Hitler's Last Secretary: A Firsthand Account of Life with Hitler

After having read Speer’s accounts about 5-6 times each, I found this to be a refreshing account from a much different perspective. Traudl is much more honest with her feelings and regret than Speer ever was. Traudl’s account was interesting because hers is not from a political perspective or a perspective of emotional confusion or denial of feelings of jealousy over favor or power. Hitler saw her as more of a “daughter” for lack of anything else to call their relationship, so their interactions were more innocent and Hitler seemed to treat her as if he were a father figure to her. Traudl was witness to far more than any other as she saw and heard so many things being Hitler’s secretary, whereas others only saw or heard the things that directly involved them. She gives us a far clearer picture of Hitler’s personal life, of who Eva Braun was, and the relationship she and Hitler shared. She saw and heard the goings on of all those who came and went at the Wolf’s Lair, on the Obersalzberg, and in the bunker. She tells the amazing story of what it was like to be right there with Hitler, and of the personal struggle afterward, when the bubble of seclusion was broken and she had to come to terms with the monster that Hitler really was. At least she was honest withherself after she found out what Hitler was, as opposed to Speer, who lived in denial until he died. This is a great read and it inspired the movie Downfall. Traudl is featured in the movie as well! Highly recommend!

While the life of Adolph Hitler has been well-documented in text and film, our understanding of his ultimate demise is heavily based on words and memory of Traudl Junge (nee Humps). HITLER’S LAST SECRETARY provides a fly-on-the-wall perspective that reveals one of history’s most notorious figures as being rather dull.I first saw Traudl Junge on several episodes of the “World at War” (the fabulous and comprehensive British documentary of the Second World War) and found her eyewitness account of Hitler’s last days quite memorable. As Hitler’s youngest secretary, she became a trusted member of his inner circle (he even dictated his last will and testament to her). From the peak of his power in 1942 to his cowardly demise underneath the ruins of Berlin, Junge saw Hitler in a variety of lights: relaxing atop the Eagle’s Nest, bantering with Nazi lapdogs, surviving an assassination attempt and his somewhat odd relationship with Eva Braun … she saw it all. While much of the book centers on her casual observances, Junge provides enough extraordinary details to make it all worth reading and I found it hard to put the book down once I started reading.Even though Junge wrote the book a few years after the war, I never sensed that absolution was her purpose in writing the book … she simply had a story worth telling. There are points in the book where hindsight comes into play, but most of her story is pretty straightforward. She makes no bones that Hitler’s charisma and power were hard to ignore and admits that working for him was a pleasant experience overall. Of course, one wonders to what extent she was aware of the atrocities being committed under her boss’ order. There are instances in the book where the Nazi’s pervasive attitude toward Jews is known/accepted (including one moment where a respected woman with Jewish lineage appears to have been “spared” by Hitler), but this is an issue that Junge opts not to indulge … the war is what takes front and center. The reader is left to judge whether Junge’s account was intentionally void of such particulars or that she simply wasn’t privy to certain matters. The individuals she is exposed to on a regular basis represent a “who’s who” of Nazi war criminals (Himmler, Boremann, Goebbels, etc.), so it is plausible to assume she was aware (to some degree) of Nazi atrocities.While the movie “Downfall” (which draws heavily from Junge’s experiences), portrays Hitler as a raging madman reaching the end of his rope, the book doesn’t deliver any of the movie’s intensity. In fact, much of the book details a different side of Hitler … less of a madman and more of a simple, boring and somewhat strange man. Junge’s interactions with Hitler are always described as being pleasant. She notes many of the man’s idiosyncrasies, including his hypochondria (requiring daily “injections”), his penchant for napping in front of guests, the affection he has for his dog (“Blondi”) and his oddly platonic relationship with Eva Braun. In fact, Junge speaks more negatively about Hitler’s bootlicking followers and confidents. Simply put, the book does not paint Hitler as the detestable person we know he proved to be. But, it is not difficult to believe that Junge’s experience with the man never led her to draw such a conclusion at the time as he was always kind and respectful toward her. While some may view her book as “humanizing” such a despicable figure, I have always felt the stereotypical depiction of ruthless dictators as a monstrous “supervillains” tends to inadvertently aggrandize these people and make them larger than life. Junge’s observations of Hitler do not portray him as anything special.HITLER’S LAST SECRETARY offers a smooth read, even though it mainly consists of one long chapter (one reason it was hard to put down). I found the details provided about Hitler and his inner circle quite fascinating: the interior of the Berghof retreat, Eva Braun’s clothes and demeanor, Hitler’s eating habits, his opinions on mundane topics (like his disdain for smoking) and frank commentary on those close to Hitler. Junge provides a much clearer image of the chaos that erupted deep within the bunker in the war’s final days, including Goebbels decision to poison his six children, Hitler/Eva Braun’s wedding ceremony, as well as their suicides and the subsequent disposal of her bodies (which she doesn’t witness first hand). Even though Junge’s own account ends with her emerging from the bunker, Melissa Muller provides an informative and interesting final chapter that picks up where Junge’s writing stopped. This final chapter serves as a biography of Traudl Junge from the war’s end through the 1990s.HITLER’S LAST SECRETARY is a worthy read as it offers a fascinating peek inside the machine responsible for mankind’s greatest tragedy. While some readers may question the author’s intent or be turned off by her unapologetic/straightforward approach to the subject matter, it is hard to ignore the historical significance of Traudl Junge’s observations.

