In 1932, Kempka, son of a German miner, became Hitler's personal chauffeur; he served Hitler up until the moment of the Fuhrer's suicide in 1945. In this memoir first published in 1951, Kempka portrays the private Hitler as a fatherly figure who listened to the troubles of his household staff and often brought along a snack for his driver on long drives. The core of the book centers on the period in the bunker during the final few months of the war, and include chilling details on Hitler and his wife's suicides and cremations. The book concludes with an account of Kempka's narrow escape from Berlin and notes on his participation as a witness in the Nuremburg trials. The book was first published in 1951 by Kyrburg (Munich) as Ich Habe Adolf Hitler Verbrannt (I Cremated Adolf Hitler). It was reissued and reprinted under new titles, by different publishers, in 1975, 1991, and 2004. This new English edition (translated by Geoffrey Brooks) includes an expanded section of b&w historical photos and a new introduction by Roger Moorhouse, an expert on the Third Reich. Annotation ©2010 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)