed to want this job. FDR offered it to several other and better qualified individuals than Dodd, but they all declined. FDR also had far more important items on his agenda: the depression; serious unemployment; the drought; an unusually hot Washington springtime; an "all consuming fight to pass his National Industrial Recovery Act, a centerpiece of his New Deal," and a congress eager to close down for their summer vacation. On Wednesday, 06/07/1933, FDR met with several close advisors. One of them in attendance was Commerce Secretary Roper. After considerable discussion Roper threw out a fresh name of a longtime friend. "How about William E. Dodd?" FDR reacted that this was not a bad idea and he would consider it.Now Dodd did not have the usual credentials for such a post. He was not wealthy or politically influential. He was not one of FDR's friends. But he did speak German, and was said to know Germany well. He was also a historian of sober temperament. FDR took Secretary Roper's recommendation seriously. On 06/08/1933, he called Chicago and told Dodd: "I want to know if you will render the government a distinct service. "I want you to go to Germany as an ambassador." He added, "I want an American liberal in Germany as a standing example." Dodd told FDR he needed time. FDR gave him two hours.The university officials urged him to accept. After an intensive, but brisk discussion with his wife, they agreed he should accept. Dodd called the White House, a half hour late, and informed FDR's secretary he would accept the job. Two days later his appointment was placed before the Senate, and was confirmed the same day. Next, he invited his two grown children to join them in Berlin, promising them the experience of a lifetime.Chapter 3: The Choice. With the Depression well underway, Dodd's children were lucky to have jobs. Bill was a teacher of history, but far more interested in automobiles. In contrast, Martha was an assistant literary editor at the Chicago Tribune. Sne had fared much better, than her brother, in her work. Martha was her father's great pride, but her life style was of great concern to him. The rest of this chapter is very like Hedy's Folly, when Hedy was between 16 to 19. MD had many flirtations, many engagements, at least one affair and her first marriage in 01/1932. However, they even kept this marriage secret and spent most of the first year apart. She soon began flirting again, and had begun an affair with Carl Sandburg, a longtime friend of her parents. Later her marriage failed, in part, because she couldn't bear the idea of leaving her parents, particularly her father. Hence, when her father invited her to join their trip to Berlin, it was irresistible.Chapter 4: Dread. On 06/16/1933 Dodd met FDR at the White House. They talked about several issues of importance to the new ambassador. Repayment, Jewish concerns, Dodd's salary and entertainment needs.He left the White House and headed to the State Department, where he wanted to study the Messersmith reports. They depicted Germany descending from a democratic republic to a brutal dictatorship. Many of the reports were long, as GSM was known as "Forty page George." One of the memos however, suggested that the higher echelons of the Nazi Party were becoming more positive and more co-operative. Very shortly after that memo, another memo on June 26, rescinded it. However Messersmith did not see this. It concluded that Germany was quietly readying itself to become "the most capable instrument for war that ever existed."His departure to Germany included stops in North Carolina, Virginia, New York and Boston. He met with his father, many friends and many politicians, bankers, bureaucrats, reporters and photographers. Some inputs included that Germany's Jews were at least partly responsible for their own troubles. One input expressed great admiration for Hitler, and advised Dodd to "Let Hitler have his way." Aboard ship the reporters pressed Dodd to pose as if waving good-bye. He did so, but the resulting picture caused a minor outcry as it appeared to capture Dodd in a mid Heil. By now Dodd's misgivings flared and he began to dread leaving his old life in Chicago. His daughter wept.Chapter 5: First Night. MD continued to cry over the next two days. She was crying--not from a concern on where they were going, she had no idea on what life in Hitler's Germany would be like--for what she was leaving: her friends, her job, the comforts of their house and her affair with Carl Sandburg. As days passed the voyage was grand, with bright days and calm seas. And she got to know FDR's son, who was also aboard. They danced and drank champagne and danced some more. Now Sandburg instructed her to keep notes on everything. Above all he urged her, "find out what this man Hitler is made of, what makes his brain go around, what his bones and blood are made of." While MD had thought of Hitler as "a clown who looked like Charley Chaplin," clearly, Sandberg was far more concerned. Another friend advised MD to avoid writing for newspapers as such work would destroy the concentration she would need for serious writing. He also told her to keep a diary of "what things looked like--the rumors and opinions of people during a political time." Later such a diary would be of great interest to you.Jewish events and issues occurred on this week long voyage. On the second day Dodd met Rabbi Wise, who he had met three days earlier in NY. They spoke repeatedly about Germany. Dodd also spoke at length about American history. At one point he told the Rabbi that: "one cannot write the whole truth about Jefferson and Washington--people are not ready