
The Gestapo
A History of Horror
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Narrated by:
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Eric Brooks
About this listen
A history of Nazi Germany's secret police written by one of their victims, with a new introduction by the author.
From 1933 to 1945, the Gestapo was Nazi Germany's chief instrument of counter-espionage, political suppression, and terror. Jacques Delarue, a saboteur arrested by the Nazis in occupied France, chronicles how the land of Beethoven elevated sadism to a fine art. The Gestapo: A History of Horror draws upon Delarue's interviews with ex-Gestapo agents to deliver a multi-layered history of the force whose work included killing student resisters, establishing Aryan eugenic unions, and implementing the Final Solution. This is a probing look at the Gestapo and the fanatics and megalomaniacs who made it such a successful and heinous organization: Barbie, Eichmann, Himmler, Heydrich, Mller. The Gestapo's notorious reign led to the murder of millions. The Gestapo is an important documentation of what they did and how they did it.
©1962 Histoire de la Gestapo by Jacques Delarue, World copyright ibrarie Arthème Fayard, 1962. (P)2012 Audible, Inc.Listeners also enjoyed...
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Editorial reviews
The Gestapo: A History of Horror is a thoroughly researched and ultimately terrifying in-depth study of the inner workings of history's most ruthless and deadly secret police. Jacques Delarue, former member of the French resistance, combines firsthand accounts from his own run-ins with the Gestapo with information from countless interviews and primary documents. The Gestapo: A History of Horror is excellently performed by Eric Brooks whose clear and methodical narration conveys the weight of one of history's greatest tragedies.
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Overall
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Nazi Germany killed approximately 13 million civilians and other noncombatants in deliberate policies of mass murder, overwhelmingly during the war years. Almost half the victims were Jewish, systematically destroyed in the Holocaust, the core of the Nazis’ pan-European racial purification program. Alex Kay argues that the genocide of European Jewry can also be examined in the wider context of Nazi mass killing.
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Bleak, terrifying. Plumbs the depths
- By Dr Philip N Best on 11-22-22
By: Alex J. Kay
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An Iron Wind
- Europe Under Hitler
- By: Peter Fritzsche
- Narrated by: Sean Runnette
- Length: 14 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
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World War II reached into the homes and lives of ordinary people in an unprecedented way. Civilians made up the vast majority of those killed by war. On Europe's home front, the war brought the German blitzkrieg, followed by long occupations and the racial genocide of the Holocaust. In An Iron Wind, historian Peter Fritzsche draws on first-person accounts to show how civilians in occupied Europe struggled to understand this maelstrom.
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The content is nothing new but attempts to be.
- By Neus on 03-12-17
By: Peter Fritzsche
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KL: A History of the Nazi Concentration Camps
- By: Nikolaus Wachsmann
- Narrated by: Paul Hodgson
- Length: 31 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
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In KL, Wachsmann fills this glaring gap in our understanding. He not only synthesizes a new generation of scholarly work, much of it untranslated and unknown outside of Germany, but also presents startling revelations, based on many years of archival research, about the functioning and scope of the camp system.
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Narrator warning!
- By S R L COTTERILL on 04-24-15
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Heinrich Himmler
- The SS, Gestapo, His Life and Career
- By: Roger Manvell, Heinrich Fraenkel
- Narrated by: Joe Barrett
- Length: 11 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
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Authors Roger Manvell and Heinrich Fraenkel, notable biographers of the World War II German leaders Joseph Goebbels and Herman Goring, delve into the life of one of the most sinister, clever, and successful of all the Nazi leaders: Heinrich Himmler. As the head of the feared SS, Himler supervised the extermination of millions. Here is the story of how a seemingly ordinary boy grew into an obsessive and superstitious man who ventured into herbalism, astrology, and homeopathic medicine before finally turning to the “science” of racial purity and the belief in the superiority of the Aryan people.
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A new and insightful look at a Monster
- By Doc Pearce on 07-26-13
By: Roger Manvell, and others
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Savage Continent
- Europe in the Aftermath of World War II
- By: Keith Lowe
- Narrated by: John Lee
- Length: 15 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
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The end of the Second World War in Europe is one of the 20th century's most iconic moments. It is fondly remembered as a time when cheering crowds filled the streets, danced, drank and made love until the small hours. These images of victory and celebration are so strong in our minds that the period of anarchy and civil war that followed has been forgotten. Across Europe, landscapes had been ravaged, entire cities razed and more than thirty million people had been killed in the war.
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Better in print?
