In this remarkable memoir, journalist-historian William L. Shirer (1904-1993) describes his Midwest upbringing plus his young newspaper days in Paris and Europe. Writing a half century later, Shirer discusses growing up in Chicago and Cedar Rapids (Iowa) as horse-and-buggies gave way to autos and airplanes. Then it's off to Paris, where with incredible luck he landed a newspaper job during a visit in 1925. Shirer met an incredible number of notables, and here skillfully describes Clarence Darrow, Jack Dempsey, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Mahatma Gandhi, Isadora Duncan, Gertrude Stein, Ernest Hemingway, Douglas MacArthur, Grant Wood, etc. Along the way, readers see Shirer's humanely skeptical view of society, flavored by growing taste for wine, women, and song. The author also captures the sights, sounds, and feel of his beloved Paris; this book made a nice travel companion on a recent trip. Readers should enjoy every page, from Shirer's Midwest youth to his bachelor days in 1920's Paris. The

As European correspondent for a number of American newspapers during the 1930s, William L. Shirer witnessed at first hand many of the pivotal events in the buildup to World War II. At the Nuremberg rallies, when Hitler roared through the streets celebrating his newly-won domination of Germany, Shirer was there. In Munich, as Chamberlain abandoned the Czechs, Shirer was there. In Vienna during the night of the Anschluss, in Berlin, when Hitler loosed his Blitzkrieg on Poland and began the war, Shirer was there. Through articles, broadcasts and translations of Hitler's speeches, Shirer tirelessly tried to warn the world of the terrible evil that was growing in Germany. The Nightmare Years, a No. I bestseller when first published in America in 1984, is not only the fascinating eyewitness account of this cataclysmic decade, but also the more personal story of a young American caught in tense and desperate times, struggling to survive and provide a life for himself and his family as the world lurched inexorably towards war. 'More than any conventional history book, Shirer's memoirs let a reader relive history' -People 'A superb journalist. ..Shirer was close enough to Hitler to feel the Nazi leader's messianic personal force. ..An unusually fine book' -Time 'No one ever did more to explain the rise of the Nazis' -Barbara Tuchman 'An outstanding achievement of journalistic history; indeed it is the best kind of accurate and absorbing history' -Washington Post

The third in a three-volume series, this edition chronicles the life of noted journalist, historian, and author William Shirer—a witness to the rise of the Third Reich. Here, Shirer recounts his return to Berlin after its defeat, his shocking firing by CBS News, and his final visit to Paris sixty years after he first lived there as a cub reporter in the 1920s. It paints a bittersweet picture of his final decades, friends lost to old age, and a changing world. More personal than the first two volumes, this final installment takes an unflinching look at the author's own struggles after World War II—and his vindication after the publication of The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich, his most acclaimed work. It also provides intimate details of his often-troubled marriage. This book gives readers a surprising and moving account of the last years of a true historian—and an important witness to history. ABOUT THE AUTHOR William Lawrence Shirer (1904-1993) was an American war correspondent, historian, and author of The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich—a definitive account of Nazi Germany that has stood the test of time as a scholarly resource for over five decades. Shirer was the first journalist hired for Edward R. Murrow's CBS radio team of journalists covering World War II events worldwide, and later became famous for his radio broadcasts from Berlin. Shirer's work is gripping for its first-hand immediacy, informed by personal observation, storytelling, and interviews with prominent leaders including Hitler himself. As a member of CBS's news team, he produced a 30-minute broadcast of live reporting from Vienna, Paris, Berlin, London, and Rome. This was later adopted as the CBS World News Roundup, one of the longest-running programs in news broadcasting today. ABOUT THE SERIES In this three-volume series, prominent journalist, historian, and author William Shirer tells the story of his life. From his origins in Cedar Rapids in 1904 to his last decades, Shirer paints a surprisingly intimate portrait—and an honest one, refusing to flinch from the personal failures and challenges he experienced alongside his greatest successes. This autobiography is notable both as a fascinating portrait of a very eventful life and as a historical document—shedding personal light on a broad swath of 20th century history. Readers will find personal anecdotes detailing Shirer's conversations with world leaders, including Hitler himself, as well as other prominent people such as Ernest Hemingway and Isadora Duncan. This series is ideal for readers fascinated by 20th century or World War II history—as well as fans of Shirer's other works.