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In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler’s Berlin

By Erik Larson

In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler’s Berlin

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Started reading:
27th July 2011
Finished reading:
4th August 2011

Review

Rating: Unrated

Once again Erik Larson has taken a piece of history and illuminated it through the eyes of the people who lived it. His writing skill of bringing these events down to a singular personal level makes for an eminently readable volume. I first became aware of Mr. Larson from his book, Isaac’s Storm. This book recounts the devastating hurricane of 1900 that destroyed Galveston, TX. Larson brings the events of September 1900 to life through the eyes of Isaac Cline, chief weatherman of Texas.
In the Garden of Beasts we meet the Dodd family. William Dodd is the newly appointed US ambassador to Germany in 1933. With William in Germany are his wife, Mattie, and their young adult children Martha and Bill. It is through the historical record of Dodd’s ambassadorship and the preserved family records that we get a fascinating glimpse into life in early Hitler’s Germany. We witness the step-by-step systematic destruction of Jewish rights and the growth of Hitler’s political power. We see first hand the maniacal and deadly power politics of Hitler’s inner circle.
The book starts with a summary of how a midwest professor with no diplomatic experience is selected by President Roosevelt for such a prestigous position. From the start we learn that Dodd is ill equipped as an ambassador and doesn’t fit the eastern Brahman mold of a State Department ambassador. Dodd’s frugal mid-western lifestyle and scholarly perspective keeps him at odds with the rest of the diplomatic core.
Larson also focuses much attention on the adventures of Dodd’s attractive 24 year daughter. Her story of amorous relations with Nazi elites, a Russian NKVD agent and others reads like a modern romantic adventure but in 1933 it was utterly scandalous. It is through Martha that we experience much the day-to-day events of the privileged Berliners.
In summary, In the Garden of Beasts is highly recommended as a stunning look into life in early Hitler’s Germany.