- By Rodney on 10-10-12
By: Keith Lowe
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Army of Evil
- A History of the SS
- By: Adrian Weale
- Narrated by: Don Hagen
- Length: 14 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
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In Nazi Germany, they were called the Schutzstaffel. The world would know them as the dreaded SS - the most loyal and ruthless enforcers of the Third Reich...It began as a small squad of political thugs. Yet by the end of 1935, the SS had taken control of all police and internal security duties in Germany - ranging from local village "gendarmes" all they way up to the secret political police and the Gestapo.
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Got lost in the details.
- By Alan on 11-28-12
By: Adrian Weale
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Mistress of Life and Death
- The Dark Journey of Maria Mandl, Head Overseer of the Women's Camp at Auschwitz-Birkenau
- By: Susan J. Eischeid
- Narrated by: Elisabeth Lagelee
- Length: 10 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
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By the time of her execution at thirty-six, Maria Mandl had achieved the highest rank possible for a woman in the Third Reich. As Head Overseer of the women's camp at Auschwitz-Birkenau, she was personally responsible for the murders of thousands. In this riveting biography, Susan J. Eischeid explores how Maria Mandl, regarded locally as "a nice girl from a good family," came to embody the very worst of humanity.
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Riveting & sorrowful
- By KCD on 02-19-25
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The Third Reich
- A History of Nazi Germany
- By: Thomas Childers
- Narrated by: David de Vries
- Length: 26 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
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In The Third Reich: A History of Nazi Germany, Thomas Childers shows how the young Hitler became passionately political and anti-Semitic as he lived on the margins of society. Fueled by outrage at the punitive terms imposed on Germany by the Versailles Treaty, he found his voice and drew a loyal following.
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Superb and important history
- By Tad Davis on 10-18-20
By: Thomas Childers
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The War Against the Jews
- 1933-1945
- By: Lucy S. Dawidowicz
- Narrated by: Suzanne Toren
- Length: 23 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
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Lucy Dawidowicz's groundbreaking The War Against the Jews inspired waves of both acclaim and controversy upon its release in 1975. Dawidowicz argues that genocide was, to the Nazis, as central a war goal as conquering Europe, and was made possible by a combination of political, social, and technological factors. She explores the full history of Hitler's "Final Solution", from the rise of anti-Semitism to the creation of Jewish ghettos to the brutal tactics of mass murder employed by the Nazis.
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Brilliant and important
- By Tad Davis on 11-03-21
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Russia's War
- A History of the Soviet Effort: 1941-1945
- By: Richard Overy PhD
- Narrated by: Derek Perkins
- Length: 13 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
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The Russian war effort to defeat invading Axis powers, an effort that assembled the largest military force in recorded history and that cost the lives of more than twenty-five million Soviet soldiers and civilians, was the decisive factor for securing an Allied victory. Now with access to the wealth of film archives and interview material from Russia used to produce the ten-hour television documentary Russia's War, Richard Overy tackles the many persuasive questions surrounding this conflict.
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A gripping tale of incredible, consuming tragedy
- By Rodney W. Schmisseur on 06-09-24
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Nazi Terror
- The Gestapo, Jews, and Ordinary Germans
- By: Eric A. Johnson
- Narrated by: Edward Lewis
- Length: 17 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
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Who were the Gestapo officers? Were they merely banal paper shufflers, or were they recognizably evil? Were they motivated by an eliminationist anti-Semitism? Did the average German know about the mass murder of Jews and other undesirables while they were happening? Exactly how was Nazi terror applied in the daily lives of ordinary Jews and Germans? Eric A. Johnson answers these questions as he explores the roles of the individual and of society in making terror work.
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Not very good
- By Christian on 05-26-11
By: Eric A. Johnson
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Goebbels: A Biography
- By: Peter Longerich, Alan Bance - translator, Jeremy Noakes - translator, and others
- Narrated by: Simon Prebble
- Length: 28 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
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In life and in his grisly family suicide, Goebbels was one of Hitler's most loyal acolytes. Though powerful in the party and in wartime Germany, Longerich's Goebbels is a man dogged by insecurities and consumed by his fierce adherence to the Nazi cause. Longerich engages and challenges the careful self-portrait that Goebbels left behind in his diaries, and, as he delves deep into the mind of Hitler's master propagandist, Longerich discovers firsthand how the Nazi message was conceived. This complete portrait of the man behind the message is sure to become a standard for historians and students of the Holocaust for years to come.
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Excellent Account of the Private Goebbels, But...
- By Derek on 05-29-15
By: Peter Longerich, and others
What listeners say about The Gestapo
Highly rated for:
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- John
- 12-07-15
Great book, awful reader
Would you try another book from Jacques Delarue and Mervyn Savill (translator) and/or Eric Brooks?
I would definitely try another book, as the information was interesting and pretty complete.
