Hermann Goering was born in Bavaria in 1893. (I found it of particular interest that his godfather was a Jewish physician/businessman, giving the family a small house and a castle. His mother also had an affair with this man, Hermann Epstein, that carried on for fifteen years.) Goering was very interested in the military, and that was his greatest ambition in life for a long time. He wound up serving during World War I, first in the infantry and then with aircraft. He joined the Nazi Party in 1922 after hearing Hitler speak. During the Beer Hall Putsch, he was shot in the groin area, which was the start of his morphine addiction that caused him trouble later on. He obtained several ranks throughout his service to the Nazi Party, and certainly did his best to always be in good with Hitler. He was known for his expanding waist, and penchant for bespoke uniforms that didn't match anything else. He was also fairly flamboyant, wearing blush on his cheeks, silk robes, and painting his nails. He did a lot regarding the air support during the war, which is shocking since he spent so much time looting museums and everything else to fill his house with. He was incarcerated by Allied forces at the end of the war, convicted at trial for war crimes, and then committed suicide by a smuggled cyanide pill to avoid being hung. He died in 1946 at age 53.

He was the second highest ranking Nazi official to be tried in court for war crimes. He was charged with conspiracy, waging a war of aggression, crimes against humanity (for the disappearance of political opponents, the mistreatment of prisoners of war, and murder of civilians), and war crimes (stealing artworks and personal property). His behaviour at trial was reprehensible, but what could anyone really expect. He amassed a large collection of antiques and art, and a great deal of personal wealth from stolen goods and monies. There was strong evidence that he knew about the torture and murder of prisoners of war, as well as the actions in the Holocaust. He did nothing to prevent any of this, and happily facilitated it. He expressed his loyalty to Hitler several times during his testimony. I liked that the bodies were cremated and scattered in the river so that there isn't a specific grave for the current generation of racists to use as a shrine.

This book was very detailed and contained a lot of information about the life and times of Hermann Goering. I had read plenty about him before this, but still managed to learn a few new facts. I think this is probably one of the better books written about this subject that I have come across, which is why I happily gave it four stars. Check this book out if you are interested in the notorious players in the Nazi Party.