Meet an Adolf Hitler you never knew in the pages of this truly extraordinary book . . . Wilhelm Kriessmann and Carolyn Yeager, working as a team, translated sections from the German Ein Anderer Hitler (“Another Hitler”), the memoir of architect Hermann Giesler . . . and the result has become this volume which they titled The Artist Within The Warlord—An Adolf Hitler You’ve Never Known.
This is not the usual copy-cat “history” by another “historian” who tries to find some angle to make his or her book stand out from the hundreds of other books already on the shelves about the most misunderstood man in history. This book is genuinely unique—taken from the account given by an intimate of Adolf Hitler who was privileged to enjoy many private talks with him during the time of some of the most momentous events of contemporary world history.
Munich architect Hermann Giesler became from 1938 on not only Hitler’s favored architect for the renovation of Munich and Linz, but also an agreeable confidant to whom the Supreme Commander felt comfortable unburdening himself as they spent many hours together drafting city-wide building ideas.
Hitler’s artist nature needed such a creative outlet, leading Giesler to become a more frequent guest at the Berghof and the two secret military headquarters Wolfsschanze and Werwolf for this very purpose. You will gain insight into how the artist and humanist in Hitler revealed itself in his character and his world view (Weltanschauung).
Of Giesler’s book, Arno Breker, the great sculptor who also knew Hitler very well, wrote that it was “by far the most essential, most true and realistic reporting that has been written about the tragedy of that epoch.” Gerard Menuhin—son of famed Jewish-American violinist Yehudi Menuhin and the author of Tell the Truth and Shame the Devil—called Giesler’s book “wonderful” and “one of the main books to read about Hitler” in July 2017.
That Giesler had so much trouble finding a publisher for his book tells the true tale of the value of this volume. Surely, there has been no offering like this one, in English, of a more authentic Adolf Hitler. Now you have available the sections of Hermann Giesler’s memoir dealing with the Fuehrer in a well organized, easy to follow format, featuring a generous number of illustrations and helpful commentary from the translators. It’s a book you will treasure. Softcover, 244 pages, #796. Order the book here.
Table of Contents:
Preface
Introduction
Hitler the Artist
Hitler the Military Commander
Who Was Hermann Giesler
Chapter 1: With Adolf Hitler in Paris
An Invitation to Paris
The Importance of the Eiffel Tower
“I Want Peace”
Chapter 2: Fateful Decisions to Invade Poland & Soviet Russia
Hitler’s Pact With Stalin
Why Consensus Moves Failed
Russian-Soviet Timing & Tactics
The Political Future of Europe
Stalin & Britain Destabilize the Balkans
From the Translators Jozef Beck Refuses to See Reason on Danzig
Jozef Pilsudski: Poland’s Nationalist Dreamer
British & Soviet Machinations in the Balkans
Chapter 3: How Adolf Hitler Planned the May 1940 Western Offensive
A Plan for the West in All Its Details
A Plethora of Maps Show Success After Success
The Dunkirk “Miracle”
More Thoughts on Hitler
Keitel & Jodl Explain
Ahead of the Allies: Narvik
From the Translators The Controversy: Keitel vs. Halder
The Stunning Victory at Fort Eben-Emael
Chapter 4: Why Operation Sea Lion Was Never Launched
August 1942, Fuehrer HQ, Winniza
Lunch at Deutelmoser’s Tavern in Munich
Berghof: 1941
From the Translators Franco’s Lukewarm Commitment to Germany
Why Guernica? The Politics of Propaganda
Barbarossa’s Saga
Chapter 5: Hitler Strikes First With Operation Barbarossa
Hitler Reveals His Reasoning
Outsmarted by the Russians
From the Translators Strategy: Moscow or Kiev?
M-Day: Stalin’s Mobilization
Chapter 6: Inside Hitler’s Secret Military Headquarters East, 1942
Wolfsschanze—Winter 1941/42
Hitler Envisions Europe’s Future
Werwolf—Summer/Fall 1942
Hitler Needs a Creative Outlet
Chapter 7: Hitler Discloses Hidden Treachery at the Front
Hitler Reveals High-Level Sabotage
Hitler’s Intended Retirement Home
A Fantastic Storyteller
Chapter 8: Valkyrie: The Final Plot Against Adolf Hitler
Giesler Learns of the Bombing
The Kaltenbrunner Reports
Giesler Reflects on the Role of Speer
The People’s Court
Giesler Remembers Martin Bormann
From the Translators Previous Assassination Attempts
Chapter 9: Valkyrie: The Story
Giesler Details the 1944 Attack on Hitler
The Worst of the Treason
From the Translators A Day at the Bendlerblock
Chapter 10: Valkyrie: The Last Circle
Giesler remembers Telltale Signs of Trouble
Treason in the Abwehr & Army Group Center
Treason in the West
From the Translators The People’s Court
Chapter 11: Methods & Morals of the Traitors
Hitler Critiques the Plot’s Lack of Substance
Chapter 12: Jodl Looks Back on Stalingrad; Hitler Faces Surrender
Jodl Talks About Stalingrad
Need for a Corridor
Jodl at Nuremberg
Hitler Seeks a Successor
“We Will Win the War”
From the Translators Rudel: The Man Who Might Have Been Fuehrer
Chapter 13: Farewell Berlin
Creative Tasks of the Future
Linz Model Presented to Hitler
Difficulties With Albert Speer
Götterdämmerung at Headquarters
Rudel Gets Personal Attention
After Terrible News, Giesler Bids Farewell
From the Translators A Letter from Breker
A Reich of Art & Culture
Glossary of German Words
ABOUT THE TRANSLATORS 244
A Message from Carolyn Yeager
The collaboration for this project began on July 12, 2008, when Wilhelm Kriessmann recommended the book Ein Anderer Hitler to me during a German forum discussion on the personality of Adolf Hitler. As the book was only published in German, I asked Mr. Kriessmann if he would translate a short portion of it.
The portion selected was a conversation Giesler had with Hitler about architecture, the autobahn and a critique on Otto Spengler. I was immediately taken by it and asked for more. Subsequently, Wilhelm translated the entire chapter “Adolf Hitler in Paris.”
As we worked together in perfecting the translation, we knew this singular material should be published, but where? The Barnes Review was the natural, perhaps only, choice. The concept was received with interest by Assistant Editor John Tiffany, and final approval was given by TBR publisher Willis Carto. Three years later, this working partnership had produced individual installments in 14 issues of The Barnes Review magazine.
The sections we chose to translate were those of greatest interest to ourselves, and we believed would also be to the general reader. A good portion of Giesler’s 500-page book that we did not tackle is devoted to technical architectural and building construction matters, and other topics more personal to Giesler. We are pleased that TBR has found this work valuable enough to put it together in book form. We deeply appreciate and salute Hermann Giesler for his profound, still not properly recognized, contribution to the understanding of the Adolf Hitler he knew.
Our thanks also go to Paul Angel, always the consummate professional, who cooperated so wonderfully in designing the magazine layouts, and now this book. Mr. Angel is currently the executive editor, publisher and art director of The Barnes Review. May I also at this time give my deepest thanks to “Willi” Kriessmann who passed away peacefully in December 2012 at the age of 93. He was a joy to know and work with. The publication of this book would (and perhaps does) make him very happy. This is for you, Willi. —Carolyn Yeager November 2017
Order the book here.