An Unofficial 'The Rest Is History' Reading List
Ian Kershaw
4 books referenced
Books by Ian Kershaw
Referenced in 4 episodes
December 04, 2025
Context:
Referenced multiple times as Kershaw's biography of Hitler, discussing topics including British public opinion after Munich, Hitler's attitude toward England, Hitler's strategic thinking about attacking the Soviet Union, and Hitler's views on Franco
January 20, 2025
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Referenced as a biography of Hitler. Cited for identifying September 1939 as the 'Nazi Rubicon' - the moral turning point - and for describing Hitler's enjoyment of watching the bombing of Warsaw.
January 16, 2025
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Referenced multiple times as 'Hitler's great biographer' and cited for describing Hitler's 50th birthday extravaganza and Hitler's mindset. Later explicitly mentioned as 'in Kershaw, describes the scene in his biography' when discussing Hitler's meeting with the Swedish intermediary Dalaris.
January 06, 2025
Context:
Referenced multiple times as 'his brilliant biography' of Hitler. Kershaw is quoted extensively throughout discussing Hitler's foreign policy achievements and his belief in providence. The biography is clearly about Hitler but the specific title is not mentioned.
Referenced in 1 episode
December 01, 2025
Context:
His biography of Hitler is cited when discussing the hypothetical scenario of British troops being captured at Dunkirk
Referenced in 10 episodes
November 24, 2025
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Multiple references to Kershaw's two-volume Hitler biography throughout the episode, including his characterization of Brauchitsch as 'spineless,' his concept of 'working towards the Fuhrer,' and his analysis of Hitler's popularity
January 13, 2025
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Referenced as 'his biography of Hitler' when quoting a teenage girl from Paderborn whose mother questioned whether Hitler would ever be satisfied after the annexation of Czechoslovakia.
January 18, 2024
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Referenced as 'Ian Kershaw's biography' (of Hitler) - cited regarding Hitler's mindset connecting the Jewish question with his desire for an apocalyptic showdown in Europe, and regarding the establishment of Heydrich's central office for Jewish immigration as a step toward the Holocaust
January 16, 2024
Context:
Dominic refers to 'Ian Kershaw in his brilliant biography of Hitler' multiple times, first when discussing examples of violence against Jews in Breslau, and later when explaining the concept of 'working towards the Führer' - how subordinates competed to find radical solutions to achieve Hitler's goals.
January 01, 2024
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Explicitly mentioned 'As Ian Kershaw says in his book' when discussing Röhm's final moments and whether he read the newspaper in his last 10 minutes before being shot
January 01, 2024
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Both authors' 'brilliant books on the Third Reich' are mentioned as discussing the cult of Hitler, including poems, Hitler trees, and Hitler squares and streets
January 23, 2023
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Referenced as 'his biography' and 'Ian Kershaw says in his biography' when discussing Hitler's failed meeting with Hindenburg in August 1932 and how the Nazi regime could potentially have been averted through different political decisions
January 19, 2023
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Referenced multiple times regarding Hitler's imprisonment ('less a prison, more a hotel') and the Nazi party loyalty oath ('like medieval vassals swearing undying loyalty'). Likely refers to his Hitler biography.
January 16, 2023
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Multiple references to Kershaw's biography of Hitler - 'Kershaw says in his biography' and 'Ian Kershaw in his biography describes him' - discussed as a major scholarly work on Hitler's life
June 17, 2021
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Dominic mentions reading Sir Ian Kershaw's biography of Hitler, saying 'I remember reading your biography 20 years ago' while discussing Hitler's administrative incompetence and the concept of 'working towards the Fuhrer'
Referenced in 1 episode
June 14, 2021
Context:
Ian Kershaw mentions his own earlier book when discussing Hitler's belief in his own infallibility, particularly around the remilitarization of the Rhineland in 1936.