This Is Berlin

This Is Berlin compiles the radio broadcasts of CBS correspondent William L. Shirer from Nazi Germany between 1938-1940. The scripts capture his real-time reporting from Berlin during the buildup to World War II and the early stages of the conflict. Shirer delivered his reports under strict Nazi censorship while witnessing pivotal historical moments like the Anschluss, Munich Crisis, and invasion of Poland. His broadcasts had to walk a careful line between conveying the truth to American listeners and avoiding German interference. The collection preserves Shirer's original dispatches, providing direct access to how events were understood and communicated as they occurred. The broadcasts are presented chronologically with contextual notes. The book serves as both journalism and historical document, revealing how information flowed during wartime and how totalitarian control shaped public messaging. These firsthand accounts offer perspective on media's role in shaping perceptions during periods of international crisis.

Readers value Shirer's first-hand radio broadcasts from Berlin during 1938-1940, appreciating the real-time perspective before America's entry into WWII. Many note how his on-the-ground reporting captures the mounting tension and atmosphere in Nazi Germany with a reporter's raw observations. Readers highlight: - Detailed documentation of daily life and events in pre-war Berlin - Personal encounters with Nazi officials and German citizens - Clear-eyed reporting style without hindsight bias Common criticisms: - Repetitive content from Shirer's later book "Berlin Diary" - Some broadcasts feel fragmented without fuller context - Technical radio reporting details that slow the narrative Ratings: Goodreads: 4.2/5 (127 ratings) Amazon: 4.4/5 (31 ratings) As one Amazon reviewer notes: "You feel like you're there with him as events unfold, but without the polished narrative of his later works." Several readers mention the book works best as a companion to Shirer's other writings about the period.

Berlin Diary by William Shirer A reporter's chronicle of Nazi Germany from 1934-1941 captures the rise of the Third Reich through ground-level observations and first-person experiences.

A Woman in Berlin by Anonymous The diary entries of a German woman during the Red Army occupation of Berlin in 1945 document survival, brutality, and daily life during the city's collapse.

The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich by William L. Shirer The account combines the author's personal observations as a correspondent with extensive research and Nazi documentation to present the complete history of Hitler's Germany.

Inside the Third Reich by Albert Speer Hitler's architect and Minister of Armaments provides a direct witness account of the Nazi regime's inner workings from a position of power within the government.

The Last Battle by Cornelius Ryan The fall of Berlin in 1945 unfolds through multiple perspectives, including soldiers, civilians, and political figures who experienced the final days of World War II in the German capital.

📚 William L. Shirer was one of only two English-speaking broadcasters allowed to remain in Nazi Germany after the war began, reporting from Berlin for CBS Radio from 1939 to 1940. 🎙️ The book consists of actual radio scripts from Shirer's broadcasts, which had to pass through Nazi censors before being transmitted to America, forcing him to develop subtle ways to convey the true situation. ✍️ Shirer later wrote the monumental "The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich" (1960), which became one of the most influential books about Nazi Germany and sold more than 6 million copies. 🗞️ To circumvent censorship, Shirer would sometimes travel to neutral countries like Switzerland to broadcast uncensored reports about what he had witnessed in Berlin. 🏃 Shirer finally fled Germany in December 1940 when he learned the Gestapo was building a case against him, smuggling out his diaries despite strict Nazi prohibition against taking personal papers out of the country.