Personality and Power; Builders and Destroyers of Modern Europe

New York: Penguin Press, 2022. First Printing [Stated]. Hardcover. Very good/Very good. Frank Hanewacker (Author photograph). xv, [3], 492, [2] pages. Illustrations. Notes. Index. Sir Ian Kershaw FRHistS FBA (born 29 April 1943) is an English historian whose work has chiefly focused on the social history of 20th-century Germany. He is regarded by many as one of the world's foremost experts on Adolf Hitler and Nazi Germany, and is particularly noted for his biographies of Hitler. He was a follower of the German historian Martin Broszat, and until his retirement, he was a professor at the University of Sheffield. Kershaw has called Broszat an "inspirational mentor" who did much to shape his understanding of Nazi Germany. Kershaw served as historical adviser on numerous BBC documentaries, notably The Nazis: A Warning from History and War of the Century. He taught a module titled "Germans against Hitler". In 1975, Kershaw joined Martin Broszat's "Bavaria Project". During his work, Broszat encouraged Kershaw to examine how ordinary people viewed Hitler. As a result of his work in the 1970s on Broszat's "Bavaria Project", Kershaw wrote his first book on Nazi Germany, The "Hitler Myth": Image and Reality in the Third Reich, which was first published in German in 1980 as Der Hitler-Mythos: Volksmeinung und Propaganda im Dritten Reich. This book examined the "Hitler cult" in Germany, how it was developed by Joseph Goebbels, what social groups the Hitler Myth appealed to and how it rose and fell. Kershaw retired from teaching in 2008. In the 2010s, he wrote two books on the wider history of Europe for The Penguin History of Europe series: To Hell and Back: Europe, 1914-1949 and The Global Age: Europe, 1950-2017. How far can a single leader alter the course of history? From one of the leading historians of twentieth-century Europe and the author of the definitive biography of Hitler, Personality and Power is a masterful reckoning with how character conspired with opportunity to create the modern age's uniquely devastating despots—and how and why other countries found better paths. The modern era saw the emergence of individuals who had command over a terrifying array of instruments of control, persuasion and death. Whole societies were reshaped and wars were fought, often with a merciless contempt for the most basic norms. At the summit of these societies were leaders whose personalities somehow enabled them to do whatever they wished, regardless of the consequences for others. Ian Kershaw's new book is a compelling, lucid and challenging attempt to understand these rulers, whether those operating on the widest stage (Lenin, Stalin, Hitler, Mussolini) or with a more national impact (Tito, Franco). What was it about these leaders, and the times in which they lived, that allowed them such untrammeled and murderous power? And what brought that era to an end? In a contrasting group of profiles—from Churchill to de Gaulle, Adenauer to Gorbachev and Thatcher to Kohl)—Kershaw uses his exceptional skills as an iconic historian to explore how strikingly different figures wielded power. Derived from a Kirkus review: The acclaimed British historian presents "interpretative essays on the attainment and exercise of power by a number of striking political personalities." In this authoritative study, Kershaw looks at 12 major historical figures: four despots (Lenin, Stalin, Hitler, Mussolini), two national autocrats (Tito, Franco), five democratic leaders (Churchill, de Gaulle, Adenauer, Thatcher, Kohl), and Gorbachev, who rose in a totalitarian system but ultimately destroyed it. What characteristics do they have in common, asks Kershaw, and how did they wield power? Was it the circumstances in which they came to power or their personalities that gave them historical dimensions? Providing a biography of each figure and setting it in context, Kershaw argues that most came to power in a time of crisis and were able to use the tumult to transform their agenda into a legitimating ideology: "Each had extraordinary determination, strength of character to surmount hardship and setbacks, a relentless will to succeed, and a level of egocentrism that demanded extreme loyalty and subordinated everybody and everything to the attainment of desired goals. They were all ‘driven' individuals." Even while they saw themselves as figures of "destiny," several of the democratic leaders displayed exceptional acumen in the practical business of politics. They understood the strengths and weaknesses of supporters and opponents, rising above daily politics through assiduous practice. This shows how most of the leaders had to operate within institutional constraints. Only Stalin and Hitler had near-absolute control, and even they had to work their ways up in careful steps. Kershaw shows how better understanding the processes behind the rises and roles of leaders can provide insight into contemporary autocracy in countries like Turkey, Hungary, Russia, and China. Through sharp profiles of key figures, Kershaw provides an important framework for understanding power and how it is used.