The Hitler Conspiracies: The Protocols - The Stab in the Back - The Reichstag Fire - Rudolf Hess - The Escape from the Bunker

Prof. Evans should get a medal for service to humanity and the search for truth in writing this book. He's had to slog through a swamp of BS to refute the lazy, nutty, often sinister, and always unsubstantiated allegations put forward by conspiracy theorists acting on a variety of motives, including cynical profiteers shady agenda-driven operatives, and outright lunatics. That is no small feat, particularly for reputable historians such as Prof. Evans who must relentlessly whack-a-mole these persistent nut-job theories that sprout up faster than mushrooms in a shit pile. Until recently, here in the USA, we had the luxury of laughing off this foolishness. Unfortunately, with the rise of Q-Anon, Trump and his flying monkeys' use of the Big Lie of a stolen election, and ensuing coup attempt, we must push back. They cannot be allowed to spread their lies about "false flag" school shootings, 9/11, etc. without push back. Perhaps we could start by holding accountable those purveyors of conspiracies, such as the right-wing media who perpetuated the Big Lie and emboldened Trump et al, prominent social media sites, The "History Channel," which frequently airs ridiculous content on Hitler, UFOs, Big Foot, and any conspiracy they can make a buck on, etc., to provide a prominent disclaimer at the beginnings of these programs -- under threat of litigation -- that what they are airing is unsubstantiated BS. This would not be censorship. It would merely be stating the obvious. Even then, we owe a great thanks to principled historians such as Prof. Evans who are sentries at the gates.

great book, great research/documentation dismantling Hitler conspiracy theories. Interesting message from introduction, no conspiracy theories (except Watergate) have ultimately proven to be true.

There is something to like about this book but the overwhelming dislikes prevail.This is the 6th book by Richard J. Evans that is in my library.Analysis:1. 1. This book need not have been written, Evans waisted his time.2. The psychotic, paranoid, mentally deranged individuals' that believe in these conspiracy theories will not be swayed in the least by his analysis . Every bit of logic and proof that he writes does not make an iota of difference to them.3. Who cares anyway!!! With the way liberals are deleting and changing history, in the very near future, WWII may have never happened!!I tossed the book getting half way through the Hess ordeal.All old news, written by an author that has done much better work.

This book has two major virtues. First, Evans utterly destroys some of the silly conspiracy theories about Nazi Germany. Even more important, Evans identifies many of the hallmarks of conspiracy theories, noting common themes and tropes. In these days of seemingly growing gullibility, Evans provides us with valuable tools to debunk nonsense. As he points out, there is no substitute for painstaking research and a mind open to the truth.

The author doesn't prove his thesis on the Reichstag fire, and isn't fully convincing re the actions and death of Rudolph Hess. Theories and assumptions aren't good enough.

Excellent

A contemporaneous report in 1933 states "The news was given out that Van der Lubbe was a member of the Communist Party, a party-card – it was said – having been found on him when arrested, that the Reichstag fire had been ordered by the Communists as a signal to start a Bolshevik revolution, that the Social-Democrats had participated in the plot, that Van der Lubbe was but one of the incendaries, the others having succeeded in escaping immediate arrest, that the damaged caused by the fire was so great it was impossible to conceive it as the job of a single person. The discovery of huge quantities of incendiary materials – hundreds of pounds – in the neighbourhood of the destroyed building was announced. The dramatic zeal for speculation was pushed to such an extreme that by the beginning of March a pilgrimage had been organised through the ”ruins” of the Reichstag to give the god-fearing and law-abiding Germans of ”Aryan” blood an opportunity to witness the extent of the disaster."

Very informative book!