This unique book is a comprehensive analysis of Hitler written by a psychologist. The author goes beyond the prevalent Freudian interpretations of Hitler as the victim of a traumatic childhood by explaining the inner world of Hitler's ideas and visions as the product of his paranoia. This psychological analysis is framed by a poignant introduction, in which Schwaab reflects on his experience of growing up in Nazi Germany and by a personal afterword, in which the meaning of Nazism is placed within the context of current developments in a reunited Germany.

The author discusses the impact...