Hitler's Master of the Dark Arts

Heinrich Himmler was a Nazi’s Nazi—the head of the ruthless SS and the driving force behind the Final Solution. How did Himmler, known for a weak stomach and self-conscious of his poor eyesight and slight physical stature, become one of the most feared men in history? Bill Yenne traces Himmler’s rise through the ranks in the 1920s alongside Adolf Hitler, his appointment as Reichsführer SS in 1930, and his increasing influence and power in the Reich in the 1940s.

Although Himmler looked like a henpecked husband from central casting, he saw himself as the reincarnation of Heinrich I, first king of the Germans. He delved deeply into German folklore and mythology, picking up anything that elevated the German peoples above others. His occult beliefs and his increasing power under Hitler led, perhaps inevitably, to the grim reality of the death camps. His dark power came to a fitting end when, captured by Allied soldiers as the Reich collapsed, he followed his hero Hitler in suicide, biting into a cyanide capsule developed by one of the mad Nazi doctors of Dachau.

ISBN-13: 9780760337783
Author : Bill Yenne
Publisher: MBI Publishing Company
Publication date: 10/14/2010

Editorial Reviews - Library Journal

In this biography of Heinrich Himmler, creator of the SS and thoroughgoing villain, the author makes much of Himmler's interest in the occult and his attempts to re-create a somewhat bizarre version of the pre-Christian Teutonic religion. Some readers may be interested in the accounts of archaeologists funded by the Ahnenerbe (the Nazi historical research bureau) to establish a foundation for Nazi mythology and institutionalize the creed of Aryan superiority. Indiana Jones, this is not, but another take on Nazi leaders, somewhat sensationalized. Not enough meat for serious World War II students, but it may be popular among general readers.

Meet the Author

Bill Yenne is the San Francisco-based author of more than four dozen books on military and historical topics. He is also a member of the American Society of Journalists and Authors.