They Thought They Were Free

The Germans, 1933-45

By: Milton Mayer

Narrated by: Michael Page

First published in 1955, They Thought They Were Free is an eloquent and provocative examination of the development of fascism in Germany. Milton Mayer's book is a study of 10 Germans and their lives from 1933-45, based on interviews he conducted after the war when he lived in Germany.

Mayer had a position as a research professor at the University of Frankfurt and lived in a nearby small Hessian town which he disguised with the name "Kronenberg". "These ten men were not men of distinction," Mayer noted, but they had been members of the Nazi Party; Mayer wanted to discover what had made them Nazis.

©1955 The University of Chicago (P)2017 Tantor

Critic reviews

"Among the many books written on Germany after the collapse of Hitler's Thousand Year Reich, this book by Milton Mayer is one of the most readable and most enlightening." ( New York Times)

What you don’t know about Nazis?

Once you get through an overly thorough introduction, this book reveals aspects of the nationals socialist program that I had been unaware of. It doesn’t go into great detail about what the programs did for the German economy and how it did it, but it does expose you to the positive elements of Nazism. By doing this, it reveals insights of why and how the average German was motivated to tolerate and even support it. It does this by recounting lengthy discussions by the author and 10 average German “little men “ I he calls them. His summaries are both concise and insightful in both the questions and answers. The last part of the book suggests implications of different ways, and impacts of a rebuilding Germany in the timeframe of the late 50s.

Must read(Listen)for anyone serious about history

An engaging insight as to how a nation was swayed into despotism incrementally yet whloley

Interesting look at Nazis

The book took real life stories of various characters unique in their own way. Provides a study on how a regular citizen could get to where Germany was entering WWII. provides a juxtaposition to our internment of American Japanese and our racism towards black folk.

Thought provoking an excellent narration

Although dry in parts, this was mostly a fascinating read. It puts alot of things in perspective that you wont get from a textbook and contains alot of quotables that are still relevant today.

Relevant to Trump

Learn why good men do nothing. Too much to do in lives. The promises of a better life.