While this book is not quite up to the standard of Stratigakos' book on the German plans to assimilate Norway in World War II, it's still pretty good. Besides being a study of how Hitler reinvented himself as being "safe" to hold high political office, and the PR effort that went along with that endeavor, this book also examines the life of Gerdy Troost, a woman who became part of Hitler's extended court due to her ability as an interior designer and contractor. As for the last portion of the book, dealing with the wisdom of historic preservation in the case of localities were great evil was done, that's six of one and half dozen of the other. ( )

A dense, academic tome made readable by its surprisingly new angle on what is perhaps the most analysed subject matter of modern times. Despina Stratigakos, a Canadian professor of architecture, looks at how Hitler's homes – both in interior design and in exterior architecture – were carefully cultivated by propagandists and the man himself to present a self-image that would see the Nazis strengthen their grip over Germany, with apocalyptic consequences for Europe and the world. As a PR exercise, Hitler's method is disquietingly contemporary, and Stratigakos' content is much fresher than your typical Hitler book.

However, the author does not fashion out a consistent analytical narrative to chart Hitler's self-image, or the efficacy of the measures described in the book, and with her desire to include everything about the subject, she remains more cataloguer than critic. The attempt to place Hitler's home-design activities into a wider historical context is limited, and – lacking this – readers who are not design students will fail to see the importance of much of Hitler at Home's content. Stratigakos' thesis thus becomes slightly muted, even if the book cannot in any circumstances be described as a failure.

The new approach retains the reader's fascination throughout, and if Stratigakos sometimes falls short of judiciously analysing Hitler's shape-shifting, that is only testament to the enduring malevolent appeal of the subject. Hitler at Home's original approach could well be the genesis of a fruitful subset of Hitler studies, and it is remarkable that, eighty years after the invasion of Poland, new fronts are still being opened against the dictator's legacy. ( )

A disturbing book, but persuasive as to how the Nazi press strategically normalized Hitler, and the non-German press played along. The chapter on Troost (his designer and architect) was also disturbingly persuasive in its portrayal of someone refusing to admit her part in promoting Nazism, or even her poor judgment about Hitler. ( )

A fresh perspective in what was a stagnant genre. I've read several of the seminal works on Hitler and the third Reich but none with the originality of Hitler at Home. ( )

Please read my review at the New York Journal of Books:

http://www.nyjournalofbooks.com/book-review/hitler-home ( )