Overview

Leni Riefenstahl is one of the most fascinating and controversial personalities of the twentieth century. Best known as 'Hitler's filmmaker', Riefenstahl made two documentaries, OLYMPIA and TRIUMPH OF THE WILL, acknowledged to be among the greatest films ever made. But they are insidious glorifications of the Adolf Hitler and the Third Reich. Drawing on new primary sources - recordings of Riefenstahl herself, interviews with her colleagues and intimate friends - Steven Bach puts the lie to her lifelong portrayal of herself as an apolitical artist who knew nothing of the Holocaust, firmly denying her connection to the Nazi regime. The facts speak for themselves: Riefenstahl's passionate involvement with the Nazis from their earliest days; the secret agreements that financed her career and supported her in later life; her visits to concentration camps and use of slave labour courtesy of the Third Reich - and more. This is an exceptional work of historical investigation, an objective but unsparing appraisal of a woman of great talent who was corrupted by ruthless ambition.

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'Bach's book might be called exemplary, except that that word is too cold for the excitement he generates ... Powerful and enlightening' SUNDAY TIMES 'Meticulous' DAILY TELEGRAPH 'Not only powerful but also remarkably exciting' SUNDAY TIMES 'Bach systematically and thoroughly chronicles a life so full of contradictions and denials it almost makes you want to scream ... A superb work' OBSERVER 'First rate ... Bach's book should be read as a compelling moral fable about the futility of talent unredeemed by humanity' PROSPECT 'Bach writes well and researches well ... A stunning story' FINANCIAL TIMES 'A masterful account, a terrific piece of detective work that manages to humanise its subject while convincing on all counts' SUNDAY TELEGRAPH 'A fascinating look at Riefenstahl and the myths she created' SUNDAY EXPRESS 'Lucidly written and thoroughly researched, Bach's biography is magisterial with every lie and obfuscation that Riefenstahl resorted to nailed down and rebutted' INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY 'An admirable achievement ... [Bach's] will probably be the definitive biography' LITERARY REVIEW 'A stark, scrupulous investigation' GLASGOW HERALD 'Definitively and zealously researched' DAILY EXPRESS 'Bach tells a strong story, unflinchingly ... this is a thoroughly deserved memorial' SUNDAY TRIBUNE 'Bach has done a fine job with this masterful tome' INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY 'A fascinating book' EVENING HERALD 'Bach's investigative flair makes for a compelling read ... A fascinating portrait of a fascinating character' SUNDAY BUSINESS POST

Author Information

Steven Bach is the author of MARLENE DIETRICH and DAZZLER: THE LIFE AND TIMES OF MOSS HART, and the best-selling memoir FINAL CUT. He was in charge of worldwide production for United Artists and now teaches at Bennington College and Columbia University.

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