🎯 Where Should I Start?
ⓘ About William L. Shirer
This book answers all these questions and more. Shirer takes you through the catastrophic events that characterized this era. He even includes testimonies from camp inmates and Nazi leaders. Since the author was a foreign correspondent living in Germany for most of the time, Hitler was in power, some of his narration comes from his own experiences. He explains how Hitler managed to use Japan and Mussolini and also narrates how the United States eventually got involved. You will also read about the dangers that made Shirer and his family seek refuge elsewhere. If you love history stories, especially about the second world war, you will love this book. The author has clearly done his homework, and his narrative style keeps you wanting to know more about what happened next.
All Book Series by William L. Shirer
A Native's Return: 1945-1988
Latest in the series · book 3 of 3 · published 1990
Berlin Diary: The Journal of a Foreign Correspondent 1934-1941
Series opener · book 1 of 2 · published 1941
The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich: A History of Nazi Germany
Book 3 of 9 · published 1960
Love and Hatred: The Troubled Marriage of Leo and Sonya Tolstoy
Book 8 of 9 · published 1994
This Is Berlin: Reporting from Nazi Germany 1938-40
Latest in the series · book 9 of 9 · published 2014 Co-authored · Inga Shirer Dean
? Frequently Asked Questions
Who is William L. Shirer?
This book answers all these questions and more. Shirer takes you through the catastrophic events that characterized this era. He even includes testimonies from camp inmates and Nazi leaders.
Which William L. Shirer series should I start with?
The best place to start is the 20th Century Journey series, the earliest of William L. Shirer's multi-book series: it opens with The Start: 1904-30 (1976) and runs to 3 books across 1976–1990, ending with A Native's Return: 1945-1988 (1990).
How many books has William L. Shirer written?
William L. Shirer has 14 books catalogued in this guide, published between 1941 and 2014. 5 of them belong to 2 named series — the largest being the 20th Century Journey series with 3 books — and 9 are standalone titles, collections or anthologies.
In what order should William L. Shirer's series be read?
Read each series in publication order — the numbered entries in each series follow the year each book first appeared. William L. Shirer's series do not depend on one another, so they can be started in any order; by start date they are Berlin Diary (1941–1947, 2 books) and 20th Century Journey (1976–1990, 3 books).
How are William L. Shirer's books organised into series?
This guide splits William L. Shirer's 14 books into 2 named series and 9 titles that stand alone or appear only in collections: 20th Century Journey (3 books, 1976–1990); Berlin Diary (2 books, 1941–1947).