Benjamin Carter Hett’s The Nazi Menace: Hitler, Churchill, Roosevelt, Stalin and the road to war paints interesting pictures of what was happening in all four nations in the years leading ups to World War II.
The Nazi Menace was not quite as interesting as was Carter Hett’s Death of Democracy, but it certainly was worth the read. Just as he did in Death of Democracy, Carter Hett did a nice job telling critical pieces of history through the perspectives of the main characters as often as possible. That approach taught me things about the four leaders that I didn’t know and which interested me.
Another important part of Carter Hett’s work is how he openly confronts the flaws of historical figures. Too often, historians sugarcoat their subjects leading to very inaccurate portrayals of history. Carter Hett;s work doesn’t suffer this problem.
As an American, I appreciated the way he covered Roosevelt’s unwillingness to act without public support and the steps, including lying, taken by his government to cultivate that public support. Roosevelt obviously did some great things. Just as obvious are the truly terrible things he did. That makes him truly fascinating.
If you appreciate the value in a better understanding of history, The Nazi Menace will be well worth your time.