Quitting the Master Race

By Barbara Leimsner,

Book cover of Quitting the Master Race: A Daughter's Journey to Break the Bonds of Hate

Book description

How do otherwise decent people become mesmerized by a doctrine of hate? How can its grip be broken? In seeking answers to these pressing questions for our times, Barbara Leimsner confronts the past to discover how one ordinary man-her adored German papa-became thoroughly indoctrinated with Nazi ideology during the Hitler…

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Why read it?

1 author picked Quitting the Master Race as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

I understand the heavy baggage of shame and guilt Barbara Leimsner, as well as many others of German descent who were born during and after the war, felt in their German heritage. As a child, the author accepted her father’s Nazi assertions until she learned of the Holocaust in school and rebelled against his beliefs.

This well-written book points out how generations of Germans, not directly touched by the war, feel guilty about the actions taken by earlier generations. It shows how fascist ideology took hold of a nation's young families and serves as a warning for today. 

From Dorothy's list on WWII impact on German, Jewish families.

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