In+the+Garden+of+Beasts+by+Erik+Larson

toc //To discuss// **// In the Garden of Beasts by Erik Larson //**//, please click on the **Discussion** Tab above and add your comments, thoughts, questions, reflections by clicking on "New Post"// //__**Instructions:**__// //__Step 1__. Click on the **Discussion** Tab above// //__Step 2__. Put **first name, last initial and subject** you want to discuss// //__Step 3__. **Write your comments and POST**!// //To return// //o this page, click on the Tab above that says "Page"//

= **Book Summary** = //In the Garden of Beasts// is a vivid portrait of Berlin during the first years of Hitler’s reign, brought to life through the stories of two people: William E. Dodd, who in 1933 became America’s first ambassador to Hitler’s regime, and his scandalously carefree daughter, Martha. Ambassador Dodd, an unassuming and scholarly man, is an odd fit among the extravagance of the Nazi elite. His frugality annoys his fellow Americans in the State Department and Dodd’s growing misgivings about Hitler’s ambitions fall on deaf ears among his peers, who are content to “give Hitler everything he wants.” Martha, on the other hand, is mesmerized by the glamorous parties and the high-minded conversation of Berlin’s salon society—and flings herself headlong into numerous affairs with the city’s elite, most notably the head of the Gestapo and a Soviet spy. Both become players in the exhilarating (and terrifying) story of Hitler’s obsession for absolute power, which culminates in the events of one murderous night, later known as “the Night of Long Knives.” The rise of Nazi Germany is a well-chronicled time in history, which makes //In the Garden of Beasts// all the more remarkable. Erik Larson has crafted a gripping, deeply-intimate narrative with a climax that reads like the best political thriller, where we are stunned with each turn of the page, even though we already know the outcome. --//Shane Hansanuwat//

= = =  **About the Author**  = Erik Larson is a writer, journalist and novelist. Nominated for a Pulitzer prize for investigative journalism on The Wall Street Journal, he has taught non-fiction writing at San Francisco State and Johns Hopkins. He is the bestselling author of the National Book Award finalist and Edgar Award–winning //The Devil in the White City//. He lives in Seattle with his wife, three daughters, and a dog named Molly.

= **Discussion Questions**  = 1. William Dodd went to Germany believing that Hitler would have a positive influence on Germany. Why were so many at first enamored of Nazism and willing "to give Hitler everything he wants"? 2. How would you describe German society at the time of the Dodd Family's arrival in Berlin? Talk about the ways in which Germany appeared to be a modern, civilized society...and, of course, the way in which that appearance was at odds with reality. 3. What was it that made Dodd begin to suspect the rumors he had been hearing about Nazi brutality were true? 4. Why did Dodd's—and numerous others'—warnings about Hitler fall on indifferent ears in the US? What was the primary concern of the US in its relationship with Germany? Was the US stance one of purposeful ignorance...or of sheer disbelief? 5. Did America's own anti-semitism play any role in dismissing the growing chorus of concern ? 6. What do you think of William Dodd? What about him do you find admirable? Were you mildly amused or impressed by his sense of frugality? 7. What was Dodd's reputation among the "old hands" at the State Department? What role does class play in how he was viewed by his diplomatic peers? 8. What about Martha? What do you find in her character to admire...or not? Did she purposely allow herself to be blinded by Udet and Rudolf Diels...or was she truly dazzled by their charms? Her promiscuity could have made her a serious liability. Were you surprised that her parents seemed untroubled by her multiple love affairs, or that they didn't try to reign in her behavior? 9. How does Erik Larson portray Hitler in his book? Does he humanize him...or present him as a monster? How does he depict Goebbels and Goering...and other higher-ups in the Nazi party? 10. How does the fact that you know the eventual outcome of Nazi Germany affect the way you experience the book? Does foreknowledge heighten...or lessen the story's suspense. Either way...why? 11. What were events/episodes you find most chilling in Larson's account of the rise of Nazism? 12. What have learned about the period leading up the World War II that you hadn't known? What surprised you? What confirmed things you already knew? 13. Is this a good read? If you've read other books by Larson, how does this compare? (//Questions by LitLovers.//)