Description
Book SynopsisFat Boy and the Champagne Salesman offers a compelling behind-the-scenes exploration of the road to World War II and the invasion of Poland by the Hitler's Third Reich. Focusing on the personal power plays within Hitler's inner circle, author Rush Loving details the struggle for Hitler's approval, long before the battle for Poland had begun.
Trade Review"With a reporter's time-honed instinct for unearthing a great story, and a raconteur's sense of description and timing, Loving gives us this scene-by-scene portrayal of Hitler compelling his high command – using his voice and his insanity as his sole resources – to arrive at the only counsel he would accept: blitzkrieg against Poland. The "fog of war" would come later. First, there was utter chaos as Hitler started the biggest one ever."—Walter Wells, former executive editor of the International Herald-Tribune
"Fat Boy and the Champagne Salesman is a wonderfully researched, written, and fast-paced book about the inevitable march toward World War II, and the personalities who made it a reality."—Fred Rasmussen, The Baltimore Sun
"In his book Fat Boy and the Champagne Salesman, Loving, a former journalist, focuses on the rivalry between Ribbentrop, the "champagne salesman," a nickname based on his previous career, and Hermann Göring, the "fat boy" who was president of the Reichstag and head of the Luftwaffe as Hitler planned his attack on Poland. This is a fascinating, meticulously researched account of the infighting at the top of the Nazi hierarchy during the run-up to the opening act of World War II."—Andrew Nagorski, Israel Journal of Foreign Affairs
Table of ContentsPreface
Introduction
1. Kaiser Wilhelm's Legacy
2. The Community Organizer
3. The Champagne Salesman
4. Fat Boy's Swedish Friend
5. 'Close Your Hearts to Pity!'
6. A Performance of Bombast and Threats
7. 'A Second Bismark'
8. Et Tu, Bruté?
9. 'It's Enough to Kill a Bull'
10. The Speech That Fell Flat
11. Into the Wee Hours
12. A Shouting Match
13. 'Where Is the Pole?'
14. The Intercepted Telegram
15. Invasion
16. Ultimatum
17. Finis
Notes
Bibliography
