Detailed to a fault, I found this book difficult to read - not just the subject matter, but also because it just dragged for me. I think a bit of editing would have helped.

Goebbels by Peter Longerich is a surprising portrait of the Nazi propaganda minister in the Third Reich. For a man with such an obvious gift at crafting the message even as distasteful as many may find the message, I found myself surprised at the portrait of Goebbels Longerich lays out.

Goebbels himself is a complicated man at once driven and ambitious, but yet often dependent upon other people in order to get to the powerful positions he wants. Of particularly note is his deference to Hitler and/or the women in his life be it his wife or mother, which makes him appear weak and dependent. He comes across as a person who will do anything for those in power and with a power over him to the point of only marginally existing as his own man.

It is a fascinating portrait as he shows himself a chameleon able to adapt to the political winds at least early in life and there’s more than a dash of hypocrite—I mean consider some of the Jewish women that he was with and somewhat protected. But I think the overall picture is a man above all else consumed by power and prestige so much that he would do anything to keep it and when Hitler and his ideas where defeated Goebbels just couldn’t take it because he had so totally surrendered his life and individuality to them.

Goebbels is a dark more than a little bit sad read, but it’s a story that needs to be told.

Don't be put off by the length, only the first 64% is the actual book. The rest is notes.

This was really interesting. The author takes Goebbels' diaries and compares them to what was really happening at the time. This guy was really just a follower and so delusional. Hitler rarely told him what the plan was or took any of his advice. It's sort of stunning, actually. And then (this is not a spoiler because this is not fiction) he and his wife murdered all of their children and killed themselves. Not because they were included in Hitler's plan, but because they were delusional. Like cult followers. Holy freaking bananas.

I had high expectations for this book since these characters and this period in history are usually fascinating. However, this seemed more of a rant and a diary or journal or something than a book that provided any really compelling info.

Joseph Goebbels was an interesting historical figure. As Hitler’s Minister of Propaganda he seemed a master of spin while a victim of Hitler’s manipulation. He thought himself to be on the inside but was left out of quite a number of the big decisions. Goebbels came off frequently as somewhat naïve. Maybe his narcissism gave a false confidence that he could trust what people say because he would easily see though them but surprisingly, despite his success in the Reich, his judgment of others was frequently off.

The downside of Goebbels: A Biography is also it's positive—the length. Because of the weighty subject and wealth of information, this is not a read in one sitting kind of work. This reader can usually read about 250 pages per day but it took me nearly three weeks to complete as I kept stopping to consider what I'd read. Joseph Goebbels was a multi-leveled sociopath and to skimp on the unpeeling of the onion would have been a disservice to the reader. A reader only casually interested in the topic, may find themselves somewhat overwhelmed.

Technically the work is very cleanly written. It's linear with no formatting errors that I noticed. Despite the length, each fact seemed to be essential to our understanding of the subject and even the most experienced editor would be hard-pressed in choosing what to remove from this comprehensive work.

What we're left with at the end of Goebbels: A Biography is frightening. Joseph Goebbels was a sociopath and narcissist who was convinced of his own brilliance and against all odds convinced scores of people as well. As someone interested in history and the psychological analysis of criminals, I found this work riveting.