A short, sharp spotlight on the Third Reich (1933-1945) which arms you with a clear and nuanced understanding of the dark years of Nazi control.

Under the Swastika in Nazi Germany begins in flames in 1933 with Adolf Hitler taking power and ends in the ashes of total defeat in 1945. Kristin Semmens tells that story from five different perspectives over five chronologically distinct phases in the Third Reich’s lifespan. The book offers a much-needed integrated history of insiders and outsiders – Nazis, accomplices, supporters, racial and social outsiders and resisters – that captures the complexity of Germans’ lives under Hitler. Incorporating recent research and the voices of those who often remain silent in histories of this period, Under the Swastika in Nazi Germany delivers an up to date, engaging and accessible introduction. Its narrative is further supported by well-chosen images, some familiar and others rarely seen. By revealing the potent combination of coercion and consent at work during the dictatorship, the book allows a deeper understanding of Nazi Germany and provides a vital platform for further inquiry into these twelve years of German history.

"Wide-ranging, clearly written, well structured and conceptually innovative, Kristin Semmens' survey of life and death in Nazi Germany is a masterpiece of compression, comprehensive in its coverage and taking in the most recent research. I can think of no better introduction to the subject." - Sir Richard J Evans, Regius Professor Emeritus of History, University of Cambridge, UK

"Kristin Semmens deepens our understanding of the remarkably varied German responses to Nazi violence and expansionism." - Shelley Baranowski, Distinguished Professor of History Emerita, University of Akron, USA