and must be prepared for it." Wise was disturbed by this statement. He noted that if people must be prepared for the truth about Jefferson and Washington what will Dodd "do about the truth when he learns it about Hitler." As the voyage ended Dodd realized that his role was no longer one of a mere observer and reporter. He believed he might even moderate Hitler's views. The best approach was to be sympathetic and try to understand Germany's perception that it had been wronged by the world.The Dodds landed at Hamburg on 07/13/1933. Dodd had assumed, erroneously, that arrangements had been made on the "Flying Hamburger" which would make the trip to Berlin in a bit over two hours.Chapter 10: Tiergartenstrasse 27a. This address is the first location flagged on the front cover map. It's only immediate neighbor is the U. S. Chancery. However, other important locations,are not far off. The matter of an official residence for the U.S. Ambassador had long been an embarrassment. Fire had destroyed one plan near the British and French embassies. Dodd was not unhappy, as he liked the idea of a home outside of the embassy. Hence MD and her mother toured Berlin's grand residential areas. On this walk they discovered such items as:(1) many parks and gardens, with planters and flowers on every balcony;(2) on the outskirts, tiny farms, perfect for MD's father;(3) squads of uniformed young people, marching and singing;(4) much more threatening formations of Storm Trooper recruits and(5) "the leaner, better-tailored men of the SS, in night black, accented with red," like some blackbirds.One area they particularly liked, had a property available. It was owned by a wealthy Jewish banker, an Alfred Panosky (AP). Now there were many Jews--some 16,000 or nine percent of Berlin's Jews--who lived in this area. Although many Jews were being evicted, AP was not one of them. This house was a four story mansion. It was across the street from a park But Dodd learned that AP was leasing only the first three floors. The fourth floor would be occupied by himself and his mother. He really did not need the income from this lease, but since Hitler's appointment as Chancellor, no Jew was safe from persecution. He offered this house specifically to Dodd, with the intention of gaining an increased level of protection. He felt that Storm Troopers would not attack a house shared by the American ambassador.The Dodds would gain a fine residence, and a street presence sufficiently impressive to communicate America's power and prestige. The interior was sufficiently grand to allow the entertainment of government and diplomatic guests without embarrassment. He wrote to FDR: "We have one of the best residences in Berlin at $150/month--due to the fact that the owner is a wealthy Jew, most willing to let us have it." Dodd loved the quiet, the trees, the garden and the prospect of walking to work each morning. He probably also loved the high steel fence and gates. On 08/05/1933 the Dodd family moved into their new home. Dodd noted later if he had known AP's motives for this lease, he would never have accepted it.On entering the house, the Dodds walked "first into a large vestibule, flanked on both sides by cloakrooms and then up an elaborate staircase to the main floor. It was here here that the grandness of this house became apparent. At the front there was a ballroom with an oval dance floor and a grand piano. Next was a reception room, then a vast dining room, with walls covered with a red tapestry. Though the house struck Dodd as far too luxurious, he loved the Wintergarten at the south end of the main floor, a glassed-in chamber that opened onto a tiled terrace overlooking the garden. The family's favorite room was the library, with a great old fire-place and stained glass windows set high in one wall.This house became known as a place where people could speak without fear. "Martha and her father fell into an easy camaraderie. "They traded jokes and wry observations." They laughed at the Nazi's. MD noted that her mother was in good health, but a bit nervous. On balance she was enjoying it all. Her father was also doing well, she reported he was "flourishing incredibly," and seemed "slightly pro-German." MD added, "We sort of don't like the Jews anyway."The Dodds soon discovered they had a high level and much-feared Nazi as a nearby neighbor. He was a Captain Rohm, commander of the Storm Troopers. Every morning he would ride a large black horse in the Tiergarten area. However Dodd continued to walk to work, alone and unguarded.Soon the Dodds--and a new friend of MD, correspondent Quentin Reynolds (QR)--set out to see more of Germany. They headed south to Leipzig where they split up, with MD and friend and brother continuing south towards Austria. Their trip was laden with an incident that would provide the first challenge of MD's rosy view of the new Germany.Chapter 11: Strange Beings. QR, MD and her brother decided to head to Nuremberg first. They encountered groups of the SA parading and singing and carrying their Nazi banners aloft. Often, onlookers would turn to them and shout "Heil Hitler." The excitement of the people was contagious, and MD "Heiled" as vigorously as any Nazi. While both her brother and her new friend were dismayed by her behavior, MD confessed: "I felt like a child, ebullient and careless, the intoxication of the new regime working like wine in me."They found their hotel. QR had been here before, but recalled it as a quiet town. However, tonight they found the town full of revelers. He asked the clerk if there was going to be a parade. The clerk answered that it was going to be kind of a parade. "They