Heinrich Schier has been abandoned by his "wife" actually she was your living with him, but the fact that during some time he did not want to marry through a catholic ceremony, plus his deeply ingrained rejection of double standards, sends his life spinning down, to a place were he does not know upon which values he can reconstruct his life.

The book is told first person by its hero, a clown, Hans Schneir, who has enjoyed some success but has fallen to the state of pennilessness and drink after abanonment by his love, Marie, and an injury. The stuff of which romantic novels are made, but also the stuff of realism and symbolism too. Hans is from a wealthy but emotionally impoverished family who establishes a romantic liason with Marie, a young promising student who abandons her studies for him. She in turn ultimately leaves him based in part on her attachment to Catholicism. Schnier is an unbeliever but a"monogamous" unbeliever and can't adjust himself to the loss of Marie. He looks to friends, family, and others for comfort but finds none. Schneir says near the end of the book in an important passage "If our era deserves a name it would have to be called the era of prostitution. People are being accustomed to the vocabulary of whores." This theme is pervasive to the book together with hints about a way out. For example, in the course of a pivotal discussion between Schneir and his father Schneir alludes to and rejects the possibility that he must "lose [his] soul -- be totally empty, then I can afford to have one again."

The book is full of flashbacks from the narrators part interspersed with his reflections on his current actitivies and situation. His thought center on his own spiritual and emotional poverty, on the loss of Marie, his ambivalence towards religion, and the attempted change among Germans following their defeat. In some ways, the book and its end remind me of Schubert's great song cycle, Die Winterreise. The translation seems to me not of the best but it serves to convey the book. This novel is thoughtful, moving and worth reading.

Heinrich Zimmer intended this book, and fortunately Joseph Campbell proved the midwife for what would otherwise have been an intellectual stillborn child, due to the former's untimely passing.

My copy was a first edition hardcover: a lovely book to hold and touch.

To my thinking, this book is THE first, (and perhaps final), reference for those interested in the depths and subtleties of the Hindu tradition. I have never found a more accessible and enjoyable read on the broad topic of Indian Spirituality.

The history of Hindu religious development, and the import of its symbols, are nicely embellished throughout with the relevant Sanskrit terminology, which adds a considerable pleasure in the course of the read, especially when Zimmer describes the rich philosophical texture of these terms. One is immediately reminded of the difficult translational passage on leaving the psychologically rich Greek language for our practical, utilitarian English. Zimmer nicely bridges this gap.

Further, the reader is never at a loss to follow the scholarly exposition of ideas.

The presentation nicely dovetails with Campbell's own work in comparative religion and mythology, and for anyone that appreciates his clarity and articulate manner of presentation, or has unhappily fallen back from unsuccessful attempts to appreciate the broad outlines and import of the philosophies of India, this book is simply a gem.

My only proviso is that the book does become mildly tedious toward the middle, as historical minutiae begin to proliferate. Nevertheless, if this topic interests you, be sure to consult Philosophies of India first; it is most certainly an excellent primer.

As a genre (anti-) war novel it is O.K. Ridiculous, however, to compare it favorably to "All Quiet on the Western Front".

Even more ridiculous is to read it as an affimation of anything political...most especially as an affimation of the Nazi Party. I see it as almost "men's melodrama". Heinrich belabors the bonding a bit too much, I thought. Not that I needed more action, just that he needed to demonstrate more and tell less. I found that, other than the brass, only 4 or 5 of the Landser had distinct personalities. Accordingly, I found the last 50 pages dragged a bit...but only a bit. Regardless, it is a memorable read and I'm surprised that Willi Heinrich is not better known these days.

Footnote: It struck me that there was remarkably little specific detail other than the Russian (Crimea etc...) geography. Of course, this was written before the rampant interest in WWII was apparent. Still, historians and simulation buffs will find little to buttress their detail knowledge: one mention of an MG42 and one of a T-34 and one of 100 Stukas... Good luck trying to concoct specific Squad Leader scenarios from this book.

