In this biography, Stolfi (the US Naval Postgraduate School) stresses the more personal sides of the dictator: the artistic teenager, the scholar, the loyal soldier decorated for valor in WWI. Casting Hitler as a young veteran who believed he was called to revenge the deaths of his fellow soldiers and remake Germany, Stolfi reinterprets familiar primary source material to explore the messianic and mystical dimensions of Hitler's political movement, arguing that seeing Hitler as a prophet rather than as a politician is the key to understanding Hitler. The author examines Hitler as a product of his times in the context of the post-WWI conditions inflicted by the Allies on Germany, and notes Hitler's successes between 1919 and 1941. The book is illustrated with b&w historical photos, some from the author's own collection, and many not often seen, such as photos of Hitler visiting ordinary citizens. Annotation ©2012 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)