---
product_id: 1226705
title: "In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler's Berlin"
price: "A$40"
currency: AUD
in_stock: true
reviews_count: 7
url: https://www.desertcart.com.au/products/1226705-in-the-garden-of-beasts-love-terror-and-an-american
store_origin: AU
region: Australia
---

# In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler's Berlin

**Price:** A$40
**Availability:** ✅ In Stock

## Quick Answers

- **What is this?** In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler's Berlin
- **How much does it cost?** A$40 with free shipping
- **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship
- **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.com.au](https://www.desertcart.com.au/products/1226705-in-the-garden-of-beasts-love-terror-and-an-american)

## Best For

- Customers looking for quality international products

## Why This Product

- Free international shipping included
- Worldwide delivery with tracking
- 15-day hassle-free returns

## Description

In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler's Berlin [Larson, Erik] on desertcart.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler's Berlin

Review: A Great Book that Brings History Alive - Larson specializes in the "nonfiction novel" genre pioneered by Truman Capote's "In Cold Blood." He does a tremendous amount of research that allows him to write a true story in a way that reads like a novel. This is by far his best book, in part because of the gravity of the subject matter and in part because everyone can identify with an American family that moves wholesale over to Germany at the very moment that Hitler consolidates his power in 1933-34. Dodd is a Jimmy Stewart type figure -- an everyman, thoughtful professor who is unexpectedly appointed ambassador to Germany because no one else wants the job and because he knows the country and the language (and, of course, is an old supporter and friend of Wilson and Roosevelt). He decides to bring his whole family along to experience the adventure -- including his two adult children. His daughter, Martha, is a charismatic and sexually adventurous free spirit who ends up having affairs with some Nazis and even a Soviet diplomat. One Nazi actually introduces her to Hitler in attempt to set up the sexually hapless dictator -- to no avail. There are compelling lessons to this tale. First and foremost is Larson's ability to capture the heady spirit of the times. When we think about the Nazis we know the evil and tragic result of their regime -- but the people in 1933 didn't know. Instead of shaking our heads and saying how could they be so stupid as to follow Hitler, we have to put aside our knowledge of what happened next and think like those who lived the early years. The intoxication of power and the feeling that the Nazis were reinvigorating a dead society go a long way toward explaining the Nazis' success. But Larson also captures the growing unease and tensions created by the new regime -- and the ability of the regime to grow too strong before any meaningful resistance could be mounted. Even the Nazi lords who interact with the Dodds are haunted by the insecurity of their position. In a regime premised on survival-of-the-fittest, continued rivalries for power, and pressure to demonstrate more and more harshness and party orthodoxy, all the participants saw the path before them as either keeping intoxicating power by becoming more ruthless or accepting purge and death. Some, like Diehls (the early head of the Gestapo), refuse to take steps toward greater and greater ruthlessness, and pay with loss of position and threats to life. Dodd himself immediately appreciates the evil of the regime, though initially deludes himself into thinking that it can be moderated or persuaded by rationality. His daughter is at first taken with the regime, but witnessing public humiliation and oppression of Jews and the growing repression and tensions of the regime persuade her otherwise. Dodd is ultimately powerless to either change the regime or to persuade Americans to pay attention to it and to do something before it's too late. Dodd did suffer from some of the easy anti-semitism of the day, but to his credit refused to blame the Jews for their own predicament or to tolerate inhumane treatment. He became a hero to me in one fantastic meeting he had with Hitler in 1933. Hitler does his usual rant about the injustice of the Versailles Treaty imposed on Germany after World War I. Hitler's embrace of victimhood for Germany allowed him to stoke hate at home, demand appeasement, and ultimately to justify any kind of evil/aggressive action (when you are a victim, all is permitted). Dodd said the one thing to Hitler that no one else did and that everyone else (German and non-German) should have: the peace of the victors is always unjust, that's why we have to work to avoid future wars. He told Hitler, in essence, to grow up and to get beyond this victimhood. Hitler just sat and looked at Dodd and was briefly at a loss for words. Unfortunately, nothing was going to sink in or persuade him rationally. But it's a beautiful scene. Dodd is a tragic figure in the end. But he really could have done nothing differently. The USA was not ready to see the evil of the Nazis or the necessity of intervening in European affairs. This is an extraordinary book that recreates the lost world of 1933-34 Berlin. I read virtually all of the book in one sitting because it's impossible to put down.
Review: An inside glimpse of pre-war Nazi Germany - Those familiar with the history of Nazism and Hitler’s ascension to the post of Fuhrer will not be surprised by the specific “climactic spasm of violence and murder” that occurs near the end of the text; the event is an indelible part of the history of Nazi Germany, which I won’t reveal here. For my part, I was expecting a different, perhaps less well known event would serve as the ghastly denouement for the story, but it is a credit to Larson’s writing style and novelistic detail that I found myself propelled through the book even after I came to realize late in the text that the climax involved a tale I’d already heard and read about a dozen times if not more. This book’s strength and its value isn’t so much in how it portrays a single atrocious event in a string of atrocities that were to become Nazi Germany but rather in the way it provides a glimpse of life in pre-war Nazi Germany. We see the Nazi hierarchy for what it was: a rabble of psychopathic connivers plotting against each other, scrambling and scraping to retain Hitler’s favor. The picture is age-old and yet new when cast through Larson’s lens. And yet, I did not find much to be admired in the American cast of characters, either. Ambassador Dodd, his wife, son and daughter arrived in Germany in 1933 so that Mr. Dodd could assume the position of U.S. ambassador to Germany and while I found Mr. Dodd to be a basically sympathetic sort, I’m a bit confused by Larsen’s apparent admiration for Dodd’s daughter Martha, whose liaisons and indiscretions play a major part in the narrative. I liked this book – I didn’t LOVE it. I found it very compelling and interesting enough that I looked forward to reading it each day and would spend a good deal of time at a setting reading the book. The story does, truly read like a novel and would be of interest to folks who aren’t necessarily knowledgeable regarding the history of Nazism or World War II and for those who may know a great deal about that era, I think you’d still enjoy it for the glimpse of what came to pass as “normal life” in Germany during the years immediately before the outbreak of World War II. If you’re like me, having finished this book you will likely find yourself asking, “Why didn’t we recognize the Hitler regime for what it was?” Heaven knows we had plenty of warnings, but alas, we continue ignore the outrages perpetrated by today’s raft of dictators and despots, too.