are going to teach someone a lesson." Although the noise was loud outside, they could tell it was even louder, three blocks away. The "parade" finally came into view. First a column of SA troopers, in brown uniforms, carrying torches and banners. Next came two huge troopers, "half supporting, half dragging" the figure along the street. As they got closer they could see the figure was a young women. Now the genial Nurembergers became transformed and teased and insulted this women. The troopers then lifted her high so that the sign around her neck became visible. It stated: "I have offered myself to a Jew."When the procession moved on MD stated "I wanted to follow." She had been shaken by this incident, but she would not let it dampen her view of the country and the new spirit brought forth by the Nazis. They headed to the bar. QR vowed to get drunk. QR, as a correspondent, knew this event was far more important. Other correspondents had reported on such abuses before, but their stories had all been based on after-the- fact investigations. Here the act had been witnessed first hand by a correspondent, namely QR, with important supporting witnesses. His editor advised QR to send it by mail and to keep the ambassadors name out of the dispatch. When he returned to Berlin he was summoned immediately by the German foreign-press chief. He charged there was no proof at all in QR's story. When told that QR had two witnesses, and found out who they were, he was speechless. The U.S. made no formal protest, and an official of the German foreign office apologized, but dismissed this incident as isolated. MD accepted this view and remained seduced by the life in the new Germany. However the State Department was not satisfied that Dodd was handling this incident and others appropriately. "Forces opposed to Dodd began to coalesce."Chapter 12: Brutus. On 08/30/1933 Dodd drove to the palace to present his credentials. Hindenburg conveyed a sense of strength and virility that belied his 85 years. Hitler, Goebbels and Goring were not there. Dodd and the "Old Gentleman" conversed on topics from Dodd's university experience in Leipzig to the dangers of economic nationalism. Dodd and the embassy officials soon left the building to find soldiers of the regular army lining both sides of the street. It was over and Dodd was now "a duly accepted representative of the United States in Berlin." Two days later Dodd found himself confronting his first critical crisis.On 09/01/1933, H. V. Kaltenborn (HVK), an American corresponent, called GSM, the consul general to give his regrets that he could not stop by for one final visit, as he and his family were heading back home. Their train left at midnight. He told GSM that he still had seen no evidence to verify the Consul's criticism of Germany. He accused him of doing Germany wrong in not presenting Germany as it really was.They decided to do a last bit of shopping at a huge department store. As they left this store a formation of Storm Troopers were parading down the boulevard in their direction. HVK instructed his family to face the windows, and not salute. Several troopers accosted him, and the crowd began insulting him and his family. They began walking back to their hotel when a young man grabbed their 16 year old son and struck him in the face, hard enough to knock him down. HVK grabbed the assailant and marched him to a nearby policeman, but the crowd got more agitated. Finally an onlooker interceded, and the parade moved on. From his hotel HVK called Messersmith and reported the incident. In turn he arranged for them to be escorted to the train. However, he saw this as a positive event as HVK could no longer go back and tell his radio audiences that the American officials were misrepresenting the situation.GSM asked Dodd if it was not time to issue a warning against travel in Germany. Officially Dodd was against this, and managed to keep several attacks out of the newspapers. At home, over dinner, he condemned the attack, but "if he hoped for a sympathetic expression of outrage from his daughter, he failed to get it." MD continued to think the best of Germany. Her father would call her "a young Nazi."Another correspondent, Pulitzer Prize winner, Edgar Mowrer, was also leaving, but to Japan. He had wanted to stay in Berlin, but GSM declined to support him. At the station GSM embraced him. As he boarded the train he turned to Messersmith and said: "And you too, Brutus."In addition to managing various situations such as above, Dodd had to get started on the demands of protocol that came with the job of being the American Ambassador. This meant going to parties at other embassies and giving parties at the American Embassy. Dodd and his wife were not major party goers, or heavy wine drinkers. And they very much preferred early retirements. Fortunately it was not all drudgery. Goebbels was known for his wit. MD, for a time considered him charming. Her mother, Mattie, enjoyed being seated next to him. Goring, in contrast, was hard to take seriously. "He was like an immense, if exceedingly dangerous little boy." His huge size and his love of new, Goring designed, uniforms made him the brunt of many jokes. The final demand of protocol was the installation of Hitler as official head of Germany. A 14 car Sondurzug was planned to take all the ambassadors to Nuremberg, but this was cut back to nine as regrets came in from all the major embassies. Attendees included representatives from Haiti, Siam and Persia.Chapter 13: My Dark Secret. MD soon found herself sought after by men of all ranks, ages and nationalities. Her divorce from her first husband was