Heinrich Hoffmann - Hitler Was My Friend - The Memoirs of Hitlers Photographer

Heinrich Hoffman was a key part in the making of the Hitler legend, the photographer who carefully crafted the image of the Fuhrer as a godlike figure. Hoffmann published his first book of photographs in 1919, following his work as an official photographer for the German army. In 1920 he joined the Nazi Party, and his association with Hitler began. He became Hitlers official photographer and traveled with him extensively. He took over two million photographs of Hitler, and they were distributed widely, including on postage stamps, an enterprise that proved very profitable for both men. Hoffmann published several books on Hitler in the 1930s, including The Hitler Nobody Knows (1933). Hoffmann and Hitler were very close, and he acted not only as a personal confidante - his memoirs include rare details of the Fuhrer - but also as a matchmaker - it is Hoffmann who introduced Eva Braun, his studio assistant, to Hitler.At the end of the war, Hoffmann was arrested by the US military, who also seized his photographic archive, and was sentenced to imprisonment for Nazi profiteering. This edition of a classic book includes photographs by Hoffmann and a new introduction by Roger Moorhouse.=========REVIEW:Heinrich Hoffmann was Hitlers official photographer. He was totally non political. Although he was an expert professional photographer he had no real interest in politics but he became Hitlers buddy. When Albert Speer said in his memoirs that if Hitler had a friend it would have been Mr.Speer he was mistaken. Hitler needed someone who was not into politics but whom he could talk about art and somebody he could trust. Heinrich was basically Hitlers view to the average person of Germany; somebody who had little ambition, somebody whom he could talk about trivial hobby stuff and who would not even understand much of what Hitler was really doing. Many of us have a similar type friend......someone we can talk about sports or art or just everyday topics but may not understand what you do professionally. But here is the key word about this unusual relationship..........Hitler trusted Heinrich probably because he was there at the beginning of Hitlers politcal career and at one time Heinrich and Hitler were almost assassinated together by an armed robber on the road to Munich before WW II got started. The armed robber shot at Hitlers car putting 3 holes in the rear of the vehicle but missing the personnel (i.e Hitler and Heinrich).Heinrich was the buddy that Hitler could call at 2:00 AM in the morning to go places and they did so. What is fascinating is that Hoffman does not really fully understand a lot of what is going on until later when someone fills him on the big picture. Heinrich is in demand for special favors from others like the General Staff because he has the ear of the Fuhrer and Hitler will often do favors for him when everybody else gets a tongue lashing. Everybody on Hitlers staff is baffled by the relationship between the two but they know that for some unknown reason Hitler turns into a placid and agreeable human being whenever Hoffman is around. So Hoffman becomes the go-to guy for special requests like forestalling Operation Sea Lion and it works. Hitler does not invade England in Sept of 1941. (I am not making this up !) So to most observers Hitler becomes this open minded buddy with Heinrich and actually listens to him whereas at all other times Hitler becomes the implacable and distant Fuhrer.Because Heinrich was the trusted friend of Hitler and everybody knew it (But nobody could really understand it; it is an enigma to everyone but everyone realizes the phenomena is real; but inexplicably so) he was given requests to do because Hitler trusted him and would listen to Heinrich as someone who did not have political ambitions or ulterior motives. What makes this relationship even more absurd is that Heinrich does not look like a Nazi superman at all. He is short, prone to getting drunk and is quite fat so when you see this image in your minds eye you think it is the most absurd picture but it is there.) How do you explain it ? My theory is that Hitler just needs someone he can trust, somebody without a real agenda and Hoffman was there at the beginning and Hoffman can get the Fuhrer to laugh. Hoffman in my opinion is the court jester and therefore gets away with being an unofficial adviser to Hitler and one that can get the Fuhrer to laugh at jokes and talk art. Even till the end Hitler trusts Hoffman. Whenever his staff saw that Hitler was depressed which was quite often after the battle of Stalingrad someone would say.....We need to get Hoffman here to cheer up the Fuhrer !Heinrich himself is fascinated with Hitler and his so called intuition which was uncanny at least as far as assassination attempts. And this is what makes this memoir important for historians because Hoffman spends a lot of his book trying to explain Hitlers intuition and how it worked. I can think of no other book that deals with this in depth as this book does. Hitler had many enemies; but he seemed oblivious to threats (and he had many enemies especially from the Communists). Hitler often road in an open vehicle in the streets before large crowds before the invasion of Poland in Sept of 1939. Hitler apparently had some inner voice that would literally tell him when to duck. Hitler would even talk to Hoffman about this uncanny ability to dodge bomb attempts, rocks and bullits. Hilter is also mystified by the phenomena and basically admits this ability but doesnt understand it. With Heinrich though, he would reveal that after a near miss he would have a strong premonition that something was not right and step to the left or right and subsequently dodge the threat. There is a chapter in this book about all the missed assassination attempts to kill Hitler and how he seems to always dodge the so called bullit or bomb threat. Hitler talks about this inner voice but doesnt understand it beyond knowing that this intuitive feel is palpable and he trusts it.The story of how Operation Sea Lion was cancelled is fascinating. According to this account Operation Sea Lion came close to be executed in Sept of 1940. Also Heinrich supports the theory proposed by Victor Suvorov in his books The Chief Culprit and Icebreaker that the invasion of Russia on June 22, 1941 was a preemptive strike against Stalin who was planning to invade Western Europe about the July 1941 time frame. Hitler struck first before Stalin could strike Western Europe. Highly recommended book for the WW II historian.