German Youth, Your Leader!

Shortly after Hitler rose to power in 1933, his Ministry of Education decided to issue a series of “youth books” to explain Hitler’s story to young Germans. Today we know of two of these: Dawn of the Nation and the present volume, German Youth, Your Leader! Written in 1934 and aimed at 10- to 15-year-olds, this book offers an accurate, concise, and factual account of Hitler’s youth, early life, war years, and eventual rise to power.

The book combines basic, readable text with three dozen drawings by the renowned German artist known as Fips. Here, the black-and-white originals have been restored and colorized by a talented digital artist, Robert Penman. The colors bring a compelling vividness and impact to the story, far beyond that which the original authors could have envisioned. The front cover is one such image.

German Youth, Your Leader! offers a striking and extremely rare look at how the National Socialists sought to educate their youth. The full original text has been expertly translated by Mildred Grau and edited by Thomas Dalton, PhD. Today, it is a story not only for German youth but for the youth of the world-indeed, for all those who want a true, unbiased story of Hitler’s life through 1933. It is a story for young and old, full of promise and inspiration.