The author analyzes Third Reich public opinion, politics, and propaganda to challenge some widely-held beliefs about the role and effectiveness of propaganda in reinforcing consensus among the German people.

Viewing propaganda in the light of the total takeover of the media, the omnipresent atmosphere of terror, and the progressive madness of Nazi ideology, the author finds that the support of the Nazis and the war was more apparent than real, and that Goebbels' campaigns became less effective as the war wore on.

Very readable; essential for students of the Third Reich, and the role of propaganda in the totalitarian state.

Published in 1994, The Third Reich is a valuable contribution to the field of History.