What other book might you compare The Gestapo to and why?
It's difficult for any book to live up to The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich for history, but this has a lot of good detail.
How could the performance have been better?
He had a very weird cadence--very slow, with overly long pauses and extremely dramatic flourish, as if he were reading a bedtime story to a small child. He also seemed to take longer pauses before names and foreign terms. It was extremely distracting.
Any additional comments?
Unfortunately, I didn't get through the whole book due to the performance; I just couldn't listen to him long term. I'd say, get this book in print, and skip the audiobook. Save your monthly credit for something else--I wish I had.
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- Peter M. O'Handley
- 04-27-13
Once read never fogotten!!
Where does The Gestapo rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?
This is a great book. It reveals the Gestapo as it was, as it became, and what it caused - the uncountable lives that this wickness has consumed!!! Please after reading this book THINK the next time you or someone else calls someone, organization, and Government NAZIS GESTAPO what it really means - after reading this you will be changed.
This book is without peers for it reveals what once was a power for evil that once rule the huge land mass of EUROPE! This must never happen again!
What was one of the most memorable moments of The Gestapo?
How the people so willing give up their freedom
Have you listened to any of Eric Brooks’s other performances before? How does this one compare?
Excellent dictation and tone, he was terrific!
Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
Yes, it makes me realize that todays persons do not want to know, do not care to know as it could not happen again - sad so very sad!
Any additional comments?
Please buy and read
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8 people found this helpful
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- quinet
- 11-23-13
Excellent book
I would recommend this book to anyone interested in the the period. But you will need a strong interest and a strong stomach to go through this horrifying history.
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1 person found this helpful
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- William
- 05-09-15
Gripping and informative.
This book really opened my eyes as to the enormity and scale of the savagery of the Nazis. Highly recommended.
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- Michael
- 02-14-16
Great listen
It's so very funny but when I first bought this book all I heard from many reviewers was how great the book is, but how poorly the reader performed. I didn't find that to be the case at all. I thought the entire production was great, including the reader. I'm thinking that the folks who trashed the reader ought to untwist their panties, listen to the book again, and enjoy it this time. It really is a good listen.
Mike
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- Heather B
- 06-22-16
Dated, but still worth consideration
Also, written for a French audience, and there is an obvious focus on France, at the expense of the other regions in which the Gestapo operated.
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- Debi0576
- 07-20-23
Detailed History
Such a great in depth depiction of the individual members of the gestapo & associated events. Interesting but disheartening to see what depravity humans are capable of. Extremely important message to acknowledge.
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- J. Tyler
- 02-27-14
Interesting, but awful to listen to
Would you try another book from Jacques Delarue and Mervyn Savill (translator) and/or Eric Brooks?
Maybe. The content was all well-researched and contained a few tidbits that were new to me (I've read/listened avidly to WWII books). It is an interesting blend of small details and big events that makes the narrative come alive. However (and this is a big one) it seriously lacks in punctuation. I don't know if the original version contained so many run-on sentences, if the translator failed, or if the narrator just inserted pauses whenever he wanted but it felt like 5 minute sentences. These odd pauses made it is really hard to concentrate and I kept losing the train of thought. The narrator would also insert long awkward pauses before almost all German words (and there are quite a few of those). I wanted to like this, I really tried to listen to it, but overall it was just hard to follow the narrative.
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2 people found this helpful
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- Arius
- 12-02-16
Modestly Good
Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?
I would say that I don't regret having listened to this book. There was enough detail and theories regarding how events unfolded that aren't found elsewhere to make this worth the time to consider its perspectives.
What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)
The ending is highly speculative with little more than rumor to back it up, and the real failure is that the book doesn't make clear that it is speculating, but presents it as known fact.
What aspect of Eric Brooks’s performance would you have changed?
Given the material, I don't think I would have changed much beyond learning the proper pronunciations of names and places.
If this book were a movie would you go see it?
Probably. I like movies based on history even when they radically depart from it. This book isn't a radical departure. So the movie would be tempting.
Any additional comments?
It's a little breathless and certain of things that are well-known to be uncertainties. It also sometimes falls into editorializing which is a mistake for this kind of history, which speaks for itself.
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- Mauserwerke
- 03-07-17
A must read about genuine evil.
This is an excellent description of one of the darkest chapters of human history. The only reason I didn't give it a 4 rating was because (in my opinion) the author got too much into the detail weeds in the last several chapters when describing the administrative changes that occurred in Germany during the last 6 months of WW2. Everyone, especially ultra liberal Americans who are wont to compare President Trump to Hitler, should read this book. Unless, and until, one reads an account such as this, one really has little comprehension of the pure evil and insanity of the Third Reich.
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