Reprint of a 1991 work. Kershaw (modern history, U. of Sheffield, UK) discusses why, of all the fanatics in Germany after the First World War, was it Hitler who found such mass appeal? How did such an unimpressive figure come to take control of the machinery of a complex modern state? Why, contrary to all expectations, was his authority not curtailed by the traditional ruling classes and constitutional constraints? What did his personal role in the shaping of policy amount to? and was he personally making the key decisions, right to the very end? Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)