William E. Dodd was the American Ambassador to Germany, living with his family, his wife Martha, son William Jr. and daughter, also Martha, in Berlin from 1933 until the end of 1937. His time there coincided with Hitler's rise to power. Dodd, who came from an academic background was not well supported by the the U.S State Department and was never included in the elite club of wealthy ambassadors. He tried in vain to warn his superiors of the threat that Hitler and the Nazi's were to Western Civilization. When he returned to the U.S. he actively tried to rouse the country out of it's dangerous isolation.
The full title of the book is In The Garden of The Beasts: Love, Terror and an American Family in Hitler's Berlin. The book, written by Erik Larson and a New York Times #1 Bestseller, clearly delineates how, when and by whom Hitler could have been stopped. There is plenty of blame to go around and a good reminder that democracy is always fragile.
Dodd's family, and especially his daughter, play significant roles in the story. Daughter, Martha, ends up a permanent exile from America because of some of the decisions she made.
It's a tragic tale, both for the Dodd's personally, but also for the world at large.
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