## Technical Specifications

| Specification | Value |
|---------------|-------|
| Best Sellers Rank | #2,232 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #3 in German History (Books) #10 in Political Leader Biographies #12 in Jewish Holocaust History |
| Customer Reviews | 4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars (17,288) |
| Dimensions  | 5.1 x 1.15 x 7.9 inches |
| Edition  | First Edition |
| ISBN-10  | 030740885X |
| ISBN-13  | 978-0307408853 |
| Item Weight  | 2.31 pounds |
| Language  | English |
| Print length  | 448 pages |
| Publication date  | January 1, 2011 |
| Publisher  | Crown |

## Images

![In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler's Berlin - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81ZxSVVBaxL.jpg)

## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ A Great Book that Brings History Alive
*by C***A on September 7, 2012*

Larson specializes in the "nonfiction novel" genre pioneered by Truman Capote's "In Cold Blood." He does a tremendous amount of research that allows him to write a true story in a way that reads like a novel. This is by far his best book, in part because of the gravity of the subject matter and in part because everyone can identify with an American family that moves wholesale over to Germany at the very moment that Hitler consolidates his power in 1933-34. Dodd is a Jimmy Stewart type figure -- an everyman, thoughtful professor who is unexpectedly appointed ambassador to Germany because no one else wants the job and because he knows the country and the language (and, of course, is an old supporter and friend of Wilson and Roosevelt). He decides to bring his whole family along to experience the adventure -- including his two adult children. His daughter, Martha, is a charismatic and sexually adventurous free spirit who ends up having affairs with some Nazis and even a Soviet diplomat. One Nazi actually introduces her to Hitler in attempt to set up the sexually hapless dictator -- to no avail. There are compelling lessons to this tale. First and foremost is Larson's ability to capture the heady spirit of the times. When we think about the Nazis we know the evil and tragic result of their regime -- but the people in 1933 didn't know. Instead of shaking our heads and saying how could they be so stupid as to follow Hitler, we have to put aside our knowledge of what happened next and think like those who lived the early years. The intoxication of power and the feeling that the Nazis were reinvigorating a dead society go a long way toward explaining the Nazis' success. But Larson also captures the growing unease and tensions created by the new regime -- and the ability of the regime to grow too strong before any meaningful resistance could be mounted. Even the Nazi lords who interact with the Dodds are haunted by the insecurity of their position. In a regime premised on survival-of-the-fittest, continued rivalries for power, and pressure to demonstrate more and more harshness and party orthodoxy, all the participants saw the path before them as either keeping intoxicating power by becoming more ruthless or accepting purge and death. Some, like Diehls (the early head of the Gestapo), refuse to take steps toward greater and greater ruthlessness, and pay with loss of position and threats to life. Dodd himself immediately appreciates the evil of the regime, though initially deludes himself into thinking that it can be moderated or persuaded by rationality. His daughter is at first taken with the regime, but witnessing public humiliation and oppression of Jews and the growing repression and tensions of the regime persuade her otherwise. Dodd is ultimately powerless to either change the regime or to persuade Americans to pay attention to it and to do something before it's too late. Dodd did suffer from some of the easy anti-semitism of the day, but to his credit refused to blame the Jews for their own predicament or to tolerate inhumane treatment. He became a hero to me in one fantastic meeting he had with Hitler in 1933. Hitler does his usual rant about the injustice of the Versailles Treaty imposed on Germany after World War I. Hitler's embrace of victimhood for Germany allowed him to stoke hate at home, demand appeasement, and ultimately to justify any kind of evil/aggressive action (when you are a victim, all is permitted). Dodd said the one thing to Hitler that no one else did and that everyone else (German and non-German) should have: the peace of the victors is always unjust, that's why we have to work to avoid future wars. He told Hitler, in essence, to grow up and to get beyond this victimhood. Hitler just sat and looked at Dodd and was briefly at a loss for words. Unfortunately, nothing was going to sink in or persuade him rationally. But it's a beautiful scene. Dodd is a tragic figure in the end. But he really could have done nothing differently. The USA was not ready to see the evil of the Nazis or the necessity of intervening in European affairs. This is an extraordinary book that recreates the lost world of 1933-34 Berlin. I read virtually all of the book in one sitting because it's impossible to put down.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ An inside glimpse of pre-war Nazi Germany
*by M***H on April 9, 2014*

