Berlin Diary

The Journal of a Foreign Correspondent, 1934–1941

By: William L. Shirer

Narrated by: Tom Weiner

By the acclaimed journalist and New York Times best-selling author of The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich, this day-by-day eyewitness account of the momentous events leading up to World War II in Europe is the private, personal, utterly revealing journal of a great foreign correspondent.

CBS radio broadcaster William L. Shirer was virtually unknown in 1940 when he decided there might be a book in the diary he had kept in Europe during the 1930s—specifically those sections dealing with the collapse of the European democracies and the rise of Nazi Germany.

Shirer was the only Western correspondent in Vienna on March 11, 1938, when the German troops marched in and took over Austria, and he alone reported the surrender by France to Germany on June 22, 1940, even before the Germans reported it. The whole time, Shirer kept a record of events, many of which could not be publicly reported because of censorship by the Germans. In December 1940, Shirer learned that the Germans were building a case against him for espionage, an offense punishable by death. Fortunately, Shirer escaped and was able to take most of his diary with him.

Berlin Diary first appeared in 1941, and the timing was perfect. The energy, the passion, and the electricity in it were palpable. The book was an instant success, and it became the frame of reference against which thoughtful Americans judged the rush of events in Europe. It exactly matched journalist to event: the right reporter in the right place at the right time. It stood, and still stands, as so few books have ever done, a pure act of journalistic witness.

©1941 William L. Shirer (P)2011 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

“The most complete news report yet to come out of wartime Germany.” ( Time)

Compelling listening

What did you love best about Berlin Diary?

the book gives the reader the opportunity to see events unfold as per the generation that lived through the second world war. It offers a time travellers view of history as it unfolds

What other book might you compare Berlin Diary to and why?

Possibly on a par with :Downfall but has more impact in its revealing of the key Nazi protagonists

What about Tom Weiner’s performance did you like?

Well read and presented

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I tried to listen in one sitting but the reader need to spread it over a few sittings to appreciate the content

Any additional comments?

The book has chilling impact in the light of hindsight

The Berlin Diary

Spellbinding first-hand observation of the venality of the Nazis and the utter incompetence of the French leaders, the utter stupidity of French war tactics or lack thereof.

Glad it's still available

I "inherited" an old, falling-apart paperback of Berlin Diary from an uncle, and felt bad that it wasn't still in print. I'm glad to see it's still available after all, at least in this form - the reading is top-notch.

History as it happens

Diary of William L. Shirer while he was CBS radio correspondent in Berlin and elsewhere in Europe. Good first-hand accounting of "breaking news" of the time, including the Austrian Anschluss, Munich crisis, invasion of Poland, invasion of Norway, and invasion of the low countries and France. Although I knew generally about the "home front" in Germany during the war, Shirer provides good information on German rationing and the effect of the Allied bombing raids on Berlin.

Yes sir

Very enjoyable audio read. I liked the author’s real time reporting of what was going on in his mind and those folks, big and small, that were living through this pre war period. This book should be a must read along with the author’s Pulitzer work.

Spectacular... He had 20/20 vision for the future!

Would you consider the audio edition of Berlin Diary to be better than the print version?

I don't know have print version, but certainly the narrator was wonderful!

Who was your favorite character and why?

There are no "characters" here... This is all REAL historical figures. I guess the writer is my favorite guy, obviously, as he figures most heavily in the story...

What about Tom Weiner’s performance did you like?

He has such a wonderful narrator's voice - passionate, yet soft!

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

It made me sigh - sigh at the stupidity of European Continental policy before WWII... when so many signs pointed to war, they took the then seemingly "easy" way out... doing nothing.

Unique glimpse

Having finished William Shirer's epic 'Rise and Fall of the Third Reich', I found myself wanting to know more about the man who spent much of his life in Nazi ruled Berlin, and Nazi occupied territory. His unique writing style and first hand glimpse into the war provide a fascinating angle of WWII.

Everyone in the world should read this book

This book should be required reading for every single high school student in the United States and abroad.

And every adult should be given a free copy.

Enlightening yet terrifying account of life under Hitler

William Shirers narrative is brilliant.One has to ask why the rest of t he world stood idly by.Shirers condemnation of people like Chamberlain is so to the point.Towards the end of the Diary he succinctly gives his view of the German people,no doubt this would be considered controversial today but it surely explains how popular Hitler was.

Review of “Berlin Diary”

Excellent rendition of the landmark publication by William Shirer, one of the premier journalists of WW II. Written in real-time, by a man who experienced first-hand the nightmare that was the Third Reich, Shirer provides a unique insight onto the mindset of the Nazi Regime, from the pre-war American perspective. His analysis is thorough and intriguing, as much today ad it was in 1940. As superb to listen to, as to read the book. Well done!