REVIEW: In the Garden of Beasts by Erik Larson

 

This was my second reading of this book and it is one of my favorites by Larson (along with Devil in the White City about HH Holmes).  Having said that, until this reading, I didn't realize that the title refers to the Tiergarten - the park around which most of the events in this book take place and which translates as Beast  Garden or Animal Park.  Generally speaking, this book is about William Dodd, and his family, during their time in Germany when he was the Ambassador to Germany as Hitler is coming into power. Interestingly, he was selected without having any real experience in diplomacy - he was a college professor.  He also had no real instructions from the Roosevelt administration in how to handle Hitler or Germany. 

This book is absolutely fascinating. It's long and informative, but I was hooked right from the beginning as Larson seems to make this telling more like a novel then an academic tome. Dodd, in spite of his inexperience, was clear sighted in his assessment of the Nazi's and he tried to warn people of where they were headed, but no one really took it seriously.  His actions and the response he received serve as a warning to us all that should be heeded even now. T he book was thoroughly researched and demonstrates Larson's talent as both an historian and a writer.

Definitely recommend.