There are a few books that take us inside these countries during terrifying times. We have the "Gulag Archipelago" by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn; we have "The Black Book of Communism" for Communist China, and now we have an autobiography that takes us inside the repressive and murderous regime of the Third Reich, just before the war. Sebastian Haffner's "Defying Hitler" is an intimate account of a young man as well as the sweeping story of a whole people. It brings the tense 1930s to life like no book written since the war.

Actually, "Defying Hitler" was written before World War II by a young German journalist who would someday become one of the leading authors in post-war Germany. It was not published until now because the war interrupted the work and it was put aside for the sake of other projects. Yet the book is a full account of Haffner's experiences before he finally escaped German persecution in 1939. It begins with what the Europeans often refer to as the "Great War" and what Americans call World War I. Mr. Haffner was a boy at the time the "Great War" began and tells how he and the other boys viewed the war as if it were a sporting event, following the prisoner and casualty lists, territory gained and territory lost as we might follow the score of a football game.

This view of the war was significant for his generation; for they would be the generation who would fight the next war. Since young German's did not recall the horrors of the First World War and viewed it primarily as a game that had been lost for inexplicable reasons, they were anxious to try the game again and this time they were determined to win.

Many people wonder why there were two great wars with Germany in the 20th century. Haffner's book goes a long way to explaining the psychology that brought the Germans, a civilized nation, to accept a socialist, centralizing, racist regime, even when the Nazi voting block never quite reached fifty percent. Haffner attributes it to both the economic times and to the singular German character that craved order and legitimacy and hegemony.

Haffner is a master of moving between the story of pre-war Germany and his own personal struggle with the Nazi regime. At the time, Haffner was not a celebrity and was not singled out. For this reason, his story is representative of the mass of Germans who were subjected to Hitler's harangues, the rule of the Brown Shirts, the persecution of the Jews, the confiscation of property and the general brow-beating of the populace to accept Nazi precepts.

In the 1930's Haffner was training to be a referendar in the German Courts, a position somewhere between judge and lawyer. He was in a unique position to watch the erosion of rights of the average German and to witness first hands the end of the rule of law. His relations with friends and colleagues and how they change as the Nazis come to power is a fascinating case study and gripping human drama. Even though I knew before-hand that Haffner would escape, as I read I kept thinking, get out, get out while you still can.

The vision of an increasingly claustrophobic Germany is one that every person should review upon occasion. The repressive measures taken by a government of thugs for the proclaimed benefit of the people is a possibility in any country in any age. The erosion of individual rights, the increasing segmentation of society into groups, the erosion of the rule of law are all tactics used by political parties, even in the United States today.

"Defying Hitler" is a passionate book about a dramatic time in history. It is fascinating, gripping prose that not only tells a story, but teaches, and teaches well, the most important lessons of history. Must read. *****

This book can be purchased at Amazon.com.