What began as a motley crew of misfits to protect Nazi leader Adolf Hitler in the early 1920s became a fearsome brigade of murderers. Academic Adrian Weale tells the story of how this happened in accessible language that has all the requisite research requirements of a work such as this.
He meticulously weaves the story of the SS – Schutzstaffel the Nazi party “praetorian guard” – that controlled law enforcement and security in Nazi Germany and went on to play a key role in the Holocaust.
One of the book’s mysteries is how SS leader Heinrich Himmler, from a psychologically healthy middle class family, who had a happy childhood, became the monster he did. His mother’s interest in the occult and mythology was a strong influence but does not explain how her son became a mass murderer and one of the most reviled people in history.
Another mystery is the high proportion of educated and seemingly well-balanced people who became members.
Himmler’s wielding of power was ruthless yet he was firmly under Hitler’s spell. It was to until the last days of the war that he opposed Hitler and by then it was too late.
Weale has contributed a useful addition to our understanding of the rise and fall of the Nazis. Anyone interested in this historical epoch will gain from The SS. ( )

Very general and mainly from existing sources. Too much on the Holocaust, which is better covered elsewhere. But well written and a good introduction to the subject. ( )