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The Unfathomable Ascent
- How Hitler Came to Power
- Narrated by: Paul Hodgson
- Length: 13 hrs and 7 mins
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Publisher's summary
The chilling and little-known story of Adolf Hitler's eight-year march to the pinnacle of German politics.
On the night of January 30, 1933, Adolf Hitler leaned out of a spotlit window of the Reich chancellery in Berlin, bursting with joy. The moment seemed unbelievable, even to Hitler. After an improbable political journey that came close to faltering on many occasions, his march to power had finally succeeded.
While the path of Hitler's rise has been told in books covering larger portions of his life, no previous work has focused solely on his eight-year climb to rule: 1925-1933. Renowned author Peter Ross Range brings this period back to startling life with a narrative history that describes brushes with power, quests for revenge, nonstop electioneering, American-style campaign tactics, and - for Hitler - moments of gloating triumph followed by abject humiliation.
Indeed, this is the tale of a high-school dropout's climb from the infamy of a failed coup to the highest office in Europe's largest country. It is a saga of personal growth and lavish living, a melodrama rife with love affairs and even suicide attempts. But it is also the definitive account of Hitler's unrelenting struggle for control over his raucous movement, as he fought off challenges, built and bullied coalitions, quelled internecine feuds, and neutralized his enemies - all culminating in the creation of the Third Reich and the Western world's descent into darkness. One of the most dramatic and important stories in world history, Hitler's ascent spans Germany's wobbly recovery from World War I through years of growing prosperity and, finally, into crippling depression.
PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.
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Critic reviews
"A fast-paced tour-de-force that shows how the German republic wrecked itself from within, Peter Ross Range's The Unfathomable Ascent is a must-read for anyone interested in Adolf Hitler's march to power or the tragic fragility of democracy." (David King, New York Times best-selling author of The Trial of Adolf Hitler)
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By: A. J. Baime
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How to Be a Dictator
- The Cult of Personality in the Twentieth Century
- By: Frank Dikötter
- Narrated by: Jack Bennett
- Length: 9 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
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No dictator can rule through fear and violence alone. Naked power can be grabbed and held temporarily, but it never suffices in the long term. A tyrant who can compel his own people to acclaim him will last longer. The paradox of the modern dictator is that he must create the illusion of popular support. Throughout the 20th century, hundreds of millions of people were condemned to enthusiasm, obliged to hail their leaders even as they were herded down the road to serfdom.
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Worth a listen
- By Amazon Customer on 12-06-19
By: Frank Dikötter
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Hitler's True Believers
- How Ordinary People Became Nazis
- By: Robert Gellately
- Narrated by: Paul Heitsch
- Length: 15 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
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Understanding Adolf Hitler's ideology provides insights into the mental world of an extremist politics that, over the course of the Third Reich, developed explosive energies culminating in the Second World War and the Holocaust. Too often the theories underlying National Socialism or Nazism are dismissed as an irrational hodgepodge of ideas. Yet that ideology drove Hitler's quest for power in 1933, colored everything in the Third Reich, and transformed him, however briefly, into the most powerful leader in the world.
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Fascinating listen
- By Amy Neff on 12-15-22
By: Robert Gellately
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One Mighty and Irresistible Tide
- The Epic Struggle over American Immigration, 1924-1965
- By: Jia Lynn Yang
- Narrated by: Laural Merlington
- Length: 11 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
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The idea of the United States as a nation of immigrants is at the core of the American narrative. But in 1924, Congress instituted a system of ethnic quotas so stringent that it choked off large-scale immigration for decades, sharply curtailing arrivals from Southern and Eastern Europe and outright banning those from nearly all of Asia. In a riveting narrative filled with a fascinating cast of characters, Jia Lynn Yang recounts how lawmakers, activists, and presidents from Truman through LBJ worked relentlessly to abolish the 1924 law.
