This is hardly a book you’re going to take on your beach holiday, but it could be quite an interesting read – it’s a collection of Hitler’s letters, diary entries, memorandums and reports, compiled by German writer Walter Kempowski. Called Swansong 1945: A Collective Diary of the Last Days of the Third Reich,  the book “paints a compelling portrait of the Reich’s demise”.

There are excerpts of Hitler’s suicide pact with Eva Braun and talk of where his art collection should go. Whilst it focuses mainly on four important days – “the 20th of April (Hitler’s final birthday), the 25th of April (when the Soviets and Americans met at the Elbe), the 30th of April (when Hitler and Eva Braun completed their suicide pact), and May 8 (VE Day)” – it gives a lot of insight and feeling into what Hitler was thinking.

As I did not consider that I could take responsibility, during the years of struggle, of contracting a marriage, I have now decided, before the closing of my earthly career, to take as my wife that girl who, after many years of faithful friendship, entered, of her own free will, the practically besieged town in order to share her destiny with me. At her own desire she goes as my wife with me into death. It will compensate us for what we both lost through my work in the service of my people.

What I possess belongs—in so far as it has any value—to the party. Should this no longer exist, to the state; should the state also be destroyed, no further decision of mine is necessary.

My pictures, in the collections which I have bought over the course of years, have never been collected for private purposes, but only for the extension of a gallery in my home town of Linz a.d. Donau.

You can read a few more excerpts HERE, or read the whole book.

[Source: The Daily Beast]