Adolf Hitler was one of the most notorious dictators in history. His reign of terror led to the deaths of millions of people, and his name is still synonymous with hate and bigotry. However, Hitler was also a complex and fascinating figure, and his story has been told in many books, both by historians and by those who knew him personally. Hitler's early life is shrouded in mystery, but we do know that he was born in Austria in 1889. He grew up in a troubled family, and his early years were marked by poverty and hardship. Hitler's father died when he was just a child, and his mother died when he was 19. This double tragedy had a profound effect on Hitler, and may have contributed to his later hatred of Jews (his father's death was reportedly caused by a Jewish doctor). After his mother's death, Hitler moved to Munich and began his rise to power. He joined the German army during World War I and was decorated for bravery. After the war, he became involved in politics, and his extremist views soon gained him a following. In 1933, Hitler was appointed Chancellor of Germany, and he quickly turned the country into a totalitarian state. Under Hitler's rule, Germany embarked on a campaign of conquest, invading first Poland and then much of Europe. The Nazi regime also implemented a series of horrific policies against Jews, Romani people, homosexuals, and others whom Hitler considered to be enemies of the state. These policies culminated in the Holocaust, in which six million Jews were systematically murdered. Hitler's reign of terror finally came to an end in 1945, when he committed suicide as Allied troops closed in on Berlin. In the decades since his death, Hitler has been the subject of intense historical scrutiny, and there are now many books available on his life, both from a biographical perspective and from the perspective of those who knew him personally. Whether you're looking for an overview of Hitler's life or a more intimate portrait, there are plenty of books to choose from.