In The Garden of Beasts : Freedom Book Review

Book Recommendation: In the Garden of Beasts, by Erik Larson

After reading this review by community member Jason W and looking more into this story – I am hooked! Amazingly, this book is non-fiction and as quoted by other readers, “…a dazzling, addictively readable work that speaks volumes about why the world did not recognize the grave threat posed by Hitler until Berlin, and Europe, were awash in blood and terror.“
Due to the background of my family (WWII soldiers & survivors) as well as watching current events, I know how important it is to learn from our national and world history. This way we can see the signs and hopefully not just survive, but prevent the atrocities some humans are capable of performing. Though the main character of this story is rather bumbling, he is no less valuable for us to learn from as he spent 4 years as a diplomat under one of the most evil regimes in history. What will you learn from him?
Now for Jason’s perspective & review after reading this true tale. – Kirsten

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In the Garden of Beasts, by Erik Larson, Community Member Book Review, by Jason W.

As Erik Larson’s “In the Garden of Beasts,” in my opinion, is one of Larson’s better works about history.  Set in 1933 Berlin, it shares the story of America’s first ambassador to Hitler’s Nazi Germany during a time in history that proved to be a turning point of events that still echo into today.

The Protagonist

Our main character, William Dodd, didn’t impress many people at the state Department.  They called him “Telephone Book Dodd.” In fact, he was not the one the president wanted at the German Ambassadorial post. There was even a rumor that President FDR, who appointed him as the ambassador to Germany in ‘33, had meant to offer the post to an entirely different William Dodd, a professor at Yale University, but erred in looking up the name!

 On top of that, even before Hitler revealed his true motives and came into absolute power, the post was not going to be easy. Many people didn’t want it. For those paying attention, the writing was on the wall and starting to become more clear, something troublesome was happening. At minimum, BIG changes were coming to the motherland.  

Dodd agreed to the job despite these factors. Despite his willingness to fulfill the post, no one had confidence in Dodd’s skill as a diplomat. 

Ambassadors tend to be wealthy, connected socialites.  Dodd could not be further from this description.  He liked simple things, and had simple tastes.  Although he was the chairman of the history department at the University of Chicago, highly active in Chicago politics, and even wrote presidential speeches for Wilson, he was not inspired to climb any profession or post.  At 64 he had older children who came along to Germany for the “adventure”.  His soon to be controversial daughter Martha Dodd Stern, who glamorized the assignment and frolicked in her father’s role, got in deep with communism and fell for a Russian spy.  She was quite popular with the officers, and also an Anti-Semite.   Ironically, she also spied for Russia, but the CIA determined she did not have the ability and might compromise American security.  

Though Dodd was well educated, he was not looking forward to many of the duties expected of him in Germany.  He was an old man, he even felt old.  He viewed Germany favorably and at the time thought that Germany might be a safe, quiet place for him to complete his writing project. Dodd did not expect what he found in Nazi Germany, although Roosevelt did ask him to see if the poor treatment of Jews was true and if so, do what he could to protest. However, his main purpose was to make sure Germany did not default on their debt to America.  Conflicting missions!   

When Dodd arrived in ‘33, he was surprised so many mansions were available.  He was unaware or unwilling to accept the changing social landscape in Germany.  He leased a modest home from a Jewish family, which did not amuse his Nazi hosts.   

Dodd was not savvy to Hitler’s manipulation and intelligence.  He remained oblivious of Adolf Hitler’s intentions for a long time.  Hitler did not see any threat in him but did make sure Dodd was fed constant propaganda to appease the USA.  Hitler’s aides tried to convince Dodd’s daughter, Martha to date Adolf, but it was a terrible match: she did not like his breath, and he did not like her Party Girl reputation! 

Even as Dodd was fed more and more propaganda, Dodd’s naivety started to wane.  He was seeing the country clearer and tried to warn the higher ups.  He preached for years the threat Germany posed to the world, but his warnings fell on deaf and, in many instances, German sympathetic ears. 

The Sources & Writing Style

“In the Garden of Beasts” has the benefit of being written from actual material and first hand experience from this family starting in 1933, as Germany changed around them.  Most historical novels are written with the benefit of hindsight.  Larson does a good job writing only using the family’s recorded thoughts of what they knew at that time of the events around them.

The Dodds’ story is paced well; it is a page turner!  The characters are relatable and of course many of the Nazi high command are written as they really existed.  It’s full of action scenes and yet tells the narrative of the inevitable failure of Dodd’s mission. In the 1930s Dodd was the laughingstock of the State Department.  Hitler would even go on to say Dodd was “an imbecile.” Yet Dodd spent four years, from 1933 to 1937, in what was the worst job of that era, and saw the transition of a regular nation falling to an evil regime in his time.   

Even despite Dodd’s overall failures as an ambassador and a whistleblower, there are many lessons we can learn from his time in Germany amongst the Nazi regime.

By Jason W

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Thank you to Jason for sharing your perspective on this true story. If you’d like to take a look at this book further, you can visit it here.

If you have your own books you’d like to recommend or review, gear reviews, or articles relating to shooting, freedom, or personal independence, we’d love to hear from you! Please email submissions for consideration to KJWcare@gmail.com