An Unofficial 'The MeatEater Podcast' Reading List
620. The Nazis at War: Hitler Strikes West (Part 1)
November 24, 2025
Description
Books Referenced
Author: James Holland
Context:
Explicitly mentioned as 'a book by James Holland' when discussing the French advance to the Siegfried Line and their retreat in the face of minimal German resistance
Author: Adolf Hitler
Context:
Referenced when discussing Hitler's worldview, specifically his 1925 statement that 'the life of man is a dreadful struggle for existence'
Author: Richard Evans
Context:
Referred to as 'his great book on the Nazis' when discussing Georg Elzer as an example of ordinary Germans in the 1930s; Evans uses Elzer because he was not very political
Author: Ian Kershaw
Context:
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
Author: William L. Shirer
Context:
Described as 'a really good source on the Third Reich in the early years of the war' - referring to the American correspondent's diary written while he was present in Germany