While this blog is in principle concerned with literary fiction, I am going to stray from that topic for the moment as a result of having recently read a review of a new biography in the Oct. 16, 2016, New York Times weekly Book Review section.
The work, by Volker Ullrich, is entitled "Hitler" and subtitled "Ascent 1889-1939." It focuses on Hitler the individual, a man of remarkably few accomplishments until he emerged out of Germany's post WWI economic and political chaos in a position of leadership, which he quickly consolidated, turning a democracy into a dictatorship.