He Was My Chief: The Memoirs of Adolf Hitler's Secretary

by Christa Schroeder, Roger Moorhouse (Introduction)

Overview

'It was my mistake to assume that I could unveil the 'true face' of Adolf Hitler. It is simply impossible, because he had so many . . . He was a mixture of lies and truth, of faithfulness and violence, of simplicity and luxury, of kindliness and brutality, of mysticism and reality, of the artist and the barbarian.'

As secretary to the Füet;here throughout the time of the Third Reich, Christa Schroeder was perfectly placed to observe the actions and behaviour of Hitler, along with the most important figures surrounding him. In her compelling memories she does not fail to deliver fascinating insights into the course of military and political events, the workings of Hitler's inner circle, and crucially into Hitler's personality and of those closest to him. This is, without any about, one of the most important primary sources from the pre-war and wartime period.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781783030644
Publisher:	Pen & Sword Books Limited
Publication date:	08/19/2009
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	272
File size:	1 MB

Table of Contents

List of Illustrations vii

Introduction by Roger Moorhouse ix

Editor's Introduction xv

1 How I Became Hitler's Secretary 1

2 The Röet;hm Putsch 1934 27

3 Hitler's Dictation and the Staircase Room 31

4 Travelling With Hitler 59

5 Hitler's Birthday 68

6 The Polish Campaign 73

7 The French Campaign 76

8 The Russian Campaign 1941-1944 86

9 The Women Around Hitler 126

10 Ada Klein 134

11 Gretl Slezak 136

12 Eva Braun 140

13 Obersalzberg 147

14 The Berghof 153

15 The Order To Leave Berlin: My Leave-taking of Hitler 173

16 The End at the Berghof 181

Appendix: Excerpt from Christa Schroeder's interrogation by Erich Albrecht, Berchtesgaden on 22 May 1945 199

Index 203

Editorial Reviews

...an alternately adoring, clinical, fascinating and creepy take on one of history's most evil men.

New York Post

Christa Schroeder's memoir of the 12 years she spent working for the Fuhrer gives a unique insight into his intelligence, temper and his personal quirks.

The Week Magazine

compelling memoir . . . does not fail to deliver fascinating insights into the course of military and political events, the workings of Hitler's inner circle, and crucially into Hitler's personality and of those closest to him. Without any doubt, one of the most important primary sources from the pre-war and wartime period.

Sirreadalot.org

There is something creepy yet fascinating about these two memoirs by individuals who spent years working daily with Adolf Hitler. Schroeder began her association with Hitler in 1933, serving as one of his personal secretaries, while Linge became Hitler's valet in 1939. Nearly every day for years, they saw Hitler up close and personal, observing his quirks, charms, rages, brooding silences, unpredictability, and very strange work habits, which usually consisted of staying up most of the night and then sleeping into the late morning and not being functional until later in the day. Neither seems to have known much about the darkest side of Hitler's ambitions as he set about killing millions and destroying much of Europe—Schroeder declares no interest in politics. Instead, the reader is hooked into Hitler's seeming ordinariness, as the Führer takes his daily afternoon tea while chatting with his secretaries about art, language, and movies. Linge, who was with Hitler to the very end, supposedly helping to burn his body, also provides accounts of those who surrounded Hitler (he seems to have liked Goebbels quite a bit). For German-reading scholars of Hitler and Nazism, this is all old news, since Linge's memoirs were originally published in 1980 and Schroeder's in 1985. The rest of us can now contemplate the remarkable picture that these books offer. VERDICT The scariest thing about these books is their showing that Hitler could be quite charming—a seemingly regular guy, or at least as regular as anyone who killed millions could ever be. Of interest to anyone seeking more insight into the everyday life of one of history's monsters.—Ed Goedeken, Iowa State Univ. Lib.,Ames

Library Journal

"Christa Schroeder's memoir of the 12 years she spent working for the Fuhrer gives a unique insight into his intelligence, temper and his personal quirks."

The WEEK

compelling memoir… does not fail to deliver fascinating insights into the course of military and political events, the workings of Hitler’s inner circle, and crucially into Hitler’s personality and of those closest to him. Without any doubt, one of the most important primary sources from the pre-war and wartime period.

SirReadaLot.org

...an alternately adoring, clinical, fascinating and creepy take on one of history's most evil men."

The New York Post

These are the memoirs of one of Hitler’s secretaries and no one could be closer to the man than her. She describes all the great events of the Second World War from the perspective of his headquarters, including the invasions of Poland, France and Russia. Intriguing eye witness material makes the book a fascinating insight into the dictator and his regime.

Military Illustrated

compelling memoir… does not fail to deliver fascinating insights into the course of military and political events, the workings of Hitler’s inner circle, and crucially into Hitler’s personality and of those closest to him. Without any doubt, one of the most important primary sources from the pre-war and wartime period.

SIRREADALOT.ORG

...an alternately adoring, clinical, fascinating and creepy take on one of history's most evil men."

NY POST

These are the memoirs of one of Hitler’s secretaries and no one could be closer to the man than her. She describes all the great events of the Second World War from the perspective of his headquarters, including the invasions of Poland, France and Russia. Intriguing eye witness material makes the book a fascinating insight into the dictator and his regime.

Military ILLUSTRATED