There are, however, many other good reasons to read this book. Try it. The Peckinpaugh movie does capture the spirit of the book as well.

What a wonderful book! I have never given much thought to ravens...until now. I enjoy my birdfeeders and seeing the chickadees and cardinals come to feed but now I am seeking ravens! Taking a cue from Heinrich, I plan on picking up road kill and tossing it in my yard to see if these interesting creatures will descend in my yard!

Bernd Heinrich takes a research subject and makes it very entertaining. I enjoy nature and found his passion for the out-of-doors to be contagious. He dives in and at times secludes himself from the world of humans and fully gives of himself, (including living in unbelievable cold), all on his quest to find an answer to his question; Do ravens recruit other ravens to food?

The book is laid out as; part journal, part research paper and part review of literature. I found the latter two informative. Although I was tempted to skip over the short forays into the lit reviews, I am pleased that I took the extra time to read and develop a background into the nature of the raven. The journaling that Heinrich offers is both informative and very entertaining. This is where I began to find great humor, and through Heinrich's description of his actions to investigate and study the ravens, my interest grew in learning the outcome to his ultimate question.

Here's a quote that I think sums up this book:

"We then try to justify what we do by trying to make it sound as if it has some "useful" application. But, really, we do it because it is fun. Nature is entertainment-the greatest show on earth. And that is not trivial, because what is life, if it isn't fun? I think that the greatest contribution we could make would be to help make life more interesting." -from Ravens in Winter, page 221

This book is education and most of all...fun. I imagine most people who read this book walk away with a new desire to see ravens and with a new appreciation for them.

I think the mark of an enjoyable author is the desire that arises once the book is completed for more. I am planning on reading other books by Bernd Heinrich and hope you are too! Enjoy!

I don't know of any other such detailed studies on Ravens, except for other work that Heinrich himself has done. The author takes us through discussions on members of Corvidae (the crow family), Ravens in mythology, their intelligence, courting and display, nesting, calls, and all other matters dealing with the birds behavior. Heinrichs' illustrations of "eared", "fuzzy-headed", and "strutting" displays shows not only his artistic skills but that he is also very patient. The subtle details come only with spending a lot of time in quiet observation.

Heinrich does solve his riddle and Ravens do indeed share their food, or in the language of the study "they actively recruit". As to why, this involves the difference in behavior by juvenile birds as against adult pairs. It's juveniles that call others to the food and Heinrich offers his theory. "They are gregarious, joining other juveniles to roost and feast with, and to find an attractive mate. An unmated Raven finding food invites eligible singles to join him (or her?) at the feast, thereby not only gaining or maintaining access to the food, but possibly also increasing its status and demonstrating fitness as a future provider..." As Heinrich goes on to say it's a system clothed in "intricate detail and subtlety". It's only appropriate then that those words are most fitting in describing the book itself.

This particular book examines the intelligence of ravens, birds that some disdain to their eternal error. Primitive peoples, who were far closer to nature than ourselves, readily understood and appreciated the cunning, slyness, and outright cognitive ability and reasoning possessed by the remarkable raven. Numerous legends, including Biblical references, prove the point. Heinrich refreshingly shows how scientists are rediscovering these traits, at long last.

I am no expert on birds or avian science, but I am a country boy who spent a good many hours watching birds in action. Ravens were always interesting to me, and are far more so after reading this wonderful book. I would have appreciated more photos and diagrams, but this is a minor quibble. I recommend the book highly, and urge you to read it. You will be continualy amazed, and the book will hold your attention to the end.

Ravens are fascinating, enigmatic and amazing. This book is a wonderful in depth exploration of ravens book for any nature lover.

The only thing more ghastly than reading this to your lovely child as she or he is tucked up in bed is reading it in the original German: fear not if you don't understand German; in fact it's even better that way: far more scary!

And all illustrated in the most grotesque fashion, sure to surprise, delight and permanently derange even the most pleasantly disposed child. Well, it never did me any harm...

