Book Review: Blitzed

Norman Ohler, Blitzed: Drugs in the Third Reich. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2017.  ISBN: 9781328663795. 

Genre: nonfiction
Subgenre: history
Format: hardback
Source: Berea branch of the Madison County (KY) Public Library

The full title of the book made it sound more interesting than it actually is. The book is arranged broadly in three parts:a period before the Second World War, a close look at German armed forces and also a close look at Adolf Hitler, and the end of the war when it all falls apart. This was a time when pharmaceutical industries  were rising. The book provides a look at the role and influence of drugs, mainly prescribed meth in  the form of  drugs like Pervitin, had on the German armed forces and on Hitler.

In the early half of the 20th century, many drugs like opiates we consider or rate as illegal were commonly available, easily found in drug stores, and casually prescribed if they needed prescription. Companies like Merck were rising on the way to become the big pharma players of today. The book does provide a nice picture of the pharma industry in the early half of the 20th century. There was an  interest then in performance enhancing drugs for workers and the military. That is where drugs like Pervitin came in. Soon military leaders made sure the German armed forces were well supplied with these drugs. Such drugs enabled the soldiers to work longer, fight longer, and be more aggressive and eager about it. Just one detail: not everyone was sure about possible side effects.

The book then spends a significant amount of space with Hitler and Dr. Morrell, his personal physician. Though the Nazis preached ideals of health and clean living, reality was way different. Drug use was rampant; often it was the one thing that kept the soldiers fighting. As for Hitler, his drug use worsened as he needed drugs to keep carrying out his evil agenda.

Overall, it is an interesting book in parts, but it can get repetitive at times. For me, the best parts were the broad looks at society and the pharmaceutical industry. Other parts were a bit of a drag to read. In the end, the book provides a look at the Third Reich from a perspective seldom explored, so there is the value. It was OK for me in the end.

2 out of 5 stars.

This book qualifies for the following 2017 Reading Challenges: