At the Heart of the Reich
Title: At the Heart of the Reich
Author: Major Gerhard Engel
Translated from the German by Geoffrey Brooks
Publisher: Skyhorse Publishing, New York
Year published: 2016
208 pages
This memoir offers a rare and insightful account of Adolf Hitler’s inner circle from the perspective of someone who was both close to the Führer and yet remained personally detached from Nazi ideology.
Engel served as Hitler’s army adjutant from 1941 to 1943, and his writings document the day-to-day life, behaviors, and mindset of Hitler and those around him during the critical years of the Second World War.
The book is based on Engel’s diaries and personal notes, providing first-hand observations of Hitler's leadership style, moods, private conversations, and strategic thinking.
Engel portrays Hitler as a complex figure—charismatic and domineering, yet increasingly isolated and erratic as the war turned against Germany.
The memoir also highlights the internal dynamics and tensions within the Nazi high command, including the sycophancy, fear, and rivalries that defined the regime's inner workings.
Beyond the depiction of Hitler, Engel also reflects on the moral compromises and atmosphere of complicity that surrounded the Nazi leadership.
He writes with a tone of quiet disapproval and documents his efforts to distance himself from the worst elements of the regime, though his role still places him squarely within its machinery.
Overall, the book serves as a valuable historical document, providing a candid and chilling look at the workings of Hitler’s court from someone who stood at its very center, yet later sought to bear witness to its realities.
Comments