The year 1932 would shape decades to come. Takeover: Hitler’s Final Rise to Power is a dramatic recounting of the six critical months before Adolf Hitler seized power, when the Nazi leader teetered between triumph and ruin. Timothy W. Ryback details the remarkable story of Hitler’s dismantling of democracy through democratic process and shares insights into Hitler’s personal and professional lives, recounting backroom deals, unlikely alliances, stunning betrayals, an ill-timed tax audit, as well as a fateful weekend that changed our world forever.

This conversation will be moderated by Jim Bitterman.

About the speakers:

Timothy W. Ryback has written for the Atlantic, the New Yorker, the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, and the Financial Times, among others. His books have appeared in more than forty editions around the world. As a former lecturer at Harvard University, Ryback explores the intersection of history, politics, and culture, with a focus on the legacies of National Socialism and authoritarianism. His books include The Last Survivor, a New York Times and Washington Post notable book; Hitler’s Private Library, which served as the basis for a feature-length documentary, The Books He Didn’t Burn; and Hitler’s First Victims, currently being adapted for cinematic release. He divides his time between Europe and the United States.

Jim Bittermann is CNN’s Senior International Correspondent based in Paris. Since joining CNN in 1996, he has covered the death of Princess Diana, NATO air strikes on Kosovo in 1998, the earthquake in Turkey in 1999 and the World Cup soccer championships, among other stories. His many honors include a CableACE Award for CNN’s coverage of the civil war in Zaire. He has been a panel moderator at the World Economic Forum and a member of the jury for the Overseas Press Club and Emmy Award competitions. He is an emeritus professor at the American University of Paris, where from 1998 to 2021 he was an assistant adjunct professor of communications, teaching courses in broadcast news and documentary film.

Important information: The discussion will be available both online and in person. While the conversation will happen in person (the speakers will appear in the Reading Room), the Library will stream the conversation on Zoom for a live viewing experience. Both in-person and online attendees will be able to pose questions.

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