Hitler : downfall, 1939-1945 / Volker Ullrich ; translated from the German by Jefferson Chase.

"From the author of Hitler: Ascent, 1889-1939--a riveting account of the dictator's final years, when he got the war he wanted but his leadership led to catastrophe for his nation, the world, and himself."-- Provided by publisher.

Summer, 1939. Hitler was at the zenith of his power. The Nazis had consolidated political control in Germany and a series of foreign-policy coups had restored Germany to the status of a major world power. He embarked on his lifelong ambition: to provide the German people with the resources they needed to flourish and to exterminate those who stood in the way. Despite stunning initial triumphs, Hitler's decision to invade the Soviet Union in 1941 turned the tide for good. Ullrich offers new insight into Hitler's character and personality, vividly portraying the insecurity, obsession with minutiae, and narcissistic penchant for gambling that led Hitler to overrule his subordinates and then blame them for his failures. Ultimately, when he realized the war was not winnable, Hitler embarked on the annihilation of Germany itself in order to punish the people who he believed had failed to hand him victory. -- adapted from jacket