still pending, but she considered herself free to disclose or not disclose her status as she wished. "Outwardly she looked the part of a young American virgin, but she knew sex and liked it - - -." Their house was always full of students, embassy secretaries, correspondents and men from the SA, SS and Reichswehr. These later officers carried themselves with aristocratic élan. She found them "extremely pleasant, handsome, courteous and uninteresting."What follows is a rather detailed list of her affairs. Some of these affairs were actually conducted in their house, taking advantage of the fact that her parents retired early. This amount of detail is in order to help complete a character sketch of MD, perhaps the most dominant person in this book. One German she found most interesting was Ernst Udet, a flying ace from WWI. Since then he had become famous as an aerial adventurer and stunt pilot. MD went falcon hunting with Udet and his fellow ace, Goring, at his vast estate. What follows is a brief listing of other affairs that MD had during this period.' Putzi Hanfstaengl (PH), according to his son.' Thomas Wolfe, when he visited Berlin. Wolfe described her "like a butterfly hovering around my penis."' Armand Berard, 3rd secretary of the French embassy, 6½ and "incredibly handsome." He treated her at first as a "sexual ingenue." She had great power over him and even her most casual act could drive him to despair.' In their estranged periods she would see other men, and make sure he knew it. You are the only one who can break me, "but how well you know it and how you seem to rejoice in doing so." Next was a' Max Delbrück, biophysicist. "He was slender, had a cleanly sculpted chin and masses of dark, neatly combed hair, for a look that evoked a young Gregory Peck. His accomplishments included a Nobel Prize.Family correspondence is surprisingly free of any criticism of her behavior. Others noticed and disapproved including the Consul General, GSM. Specifically he knew of the Udet affair, and believed that MD had been involved in other affairs with top Nazis, including Putzi Hanfstaengl. GSM assessed these as mostly harmless except for that with Hanfstaengl. Her "seeming lack of discretion caused diplomats and other informants to be more reticent about what they told MD, fearing that their confidences would make there way back to Hanfstaengl." GSM wrote in a memo that "she had behaved so badly in so many ways, especially in view of the position held by her father." Their butler framed his criticism more bluntly: "This was not a house, but a house of ill repute."MD's love life took a dark turn when she met a Rudolf Diels, the young chief of the Gestapo. Diels moved with ease and confidence, yet he entered a room unobtrusively, "seeping in like a malevolent fog." When he arrived at a party he "created a nervousness and tension that no other man possibly could." MD described his face as "the most sinister, scar-torn face I have ever seen." On balance his appearance was striking, like "that of a damaged Ray Milland." However, MD was drawn to him immediately, his "lovely lips, his jet-black luxuriant hair, and his penetrating eyes."Diels was said to have much charm. He was said to be sexually talented and experienced. "Involved affairs with women were a regular thing with him." Another thing that MD found compelling about him was that everyone else was afraid of him. He was noted as the "Prince of Darkness." MD's father liked Diels. He found this Gestapo chief to be a helpful intermediary in several areas such as extracting foreign nationals from concentrations camps.I was convinced we were about to see a classic case of what happens when an irresistible force (MD) meets an immovable object (Diels). However, exactly the opposite happened. They had a rather tender afair. They took long walks together in the Tiergarten area.. They drove for hours in the country and they went to movies and nightclubs. MD loved being known as the women who slept with the devil. Her father did not know of this. GSM suspected it. The more MD got to know Diels the more she could see he too was afraid. He told her that Goring and Goebels loathed each other and spied on each other and both spied on Diels.However, it was through Diels that she began to temper her view on the Nazi revolution. She began to see "a vast network of espionage, terror, sadism and hate, from which no one" could escape. Not even Diels.Chapter 14: The Death of Boris. MD still had another affair, the most important in a very long list. It was with a doomed Russian. She first caught a glimpse of him at one of the many parties Sigmund Schultz held at her apartment. She lived their with her mother and her two dogs. At a party in mid-September 1933 MD glanced across the room and saw this tall good looking man. He was very attractive, around 30, with short blond-brown hair, strikingly luminous eyes, and an easy fluid manner. One of MD's friends--Agnes Knickerbocker, wife of correspondent H. R. "Knick" Knickerbocker--described his movements as those of one who could go from sternness to laughter in a split second. They exchanged glances for only a few seconds, but still an important event.Several weeks later the Knickerbockers invited MD to join them for drinks and dancing at a popular nightclub. Knick introduced MD to the "tall man" from across the room. His name was Boris Winogradov. He asked her to dance. She quickly learned that his natural grace did not extend to the dance floor. He told her "I don't know how to dance." They both laughed. He also told her he was with the Soviet Embassy. And he confessed he had noticed her several times