An extremely well written almost daily account of Frau Junge's experience with the Adolph Hitler and those who were close to him both military and civilian. The reader is taken through numerous episodes of history making decisions and I felt like I was there listening to what was said or inferred. I do not have a hateful opinion of Hitler but believe that he was doing what was best for the German people. I have a standard and motto that I live under and that is "what is the TRUTH?" So much hysteria, lies, hateful stories have been written and spoken against Germany and Adolph Hitler that the truth continues to be buried beneath the truth. For instance, the myth of 6000000 Jews put to death by the SS is not true. If you have an open mind, look on line for numerous books on the so called holocaust such as Did 6 million really die? Another the hoax of the holocaust. Seek and you will find the truth. Frau Junge makes never mentions the holocaust. Why? In spite of her being directly in contact with all important members of The Third Reich not once was Jewish extermination discussed. Why? It did not happen. There was never an order from Hitler or anyone else to exterminate anyone in the concentration camps. After all, they needed slave workers for arms production because of the need for fresh troops being taken and trained for war from the available manpower. This is a must read book if you have an open mind. Also, I would also recommend the superb DVD Downfall. This reflects Frau Junge's experience and is as close as you can get to the truth regarding the fall of The Third Reich. This book and movie should help the reader to what to find out all they can about what did happen in Germany from 1933 to 1945. By the way, if you want more truth consider that Dwight Eisenhower murdered 1 to 1and one half million of German POW's by starving them to death in camps barely fit for the lowest of animals. Good luck in your quest. The truth shall set your mind free if you are willing to open it.

Even if these are the observations of a young woman who is naive about her new boss's ideology or politics this should have been an invaluable peek into Hitler the man. It has no great insights to impart. It was an interesting read but I was. Hoping for more. Just with casual observations we can get a better look at a person's character. Hitler seemed to maintain a stoic facade but we see something. He loved his dogs, had some fatherly affection for his female employees, and laughs at jokes. Some may cringe at the humanizing of a monster but we have to acknowledge that he was of our own species. Any and all eyewitness accounts of the madman have their valuable. From the past folly of the past we can be more aware of the flaws of the present and hopefully not allow them to happen again.

This was an interesting book. I am not sure how complete it was or what was left out.

Interesting look from a clerical worker assigned to Hitler . It tells of the many times that she ate lunch or dinner with Hitler. She tells of the bomb blast that almost killed Hitler. Failed assassination attempt . She looks up to Hitler as a paternal figure. She wrote this memoir in 1947 while the facts were still fresh . It wasn’t published until many years later.She doesn’t attempt to rationalize why she worked in the heart of the Third Reich. I cannot believe that as a secretary for Hitler that she didn’t overhear or type or read incoming mail that told of the genocide. I think that she is intelligent but comes off as superficial. A German on the street during the war may have been unaware of the atrocities committed by their country. In the U.S. the President has ICE picking up thousands of people and keeping them in “detention centers”. It seems that most Americans don’t care or are ambivalent to the lack of due process and handling of these people. I pray that the leadership of our country changes these methods. That’s probably a good parallel. The fact that the author was not complicit is shocking .Overall, I think it is worth reading and watching the documentary. The portrayal of Hitler is the documentary is said to be spot on.

