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Article: The Hitler of History.
- Article from:
- National Review
- Article date:
- February 23, 1998
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1998 National Review, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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The Hitler of History, by John Lukacs (Knopf, 279 pp., $26)
John Lukacs, the historian of the Second World War and much else, is a complex talent. He ranges wide, and sits at home (home being Central Europe, though he has lived here for decades). His great strengths and his weaknesses appear in each of these characteristic modes.
Ideas are a trap for him. He will pick up a thought as hard as biscotti, and fuss with it until it turns back into batter. Never look too hard at the shuffling qualifications in his paragraphs--you will get dizzy. On the other hand, he has a fine sensibility, which enables him to observe and evoke cultural and social scenes in ...