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Good overview
- By steve thomas on 10-21-20
By: Jia Lynn Yang
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The Invention of Russia
- From Gorbachev's Freedom to Putin's War
- By: Arkady Ostrovsky
- Narrated by: Michael Page
- Length: 12 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
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The end of Communism and breakup of the Soviet Union was a time of euphoria around the world, but Russia today is violently anti-American and dangerously nationalistic. So how did we go from the promise of those days to the autocratic police state of Putin's new Russia? The Invention of Russia reaches back to the darkest days of the Cold War to tell the story of the fight for the soul of a nation.
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Sad Story of Russia's Abandonment of Liberalism
- By Amazon Customer on 10-03-16
By: Arkady Ostrovsky
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Watching Darkness Fall
- FDR, His Ambassadors, and the Rise of Adolf Hitler
- By: David McKean
- Narrated by: Tom Perkins
- Length: 13 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
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As German tanks rolled toward Paris in late May 1940, the US Ambassador to France, William Bullitt, was determined to stay put, holed up in the Chateau St. Firmin in Chantilly, his country residence. Bullitt told the president that he would neither evacuate the embassy nor his chateau. As German forces closed in on the French capital, Bullitt wrote the president, "In case I should get blown up before I see you again, I want you to know that it has been marvelous to work for you."
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Interesting book
- By Rodney on 05-29-24
By: David McKean
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The Death of Democracy
- Hitler's Rise to Power and the Downfall of the Weimar Republic
- By: Benjamin Carter Hett
- Narrated by: Steven Crossley
- Length: 11 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
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Why did democracy fall apart so quickly and completely in Germany in the 1930s? How did a democratic government allow Adolf Hitler to seize power? In this dramatic audiobook, Benjamin Carter Hett answers these questions, and the story he tells has disturbing resonances for our own time. Benjamin Carter Hett is one of America’s leading scholars of 20th-century Germany and a gifted storyteller whose portraits of the feckless politicians of the Weimar Republic show how fragile democracy can be when those in power do not respect it.
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I can't trust the author's account of these events
- By Example: Mark Twain on 11-10-19
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God's Hand on America
- Divine Providence in the Modern Era
- By: Michael Medved
- Narrated by: Michael Medved
- Length: 15 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
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Has God withdrawn his special blessing from the United States? Americans ponder that painful question in troubled times, as we did during the devastation of the Civil War and after the assassinations of the '60s, and as we do in our present polarization. Yet, somehow - on battlefields, across western wilderness, and in raucous convention halls - astounding events have reliably advanced America, restoring faith in the Republic’s providential protection. In this provocative historical narrative, Michael Medved brings to life 10 haunting tales that reveal this purposeful pattern.
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Every American is so fortunate
- By Anonymous User on 06-23-20
By: Michael Medved
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The Nazi Menace
- Hitler, Churchill, Roosevelt, Stalin, and the Road to War
- By: Benjamin Carter Hett
- Narrated by: Raphael Corkhill
- Length: 14 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
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Berlin, November 1937. Adolf Hitler meets with his military commanders to impress upon them the urgent necessity for a war of aggression in Eastern Europe. Some generals are unnerved by the Führer’s grandiose plan, but these dissenters are silenced one by one, setting in motion events that will culminate in the most calamitous war in history.
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Bad Melodramatic Reading
- By Tess on 08-18-20
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1932
- The Rise of Hitler and FDR - Two Tales of Politics, Betrayal, and Unlikely Destiny
- By: David Pietrusza
- Narrated by: David Stifel
- Length: 19 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
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Two Depression-battered nations confronted destiny in 1932, going to the polls in their own way to anoint new leaders, to rescue their people from starvation and hopelessness. America would elect a Congress and a president - ebullient aristocrat Franklin Roosevelt or tarnished "Wonder Boy" Herbert Hoover. Decadent, divided Weimar Germany faced two rounds of bloody Reichstag elections and two presidential contests - doddering reactionary Paul von Hindenburg against rising radical hate-monger Adolf Hitler.
