«Anmerkungen zu Hitler» («Notes on Hitler») by German historian Sebastian Haffner (1907–1999) is an analytical commentary on his literary bestseller «Defying Hitler» (1939), written forty years later, in 1978. Even today — another forty years on — this clear and profound exploration of the phenomenon of a political monster possesses all the qualities of an essential read.

It is no wonder that historian and political scientist Golo Mann (son of Thomas Mann) advocated for studying «Anmerkungen zu Hitler» in high school classes. Understanding how and why someone, a product of the masses, can become a popular politician and lead the masses to commit crimes gains particular significance in our time. Modern technologies provide limitless opportunities for turning personal psychosis into a mass phenomenon.