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Hitler: A Global Biography
Brendan Simms

Countless books have been written about Adolf Hitler’s rise and rule, but with Hitler: A Global Biography Brendan Simms offers a genuinely novel interpretation. Drawing on new research from the Bavarian archives and a careful study of all Hitler’s writings and speeches, Simms argues that Hitler’s abiding preoccupation was the threat of Anglo-American capitalism.

Simms argues that Hitler’s perverse theories about race and immigration, and his deep anti-Semitism, were in large part a function of this obsession. Driven by a mixture of anxiety, resentment, and admiration of Anglo-America, Hitler perceived Germany’s geopolitical position to be one of profound weakness—a belief that encouraged him to attack preemptively and helped plunge the world into war.

Brendan Simms is a professor in the history of international relations and a fellow at Peterhouse College, Cambridge. Tune in this week as he joins host Richard Aldous to discuss this fascinating account of the tyrant we thought we knew. And don’t forget to follow @aminterest on Twitter and subscribe to the show on your podcast provider.