Himmler was not "evil", he believed in Hitler. What he did was evil, and he, as he should be, is held by most of the civilized world as a criminal.

The biography is great, the psychology and the desire to anylize all of what he wrote and thought is a bit too much.

A good read.

Padfield spends much of the early part of the book delving into Himmler's childhood, upbringing (by a strick disciplinarian professor father, and soft mother), early adult years and his time during the "day's of struggle" - the early Nazi years. This introduction does a lot to set the scence for Himmler's life. While we certainly can't forgive the man for hwat he did and stood for, we might be able to understand more clearly the mind set behind the decisions he made. Padfield's research paints Himmler as a man who was deeply scared by his upbringing and retreated into a fantasy world which he went deeper into as time went on. When he eventually gained respect and power as one of the Nazi elite he expressed his fantasy world overtly to the world.

Himmler's years in power in Nazi Germany are well documented, yet Padfield does a great job showing not just what Himmler ddid but how he did it - from establishment of the SS and Gestapo to the Holocaust. Himmler didn't do it on his own - again Padfield is carfule not to excuse him or even take blame from him, but rather to show how Himmler created a system within tthe Nazi power structure that allowed him to orchestrate such attrocities on man kind. He was a consumate suck up to others in power - keeping with him his whole life his feelings of insecurity and uselessness, even at the height of his power.

All in all, "Himmler" is a must read for those interested in understanding the how's of WWII's crimes and how a single human can, with the aide of others, so change history.

Padfield creates a narrative of Himmler's life that takes the reader on a first class tour of the Third Reich, the upper echelons of the SS heirarchy, and the 'hell on earth' of the Holocaust created by Nazi ideology. It is particularly gratifying that Padfield never succumbs to the temptation of 'adjectival' history. He never describes events or people as 'evil' or 'monstrous', preferring to let the facts speak for themselves. He is free to do so because of the extraordinary clarity with which he presents the facts for the reader.

A particularly brilliant example is the juxtaposition of Himmler's outrage at the brutality of a hunting party he took part in in October 1941 - "Nature is so wonderfully beautiful, and every animal has a right to live." which is followed by an account of the clearing of the Riga Ghetto in November of that year (just two weeks later) carried out under his orders. "it is not a Weltanschauungs-question to rid oneself of lice; it is a matter of cleanliness." (pages 351ff)

His presentation of the micro-processes of Einsatzgruppen mass-murder is probably the best I've ever read. The methodology of dehumanising both victim and murderer by a series of incremental steps, coupled to a 'normalising' tempo which leads inevitably to the pit is vital to understanding both the brutality of the crime, and it's essentially human, militarist, 'technically dispassionate' character. As an Organisational Development consultant I find this particularly fascinating given the extent to which corporations seek to 'normalise' human behaviours to suit their own goals.

Padfield is equally clear in tracking the larger history of the Holocaust as it developed over time. He deftly avoids falling into the 'intentionalist' or 'functionalist' camps by sticking to the facts available and presenting the series of orders, actions, refining of methods, and further orders in the context of both the organisations and individuals involved, and in the tempo of the times.

The book is weakest in it's attempts to psycho-analyze Himmler which come across as Freudian psycho-babble when set against the scale of Himmlers crimes, but this is a minor quibble. The honesty with which Padfield's analysis is developed from the facts is refreshing. Where he has a theory or explanation unsupported by the evidence available to him he labels it clearly as 'conjetcture' and returns to the historical record. I have read scores of books on the Nazism and the Third Reich and this is one of the very best. An excellent resource, clear, lucid and rich with the sort of detail that illuminates reather than clutters. Buy this book! ... Aristeas.

The Eiger North face has been a magnet to me the last 15 years, and after wisiting Grindelwald and the JungfrauBahn this book is really a magnificent source of information. Harrer write not only his own story, but also manage to bring me along the other ascents he describes. This is definately the volume to read before anyone try to climb this mountain.

Well done Mr Harrer!!!