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What a waste of time
- By Pam Sullivan on 07-06-19
By: David Pietrusza
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Stalin
- Passage to Revolution
- By: Ronald Grigor Suny
- Narrated by: Robbie Stevens
- Length: 28 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
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This is the definitive biography of Joseph Stalin from his birth to the October Revolution of 1917, a panoramic and often chilling account of how an impoverished, idealistic youth from the provinces of tsarist Russia was transformed into a cunning and fearsome outlaw who would one day become one of the 20th century's most ruthless dictators. In this monumental book, Ronald Grigor Suny sheds light on the least understood years of Stalin's career, bringing to life the turbulent world in which he lived and the extraordinary historical events that shaped him.
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Great
- By Anonymous User on 02-05-23
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The Start
- 1904-1930
- By: William L. Shirer
- Narrated by: Grover Gardner
- Length: 22 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
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William L. Shirer was a CBS foreign correspondent and renowned author of New York Times best-selling nonfiction about World War II, and this is the first part of his three-part autobiography. A renowned journalist and author of The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich, William L. Shirer chronicles his own life story in a personal history that parallels the greater historical events for which he served as a witness.
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Clouds gathering on the horizon in Europe
- By Nancy on 08-12-20
What listeners say about The Unfathomable Ascent
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Oviator
- 06-11-22
Horrifying Story - Yet So Real
Backroom scheming by petty politicians leads to Hitler’s takeover of Germany and all the horrors of World War 2. Fascinating story well written and very well read.
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- Kory KRICK
- 01-04-23
The material made it a tough listen, fascinating
This was remarkable in terms of the scholarly work that went into it, but also in terms of it describing an amazingly unlikely, horrid event. All along the way the cast of characters were jostling for themselves, dissembling, being their worst possible selves and at the end of that long procession a complete monster emerged on top. This book is not for everyone but it was as it's title suggests unfathomable. I was honestly naive to the true nature of European antisemitism prior to this, I thought it was just Hitler and his toady a-holes. It turns out he was tapping into and amplifying and metastaticizing long held prejudices.
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- Deal W. Hudson
- 08-26-20
The best account of Hitler’s rise to power.
Range’s narrative clarity is created by a prudent selection of the facts and details that count. He avoid unnecessary explication of the well-known and obvious. Range also tells the story by focusing on the interaction of its major player rather than the debate over ideas, a account already well-covered by previous writers. Hodgson’s narration is perfect—his voice drew me from chapter to chapter without any listening fatigue entering in. My strongest recommendation!
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6 people found this helpful
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- J.Brock
- 08-30-22
Nothing New Here
“The Unfathomable Ascent” is a story that has been told over and over again in almost every biography of Adolf Hitler and story about the Third Reich. The narration is excellent and the length is just right. While the rise if Hitler seems improbable, knowing the state of Germany at the time of Hitler makes it seemingly inevitable. Range wants to make it exceptionally dramatic and unbelievable, but Hitler seized power at a time when Germans were desperate for security and during a time when a leadership vacuum made it possible. Though no one could ever have foreseen all destruction and devastation of his dictatorship. There are no words for this. Woe to humanity.
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2 people found this helpful
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- Alexander Dukes
- 08-26-22
Very well written
A fantastic synopsis of how this man cane to power in a chaotic and weak Germany.
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- Baaxie
- 09-26-20
Very interesting read
I learned many things about the early years, that I didn’t know as much about from other books I’ve read. Good read. I just wished it was longer.
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3 people found this helpful
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- William
- 07-21-24
How? And could it happen again
In politics, being a great showman and making lots of promises can bring someone from obscurity to prominence. Hitler’s rise to power was completely unexpected until it happened, and people have been trying to figure out how ever since. He arrived in Germany in 1919 as an immigrant from Austria with nothing. He had served in World War I but in a minor post without having to fight. In Germany, he attended an extremist German Worker’s Party meeting and found his place. His flamboyance and oratory soon earned him its leadership. By 1923, the party, now the German National Socialist Workers Party, had grown to 50,000 members. He launched the infamous “Beer Hall Putsch,” which failed and sent him to prison but gave him and his party a lot of publicity. Released in 1924, he resumed leadership. Despite his racist rhetoric keeping him in the news, the party had little influence as Germany’s economy was doing well until the US Stock Market Crash of 1929 changed everything. But how did Hitler stay in the spotlight during those years and rise to power?
