Erik Larson

The best-selling author of Devil in the White City documents the efforts of first American ambassador to Hitler's Germany William E. Dodd to acclimate to a residence in an increasingly violent city where he is forced to associate with the Nazis while his daughter pursues a relationship with Gestapo chief Rudolf Diels.

Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler's Berlin

In the Garden of Beasts

I learned a lot. Appreciated how Larson chose a family to follow through the rise of Hitler. The narrative made it more approachable.

Sarah E

The time is 1933, the place, Berlin, when William E. Dodd becomes America’s first ambassador to Hitler’s Germany in a year that proved to be a turning point in history. A mild-mannered professor from Chicago, Dodd brings along his wife, son, and flamboyant daughter, Martha. At first Martha is entranced by the parties and pomp, and the handsome young men of the Third Reich with their infectious enthusiasm for restoring Germany to a position of world prominence. Enamored of the 'New Germany', she has one affair after another, including with the suprisingly honorable first chief of the Gestapo, Rudolf Diels. But as evidence of Jewish persecution mounts, confirmed by chilling first-person testimony, her father telegraphs his concerns to a largely indifferent State Department back home. Dodd watches with alarm as Jews are attacked, the press is censored, and drafts of frightening new laws begin to circulate. As that first year unfolds and the shadows deepen, the Dodds experience days full of excitement, intrigue, romance - and ultimately, horror, when a climactic spasm of violence and murder reveals Hitler’s true character and ruthless ambition. Suffused with the tense atmosphere of the period, and with unforgettable portraits of the bizarre Göring and the expectedly charming, Goebbels, 'In the Garden of Beasts' lends a perspective on events as they unfold in real time.

Maddie

Fascinating look at the foreign service in the 30s and the isolationist stance the US government took for years, inevitably to its detriment.

Tracey O’Rourke

I have read Larson's other books and enjoyed them greatly, but this one seemed meandering and unfocused. A clue would be dropped of something interesting, and then the whole topic would be dropped. A story about a father and daughter never really delved into what must have been a fascinating father/daughter relationship. I was left both uninterested in the story and wanting the details that would have made it interesting.

Wynn Netherland

Following the move of an American ambassador and his family to Berlin in the 1930s, this book provides an insightful look at the diplomatic environment that allowed Hitler to consolidate power.

William Dodd, the reluctant U.S. Ambassador to Germany who really wants to retire to his farm and write a multi-volume history of the American South, is oblivious both of Hitler's true motives and machinations as well as his own standing within the U.S. diplomatic core and Roosevelt administration.

Most of the action moves along a parallel thread and follows the exploits of Martha Dodd, the ambassador's daughter, as she moves in and out of Nazi (and Russian) social circles, leaving a trail of lovers along the way.

An enjoyable read, even if it did not ultimately live up to the title.

Trish 

I’m going to give this 3.5 ⭐️

Interesting glimpse into 1933 Berlin from an outsider’s view. The adult not-quite-divorced daughter is the best character.

Jeni Enjaian

I was quite disappointed by this book. From such rich ingredients (the actual events that took place in Germany during the years covered) Larson cooked up a bland, boring final product. 
As a reader, I was unsure whether Larson intended this book to be a biography or a survey of the events of Hitler's rise to power. I'm fairly certain that Larson himself was also unsure. Larson's narrative flits from biographical (and rather extraneous) details about Dodd (and especially Martha)'s life to capable summaries of world events such as The Night of the Long Knives. If the book had contained more of the latter than the former, I would have really enjoyed it.
However, Larson's indecision completely soured me on this book and the author. I may or may not give "Devil in the White City" a chance.
I do not recommend this book, especially the audiobook version. (The narrator is pretty horrible, though not the worst.)

Erik Larson, New York Times bestselling author of Devil in the White City, delivers a remarkable story set during Hitler’s rise to power. The time is 1933, the place, Berlin, when William E. Dodd becomes America’s first ambassador to Hitler’s Nazi Germany in a year that proved to be a turning point in history. A mild-mannered professor from Chicago, Dodd brings along his wife, son, and flamboyant daughter, Martha. At first Martha is entranced by the parties and pomp, and the handsome young men of the Third Reich with their infectious enthusiasm for restoring Germany to a position of world prominence. Enamored of the “New Germany,” she has one affair after another, including with the suprisingly honorable first chief of the Gestapo, Rudolf Diels. But as evidence of Jewish persecution mounts, confirmed by chilling first-person testimony, her father telegraphs his concerns to a largely indifferent State Department back home. Dodd watches with alarm as Jews are attacked, the press is censored, and drafts of frightening new laws begin to circulate. As that first year unfolds and the shadows deepen, the Dodds experience days full of excitement, intrigue, romance—and ultimately, horror, when a climactic spasm of violence and murder reveals Hitler’s true character and ruthless ambition. Suffused with the tense atmosphere of the period, and with unforgettable portraits of the bizarre Göring and the expectedly charming--yet wholly sinister--Goebbels, In the Garden of Beasts lends a stunning, eyewitness perspective on events as they unfold in real time, revealing an era of surprising nuance and complexity. The result is a dazzling, addictively readable work that speaks volumes about why the world did not recognize the grave threat posed by Hitler until Berlin, and Europe, were awash in blood and terror.

Anna Adams

Completely unsettling and the usual comprehensive Erik Larson history. I've loved every one of his books. Cannot wait to read read whatever he writes next.

Ben Nathan

Excellent history. Larson always does a great job of integrating a particular person's narrative into the tapestry of historical events. This combination serves his purposes very well as we explore a topic that seems almost overdone by this point, Nazi Germany. The talk of the Dodd family and their interactions with the Hitler regime is fascinating. Also, as the grandson of a survivor, I learned a few things I never knew before. Quality read.

Heather Killeen

A fascinating perspective on the events leading up to Hilter's takeover and WWII. This story is particularly insightful in revealing the political and often emotionally irrational machinations of the US and German government during this critical time. The story is mostly told through letters and personal diaries from a large cast of important characters all of which transport you to another time, centering on the house of Ambassador Dodd and his family. The family's slow and horrified realizations as they finally accept that the country is headed down a dark path is portrayed with chilling clarity that transcends time. I found myself getting increasing frustrated with the antagonistic back door politics along with Dodd and a few of the other characters that were voices for action despite the complicated political climate. 

Most of all, I think this book is timeless in that it serves as a clear and strong reminder that everyone is guilty of seeing only what they wish to believe. It's easy to oversimplify and say who was right and who was wrong when you look back on history. Especially for WWII where the heroes and villains seem so stark and obvious that they have been written and rewritten about to no end. But no matter the issue or conflict, it is always more complicated living it than looking back on it- which Larson to his credit ardently defies here by bring those conflicts to life in full and lush detail. Still, in the present it is so much easier to blindly refuse to accept horrible truths or to believe that the worse outcome must be impossible because it is so horrible. We tell ourselves that our present world is better and more prepared, that we have learned. But I think this book points out that these same thoughts were thought then, just as they are now and we were just as capable of stopping or preventing injustice then as we are now. 

If there is a call to action in this book then I think it is quite literal. That there will always be hope if we encourage not only learning from history but also instill a willingness to act, to shape and improve our world going forward.

In the Garden of Beasts Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler's Berlin

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