Book reviews for "Hayman,_Ronald" sorted by average review score:

Hitler & Geli
Published in Hardcover by Bloomsbury Pub Ltd (1998)
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Don't bother with this idiotically poorly researched book. I counted 71 errors in all. The author has no basic understanding of Hitler, Geli, Munich politics of the 1920's or anything else connected to Nazism. Hitler was obviously evil and abnormal in most areas of his life. He was not abnormal sexually, even if most authors want to claim this in order to sell their books. The author ignores research and interviews with many women on the 1920's who had relationships with Hitler that claim he was normal. He obviously doesn't know about the extensive interviews conducted with Stefan Lorant, who *saw* Hitler picking up women in Munich and later interviewed them. Their verdict? Hitler was a dud in the sack, but he was never a pervert. The author also claims (erronesouly) that Hitler was "impotent." Really? He relies upont he bogus Langer work for this absurd contention and ignores, conveniently, the first-person proof from Eva Braun that Hitler was not impotent. He continually relies on discredited sources, who were motivated by political pique to claim Hitler was abnormal sexually. People like Rauschning, Gregor Strasser, Renate Mueller, etc. These may seem like trivial points, but for historical accuracy, they are important. This is pablum trash, written by a man who did virtually no research into the complexities of Hitler.

Folks may take umbrage with historical laxities and the author's pyschoanalytical velleities, yet I doubt any person who takes a serious interest in the creeping grips of totalitarian regimes would give much credence even to the TRUE facts of a dictator's love life, purported or otherwise.Dictators are mainly nasty folks interested in controlling others' actions and speech, and guiding nations into the depression and doom of wretched restrictions. That they may or may not go for relationships, perverse or gay or kinky or violent, is irrelevant. Hitler had a niece named Geli (from "Angelika") and took over her upbringing from a semi-impoverished Austrian town. He had a certain "Mitleid" (sympathy) with her at age 15, reminding him of his own hard days as a youth with little money or vision of how to attain a normal middle-class male dream - home, family and well-paid trade, as most of his classmates may have dreamed of. He falls in love, and here again we can only speculate: was it her vivacity, her youthful enthusiasms, and her great appreciation of all the thrills that he could bring her? A ride in a wonderful car, a new wrap, a dress, shoes, good meals with a housekeeper to handle the cleaning up, and access to opera, theater, and all kinds of evening entertainment with the upper class of Munich. This, for a small-town girl, was certainly a high-rolling ponycart ride! From my Irish village (Swinford, Co. Mayo) point of view, I can understand 100% what motivated Geli to have fun in Munich far away from her homegrown "kleine Leute" (little people) origins.Fun, fun, fun, girls wanna have fun! Even if it's through your dictator uncle, Hitler! In one way, understandable; on the other hand, how could she have been so naive, blind, deaf and dumb? Didn't others ever speak to her about the morals and habits, racial obsessions and megalomania of this lonely uncle? Was she really so sympathetic or was she simply angling, day after day, to keep the goodies flowing, just as Hitler himself was going for the power, glory and goodies of industrialists' renumerations, kickbacks, bribes and invitations to hear renowned singers, etc. Many a lover has done so in the past, and often when they're not so young and innocent as Geli!One might question indeed how a character, Geli, in her late teens, gains admissions to a medical faculty and considers seriously a biology career, associating with Munich's educated young people, studying and doing labwork full time while Uncle Adolf was out succoring industrialists and "die kleine Leute" = money and votes = "Millionen stehen hinter mir!". Somehow she never hears anything against her agitator landlord/lover/dictor/beer hall haranguer? I do wonder that Geli's intelligence and common sense is underrated in this novel. That she would in the end commit suicide is pushing it.IF the lack of freedom and happiness with Uncle Adolf started to grate, as it does for most young people, then the arguments that start to grow back at the fancy apartment are nothing surprising. So Adolf starts threatening the obvious: that she must get out, go back to Vienna, to the misery of earning a living on low working-class wages as a shopgirl. Was it this that led Geli to suicide?You decide. It's all fiction anyway, or speculatized history! Who will ever know? The author as a male might have not quite seen the clear mind of a normal girl and entangled her into his ill-gotten goodies, political spoils. Yes, yes, and yes, but still, ask yourself: would YOU have commited suicide as a result? Speaking for myself, probably not! Disappointed, bitter and angry, yes, but at that age, probably I'd just bite the bullet and get going, find a job, a new friend or two, and lots more fun for years to come.

Arguing with Walt Whitman: an essay on his influence on 20th century American verse
Published in Unknown Binding by Convent Garden Press ()
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Arnold Wesker
Published in Unknown Binding by Heinemann Educational ()
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Artaud and After
Published in Hardcover by Oxford University Press (1992)
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Arthur Miller
Published in Unknown Binding by Heinemann Educational ()
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At Ease in a Bright Red Tie: Writings on Theatre (Oberon Books)
Published in Paperback by Theatre Communications Group (1999)
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Bertolt Brecht: The Plays (Contemporary Playwrights)
Published in Hardcover by Barnes & Noble (1985)
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A Biography of Kafka
Published in Paperback by Phoenix Press, London WC2 (2001)
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British Drama Since 1970
Published in Paperback by The British Council (English Language publications) (1990)
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British theatre since 1955 : a reassessment
Published in Unknown Binding by Oxford University Press ()
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