Benjamin Carter Hett is the author of Burning the Reichstag, Crossing Hitler, and Death in the Tiergarten. He is a professor of history at Hunter College and the Graduate Center of the City University of New York, and holds a Ph.D. in history from Harvard University and a law degree from the University of Toronto. Born in Rochester, New York, he grew up in Edmonton, Alberta, and now lives in New York City.
Named Book of the Week by CNN's Fareed Zakaria GPS At a time of
deep distress over the stability of democracy in America and
elsewhere, Benjamin Carter Hett's chronicle of the collapse of the
Weimar Republic and the rise of Adolf Hitler could not be more
timely. 'The Death of Democracy' makes for chilling reading. --
Roger Lowenstein, The Washington Post "[An] extremely fine
study of the end of constitutional rule in Germany. . . . With
careful prose and fine scholarship, with fine thumbnail sketches of
individuals and concise discussions of institutions and economics,
. . . [Benjamin Carter Hett] sensitively describes a moral crisis
that preceded a moral catastrophe." -- Timothy Snyder, The
New York Times Book Review (Editor's Choice) If this is an
oft-told and tragic tale, Hett's brisk and lucid study offers
compelling new perspectives inspired by current threats to free
societies around the world. . . . It is both eerie and enlightening
how much of Hett's account rings true in our time. -- E. J. Dionne
Jr., The Washington Post "Particularly instructive. .
. . a penetrating study of how Nazism overtook the Weimar Republic.
Hett never mentions Trump; the societal parallels are, of course,
far from exact. But his account carries a troubling and clearly
intentional resonance." -- Richard North Patterson, Huffington
Post
Intelligent, well-informed... intriguing. Hett provides a lesson
about the fragility of democracy and the danger of that complacent
belief that liberal institutions will always protect us. -- The
Times (London) "Fascinating. . . . Readable and
well-researched." -- Nicholas Shakespeare, The Daily
Telegraph
Intelligently written. . . . a fast-paced narrative enlivened by
vignette and character sketches. . . . Hett reminds us that
violence was at [fascism's] core. But he also insists that Hitler
did not prevail because Weimar was doing badly. On the contrary, it
was doing remarkably well in tough conditions: the end came because
conservative elites thought they could use the Nazis for their own
purposes and realised their mistake too late. -- Mark Mazower,
Financial Times Hett also reminds us that Hitler was
deliberately enabled by conservative elites, especially business
leaders and military commanders, who wanted the electoral votes of
the Nazi movement and were willing to overlook its excesses to
achieve their goals. . . . Hitler was also enabled by a disaffected
public 'increasingly prone to aggressive myth-making and
irrationality.' . . . At no point does Hett mention any current
political figure by name, but his warning is nonetheless loud,
clear, and urgent." -- Booklist "How did Adolf Hitler, an
obvious extremist, con a nation into backing him? This historical
essay answers the question, to often unsettling effect. . . . A
provocative, urgent history with significant lessons for
today." -- Kirkus Reviews
Persuasively challenges familiar arguments that the rise of Nazi
Germany was an inevitable consequence of abstract forces. . . [A]
page-turning account.--Publishers Weekly "A brilliant
account of the twentieth century's great political catastrophe:
the Nazi capture of power. Full of arresting images and
ideas, this gripping new book charts the rise and fall of the first
German republic, and the unlikely victory of Adolf Hitler. A timely
reminder of the fragility of democracy and the dangers of extreme
nationalism."--Nikolaus Wachsmann, author of KL: A History
of the Nazi Concentration Camps "The story of how Germany turned
from democracy to dictatorship in the fifteen years following World
War I is not a simple one. But the moral lessons are exceptionally
clear. Benjamin Carter Hett honors that complexity in this
account while never straying from the path of moral clarity.
An outstanding accomplishment."--Rick Perlstein,
author of Nixonland and The Invisible Bridge
"Benjamin Carter Hett is one of the few historians who is able
to think out of the box and knows how to tell a story well -
without simplifying it. His new book tackles one of the most
interesting questions in German history: How was it possible that
an educated and developed country like Germany could fall for Adolf
Hitler?"
--Stefan Aust, editor of Die Welt, former editor of Der
Spiegel, and author of The Baader-Meinhof Complex "The Death of
Democracy is a thought-provoking new look at the collapse of
German democracy in 1930-34 with a clear and careful
emphasis on those individuals who operated behind the scenes to
bring Hitler to power. Benjamin Carter Hett also offers insight
into the steps Hitler took to consolidate his power."
--Gerhard L. Weinberg, professor emeritus of history,
University of North Carolina "Histories of Nazi Germany can be
overwhelming. The Death of Democracy is carefully focused on the
conditions and cynical choices that enabled Nazism, in just a few
years turning one of the world's most advanced and liberal
societies into a monstrosity. Its author is also that rarity, a
specialist who writes lucidly and engagingly. In this
post-truth, alternative-facts American moment, The Death of
Democracy is essential reading." --Kurt Andersen,
author of Fantasyland: How America Went Haywire, A 500-Year
History
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