before, and asked if he could call on her. They met at her home. He brought her a gift, a disc entitled: "The Death of Boris." It was about a death scene in an opera, sung by a famous Russian singer. After that MD gave Boris a tour of her house, and they very gradually started to become acquainted. What did she do in Chicago? What were her parents like? This period was a bit more awkward due to their language differences. Their common language was German, but both were amateurs in this language. However, they became regular companions. They left diplomatic receptions early. They met for secret meals at fine restaurants. And they would often go dancing at the club where they first met. And like Diels, he would often take her for long rides in the country, sometimes staying out until daybreak.Now and then reality intruded into this emerging romance. He was especially dismayed at how readily the world accepted Hitler's protestations of peace, while he was clearly guiding Germany towards war, with the USSR the likely target. His embassy also disapproved of this relationship. In turn MD's father was concerned that they might get married. At this point Martha seemed to have no hint as to what might be his official role:, namely an operative of the NKVD, the predecessor of the KGB.Conclusion to this partial review.As noted at the start this is only a partial review. While the intent initially was to review maybe 10 chapters, this turned out impossible to do, as each subsequent chapter "begged to be included." For example while this presentation stops at Chapter 14, it includes 11 chapters. I will try to add to this later.

There are some serious detractors among the reviewers of this book, but I found it to be extremely interesting, well researched, and an intriguing story that has been lost, somehow, in the glut of other stories about the rise of Hitler. Author Erik Larson has, I believe, carved out a strong niche genre for himself that combines some of the best aspects of scholarly research with human interest and narrative robustness. Some have preferred earlier works of his, but I find this one to be even more well-documented and compelling because of its snapshot of an intersection of U.S. and German history in a short but pivotal period: 1933 to 1934.It depicts the 1933 appointment by Franklin Roosevelt, newly elected as president, of an unlikely college professor -- William E. Dodd -- to the position of America's first ambassador to Hitler's Germany. It chronicles the experiences of Dodd and his colorful family as they arrive in Berlin in the summer of 1933 and are courted by the Nazi regime but later become increasingly aware of the dark side, the disappearances, the murders, the political intrigue, and exactly a year after their arrival, "The Night of the Long Knives." Dodd's spiraling awareness of the atrocities already being perpetrated, the intoxicating influence that Hitler commanded over the people of Germany, and his powerlessness to convince the American State Department of its significance, comprise the main drama of the book. Interesting side stories that add to the readability include the promiscuous antics of Dodd's attractive daughter Martha, her flirtation with Communism, and her social links with a wide swath of society in Berlin.I had not appreciated, before reading this book, how early in Hitler's regime the power-grabbing and Jewish persecutions had begun. The "Night of the Long Knives," a three-day purge of political assassinations and centralization of Nazi power, took place in the summer of 1934 and was, for Dodd and many who experienced it, the loudest warning bell to date of the horrors to come. "For Dodd, diplomat by accident, not demeanor, the whole thing was utterly appalling. He was a scholar and Jeffersonian democrat, a farmer who loved history and the old Germany in which he had studied as a young man. Now there was official murder on a terrifying scale."The back story of Dodd's appointment was interesting in itself -- he was not the first choice for the ambassadorship and was not supported by many in the State Department at the time, including Secretary Cordell Hull. It was not a job that many wanted, but Dodd had been stalled in the eddies of a lackluster career and dreamed of being recognized as well as being afforded the time to write his career masterpiece about the history of the Old South. When it was offered to him, he felt it was an important life and career move, as well as a chance for his family, including his grown son and daughter, to be together on a sort of adventure. He was deemed weak by many at the State Department, and his warnings about what was happening in Germany, including the beatings and incarceration of American Jews and non-whites, were essentially ignored. Ironically, in spite of his inability to get America to act, Dodd used the influence of his position and took grave personal risks to interrupt or intervene in several instances of Nazi violence in Berlin.Larson ends the book with an interesting reflection on the legacy of Ambassador William E. Dodd. He feels it depends on whether the evaluator was in Europe or America. "To the isolationists, he was needlessly provocative; to his opponents in the State Department, he was a maverick who complained too much and failed to uphold the stands of [the Department elite]. Roosevelt...was maddeningly noncommittal." He later states, "In the end, Dodd proved to be exactly what Roosevelt had wanted, a lone beacon of American freedom and hope in a land of gathering darkness."I feel greatly richer for knowing more about this man and the important role he played in world history.