The Hitler Years Through the Eyes of a Child

Charlotte Self's memoir provides a masterful and fascinating account of how life unfolded for average German citizens during the long nightmare of Hitler's rule, his tyranny over the entire country, and his aggressions in World War II. More important, it provides deeply probing insights into the hearts and souls of the many honorable Germans who hated Hitler and tried to avoid serving him. As Charlotte acknowledges, the entire period was a disaster for Germany, but even Hitler was unable to extinguish the decency of many Germans. This is precisely why West Germany, after the war, quickly emerged as a stable democracy and a good ally of the United States and its NATO partners. Charlotte's inspiring memoir deserves to be read as a seminal contribution to the vast literature on Nazi Germany and World War II in Europe.