ebooks On Hitler's Mountain: Overcoming the Legacy of a Nazi Childhood by Irmgard A. Hunt in History

Review

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. The Eagle's Nest atop Berchtesgaden; Hamster Trips; Adolescence of a Admirable LadyBy Best_LegendVery good book that not only includes an in-depth description of her life during the Nazi era; but wonderfully follows up with life after the war years right up to her profound belief in democratic pursuits of the introductory years of the twenty-first century.I was impressed by the editing of the writing; always paying close attention to the details hidden behind the complexities of events in reference. The author is quite educated; and had qualified help in the construction of the narrative; and this care really comes through in the writing.I discovered answers to questions that I have had concerning the residents of the mountain area; how they reacted to having; not only Hitler; but many of the Nazi oligarchs of his immediate circle; (Goering; Speer; Bormann; Goebbels; among others); actually living within this mountainous territory that had such a colorful; ancient culture; and heritage.Good photographs were included that gave me an improved sense of understanding just who her family was; and made the reading more coherent in my mind.The story moves along nicely; not like a thrown rock skipping along the top of a lake; but carefully tying each event to the next with understanding. My only real perception of the events at the Berghof prior was the small amount I received in viewing the magnificent film called "Band of Brothers" when the 501th airborne troops arrived there; and the minutes afterward. There is much more information within the book; and good references in the bibliography.But; the story itself is good; worth reading; and kept my interest throughout. Irmgard touches upon the life of her family; their Lutheran beliefs; their view of Hitler/Nazi dictates; and other fascinating occurrences that would spoil the reading if I mentioned them in detail.This area was part of the American-controlled region after the war; so their are no horrific tales of Soviet intrusions of terror in 1945 described; (although the US; French; and Moroccan troop behavior is mentioned briefly.)If you like "The Book Thief"; then you might enjoy experiencing this wonderful story!Band of Brothers: E Company; 506th Regiment; 101st Airborne from Normandy to Hitler's Eagle's Nest0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Irmgard A. Hunt's poignant; sad; thought-provoking and beautifully written memoir of growing up on Hitler's MountainBy C. M MillsWe Americans have been blessed. Though our nation is far from perfect most of us have never had to live under a cruel dictatorship such as Adolf Hitler (1889-1945) imposed on the German people. The cruelties of the monster Nazis would lead to the systemized m murder of over six million European Jews as well as the loss of approximately fifty million soldiers and civilians in history's worst war and greatest human tragedy. These gruesome facts are well known but less well understood is the life of a young German girl growing up under the Nazi swastika. Irmgard A Hunt has fulfilled that need. She was born in the beautiful Bavarian countryside of Berchtesgaden where Hitler had his home t he Berghof. Irmgard was born in 1931. Her parents Mutti and Vati grew up poor seeing in Hitler's government the opportunity for their nation to move past the Great Depression and the failed Weimar government into restored German greatness. Ms. Hunt and her young sister Ingrid grew up under the Nazi educational system which taught a hatred of Jews and all other people except the German Nordic race. Hunt's father was called to serve in the Wehrmacht dying in France in 1941 under mysterious circumstances. Her mother believed in National Socialism and was a tough taskmaster of her children. Mutti did love her children and keep her home decently and in order despite poverty; sorrow over her widowhood and the demise of German hopes on the battlefield. Ms. Hunt loved her mother and father despite their political blindness. Hunt is now an American citizen active in the environmental movement. She can boast of a B.A. from Columbia and a Master's Degree from Harvard. What makes this book worthy of your time and money are in my mind several factors:1. The book is extremely well written and truthful. Hunt tells us how she felt about her nation with brutal honesty even though does not always redound to her credit.2. Hunt has the ability to paint memorable scenes in the reader's mind which are hard to forget. Such scenes as the day she sat on Hitler's lap as a child; the arrival of the Americans in her home and adolescent struggles with her strong willed mother and authority figures in the harsh Nazi state.3. Hunt is the first person narrator of her important memoir.4. We learn through the pages of this fine book the ways in which different Germans reacted to the Nazi regime and sought ways to survive under jackbooted tyranny.5. The book was scary when it taught the reader that no stray word or casual chat with friends was free of being reported to the authorities. Freedom of speech and religion were nil in Nazi Germany. To win the enmity of the authorities was dire. You could end up executed or in prison or a concentration camp. As a voracious reader who has studied Nazi Germany all of my life I would put this book near the top of the list of memoirs of the Nazi era. The book could be used in a high school or college course on World War II and Nazi Germany. Well recommended!2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. an account of civilian life in Germany in a place which was not strategically importantBy johnnAn interesting account of growing up in Berchtesgaden;at the foot of Hitler's Berghof. The Berghof was located in an area which was not strategically important and therefore .Berchdesgaden was not a major target of air strikes during World War II; From accounts of the Irmgad's story; life seemed not to be terribly difficult as it was in other parts of Germany; e.g. Berlin and Hamburg. I got the impression that the family felt that the death of Irmgard's father; .while in the line of duty; was a bitter blow to the family. Certainly Irmgard's grandfather was no Nazi sympathizer. In a sense it was refreshing to have recollection that everyone in Germany was not an obsessed admirer of the Fuhrer. I really enjoyed the book and assume it was an accurate account of civilian live in Germany during World War II.