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In the Garden of Beasts

Love, Terror, and An American Family in Hitler's Berlin
Dec 28, 2015cknightkc rated this title 3.5 out of 5 stars
Erik Larson’s IN THE GARDEN OF BEASTS does not quite approach the brilliance of his other works I have read (THE DEVIL IN THE WHITE CITY and DEAD WAKE), yet it is worthy of study given its relevance to today’s world. Evil still exists and it is important to be reminded of and learn from our past failures in order to avoid history repeating itself. The book mainly concerns William E. Dodd, U.S. Ambassador to 1930’s Germany, a rather outwardly bland man who refuses to compromise his principles, and his impetuous daughter, Martha, who is as exuberant as her father is restrained. Together they witness the rise of Hitler and the Nazi Party. Larson expertly captures the atmosphere of pre-WWII Berlin, slowly revealing the sinister forces and horrors underlying the seeming serenity of everyday life in the city and country.