He was one of his sharpest critics, and yet Hitler is said to have sometimes refused to begin his speech at events until he had arrived: Konrad Heiden. As a staff member of the esteemed Frankfurter Zeitung, he was among the first journalists to critically accompany the rise of the Nazis. His two-volume biography of Hitler, published in Switzerland in 1936/37, served as the foundation for almost all later accounts of the dictator's life. And yet, Heiden is nearly forgotten today. Stefan Aust portrays this fascinating man and brings to life Hitler's rise and rule from his perspective. Heiden, a Social Democrat of Jewish descent, had already engaged against National Socialism during his studies in Munich in the early twenties. March without a goal, a daze without intoxication, faith without God, and even in his.