I recently finished "The Unfathomable Ascent: How Hitler Came to Power," by Peter Ross Range, which offers a meticulously researched and gripping narrative of the eight critical years from 1925 to 1933, after his release from prison, when Adolf Hitler rose from obscurity to absolute power in Germany and it’s quite a story.
There are many biographies of Hitler, but few focus on this critical period. Range tackles the tough question of how a nation like Germany, with its Reformation history, intellectual legacy, top-tier universities, and love of freedom and order, allowed Hitler to come to power. Yes, Germany faced harsh post-WWI reparations and struggles, but how does that explain Hitler? Range vividly brings to life the crucial steps and missteps that led to one of history's darkest periods and the world’s most devastating war.
Range's strength lies in unraveling the complicated world of Weimar politics. After Hitler's failed 1923 Beer Hall Putsch, he returned to a shaky Germany, gathered loyal followers, and spread his extreme nationalist and anti-Semitic views. Despite setbacks, Hitler's relentless campaigning and strategic use of propaganda, violence, and threats gradually increased his influence. Range captures these twists and turns with a flair that keeps you hooked.
One standout aspect of Range's narrative is his depiction of the Weimar Republic's downfall. By 1928, Hitler seemed politically insignificant, but the Great Depression changed everything. With Germany's economy in ruins, desperate people turned to extremist ideas. The Nazis capitalized on the chaos, securing 6.4 million votes in the 1930 elections, becoming the second-largest party in the Reichstag and the largest by 1932. However, the Nazis never won a majority in any election, topping out at around 37%, though no other party did either.
Range also highlights the backroom deals and political blunders that helped Hitler rise. He explains how the Nazis exploited the weaknesses of the Weimar political system without winning an electoral majority. His portrayal of figures like Franz von Papen and Kurt Schleicher, whose political maneuverings inadvertently paved the way for Hitler, adds depth to the narrative. Conservative politicians, thinking they could control Hitler, pushed for his appointment as chancellor in 1933. With help from key figures like Hermann Göring and Heinrich Himmler, Hitler quickly took over, using events like the Reichstag fire to crush opposition and seize total power. As the Nazis dominated the political right and refused to compromise, the Communists held the left and also rejected compromise. Both were always in opposition to the center, which had previously ruled but could no longer stand a chance. Despite many opportunities, Hitler's enemies could never unite enough to get rid of him.
Despite covering complex historical events, Range's book is highly readable and balanced. He keeps the narrative clear and engaging, avoiding the heavy detail that can make some history feel like a series of events and dates. He also avoids oversimplifying Hitler’s rise, instead telling a story that helps you understand how Hitler's ascent was both shocking and, in many ways, preventable.
In short, it's an excellent read for anyone curious about how a country as advanced as Germany could fall under the spell of such an evil leader. Range's book is both an eye-opening history lesson and a cautionary tale for our times. To understand the dynamics that led to one of the most catastrophic regimes in history, this book is a must-read. Hitler’s politics were driven by extreme nationalism and a blame culture, and this book highlights the warning from history and its parallels to today. Conservatives thought Hitler could bring them to power while they controlled him. But we know what happened between 1933 and 1945.
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- Philo
- 02-06-23
Very insightful, top notch writing, listenable
This work stands head and shoulders above any other I've seen, telling this story with countless revealing details. The writing just crackles, it is so good. The scenes, the characters, the situations, the flow of events, are all masterfully told and narrated. So many dots are connected.
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1 person found this helpful
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- JPALJ
- 11-30-22
Ominous tale . . .
of a wolf in wolf's clothing. An important lesson of how not to underestimate an ordinary person with extraordinary mental illness.
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