In the Garden of Beasts

In 1933, historian William E. Dodd becomes United States ambassador to Germany and moves to Berlin with his wife, son and daughter Martha. Dodd expects conventional diplomacy but encounters a regime rapidly dismantling civil liberties, persecuting Jewish citizens and replacing law with intimidation. Martha is initially captivated by the energy and social glamour of the new Germany, forming relationships with figures including Rudolf Diels while meeting Nazi leaders whose charm and theatricality disguise the violence supporting their power.

As assaults, censorship and arbitrary arrests become impossible to dismiss, Dodd’s reports grow more alarmed even as officials in Washington remain cautious and preoccupied with diplomatic and financial concerns. The narrative culminates in the 1934 purge associated with the Night of the Long Knives, when Hitler destroys rivals including Ernst Röhm. Through the Dodd family’s diaries, letters and relationships, Larson presents an eyewitness history of foreign observers slowly recognising the character of Nazi rule.