This book written by the youngest secretary to Adolph Hitler reflects the isolation and the make believe existence of what really in essence was Hitler's Royal Court. It really became quite evident that Hitler surrounded himself with sycophants who were mere admirers and "yes men." Hitler conducted the war from essentially two locations that being the Wolf's Lair in East Prussia and the Hitler's compound named The Berghof in Obersalzberg of the Bavarian Alps near Berchtesgaden, Bavaria, Germany.As described by Roger Moore in his seminal book The Wolf's Lair, we note that Hitler was isolated from the realities of the war and of the real sacrifices demanded by this monumental war which in the history of mankind was the bloodiest war of all. Hitler and his Court lived a pampered and protected existence which acted as a true oxymoron as to what was really transpiring around them at that time in history.In fact we see a young and naïve secretary seeing a kind and benevolent father like man who was revered by all Court members. Most of the Court was really ignorant of what really was happening. Only such men as Albert Speer and the visiting general officers were in the know of what was truly happening. Hitler's house staff and secretaries really were living a protected existence.Traudle Junge goes into detail as to the day to day existence of what life was like living with Hitler. She gives an ultimate detailed account of Hitler's last days in the Berlin bunker and what truly transpired in the last days of the Third Reich.What I found out that Hitler in his isolated life tried to direct a war in isolation and in reality "lost the realities of what truly was transpiring." His modus operandi was the complete opposite of what Winston Churchill's day to day life was. Churchill never isolated himself, in fact he was out and about, bombed out London, Tehran, Quebec Canada, Washington DC, Moscow etc. Churchill was out inspiring, conferring and visiting the troops. He never rested and never stayed in one place for too long.It makes one wonder why one man saw the war through rose colored glasses while the other man saw the realities of what was really happening. In this context it makes perfect sense of why the Allies won.I found this book as a true analysis of what Hitler's life during the war was all about. In this sense it is a great aid in understanding Hitler. However, the book was indeed poorly edited because the translation contained many grammatical and spelling errors. The content is of 5 Star quality and the editing is of 3 Star quality, hence the 4 Star rating.

For an excellent review and summary, I'll refer you to V.C. Hughes'.What struck me in this book as well, was the first glimpses and thoughts on Hitlers megalomania, and the betrayal she and others felt when they realized his character in the end.Another very interesting observation she makes, is the power of his personality, how it superceded all else, all individual thought. She describes the vague dissatisfaction and discontent she and others felt, but could not put form to, there was no room in Hitlers presence. After his death the anger that he'd left them with emptiness and helplessness, and with him gone the hypnotic compulsion under which they lived was gone as well Fascinating psychological phenomena.She relates those last days in the bunker, Goebbels' children there and knowing their parents were going to kill them, watching their parents go in, and the bodies being carried out. Eva Braun dealing with knowing her life would end soon in suicide, joining them for a smoke, something they'd never seen her do, declaring with everything else she had to worry about, she felt this vice was justified.She, like so many Germans of the era, repressed her thoughts, it just wasn't discussed and moved forward with life. She was told over and over, in fact exonerated, because 'she was so young', and to some extent allowed herself to accept this 'excuse' and yet deep down.. Only later does she link her depression to the atrocoties committed during the Nazi regime, until the excuse is hollow.The turning point, the moment that drove this home was stopping one day in front of a plaque , a plaque she had walked by countless times, commemorating a young woman she'd known who was executed in 1943, a woman a year younger than she who clearly recognized the criminality and evil of the Nazi regime. 'Too young' could no longer excuse her within her own conscious.An absolute must for anyone interested not just in the tactics and facts of this pivotal and important time in history, but in the human factor. The social and psychological aspect of the hold Hitler held. How could people follow such a monster? It sheds light on that very important aspect. How could they?

Noooobre! Se entera uno de cada cosa que sucedió en la Segunda Guerra Mundial y de primera mano. En un sentido auto crítico y reflexivo. Simplemente intrigante

Well written, with many important events seen from a refreshing perspective.The footnotes are thorough and completes the narrative.

Well worth the read. Interesting insight into the last days of Hitler and his inner circle....

Very interesting book from someone so close to Hitler. I recommend it to anyone interested in the third reich history.

This book was good, yes it had some boring bits in it, but it really did give you an insight into who Hitler was and what went on behind closed doors. Well worth the read.