Those familiar with the history of Nazism and Hitler’s ascension to the post of Fuhrer will not be surprised by the specific “climactic spasm of violence and murder” that occurs near the end of the text; the event is an indelible part of the history of Nazi Germany, which I won’t reveal here. For my part, I was expecting a different, perhaps less well known event would serve as the ghastly denouement for the story, but it is a credit to Larson’s writing style and novelistic detail that I found myself propelled through the book even after I came to realize late in the text that the climax involved a tale I’d already heard and read about a dozen times if not more. This book’s strength and its value isn’t so much in how it portrays a single atrocious event in a string of atrocities that were to become Nazi Germany but rather in the way it provides a glimpse of life in pre-war Nazi Germany. We see the Nazi hierarchy for what it was: a rabble of psychopathic connivers plotting against each other, scrambling and scraping to retain Hitler’s favor. The picture is age-old and yet new when cast through Larson’s lens. And yet, I did not find much to be admired in the American cast of characters, either. Ambassador Dodd, his wife, son and daughter arrived in Germany in 1933 so that Mr. Dodd could assume the position of U.S. ambassador to Germany and while I found Mr. Dodd to be a basically sympathetic sort, I’m a bit confused by Larsen’s apparent admiration for Dodd’s daughter Martha, whose liaisons and indiscretions play a major part in the narrative. I liked this book – I didn’t LOVE it. I found it very compelling and interesting enough that I looked forward to reading it each day and would spend a good deal of time at a setting reading the book. The story does, truly read like a novel and would be of interest to folks who aren’t necessarily knowledgeable regarding the history of Nazism or World War II and for those who may know a great deal about that era, I think you’d still enjoy it for the glimpse of what came to pass as “normal life” in Germany during the years immediately before the outbreak of World War II. If you’re like me, having finished this book you will likely find yourself asking, “Why didn’t we recognize the Hitler regime for what it was?” Heaven knows we had plenty of warnings, but alas, we continue ignore the outrages perpetrated by today’s raft of dictators and despots, too.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Review
*by M***S on August 6, 2018*

Excellent!

## Frequently Bought Together

- In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler's Berlin
- The Splendid and the Vile: A Saga of Churchill, Family, and Defiance During the Blitz
- The Demon of Unrest: A Saga of Hubris, Heartbreak, and Heroism at the Dawn of the Civil War

---

## Why Shop on Desertcart?

- 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016
- 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories
- 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price
- 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members)
- 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection
- ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews

**Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.com.au/products/1226705-in-the-garden-of-beasts-love-terror-and-an-american](https://www.desertcart.com.au/products/1226705-in-the-garden-of-beasts-love-terror-and-an-american)

---

*Product available on Desertcart Australia*
*Store origin: AU*
*Last updated: 2026-02-26*