This efficient book details Adolf Hitler's dominance then control of the small National Socialist Party in Germany. It ends in 1924, with Hitler recently released from prison for his role in the failed Beer Hall Putsch and having written Mein Kampf. "Unser Fuehrer" is more popular than ever; ready to start his nine-year ascent to power. Separated from the story of the rest of Hitler's career, this disturbing tale has impact. In measured prose, documentary filmmaker Taylor (JFK: A President Betrayed) details the conditions paving the way for Hitler's increasing influence: Germany's defeat in the Great War and the quest for scapegoats; the growth of the radical right and the sweep of violence across Germany; and the men and groups who facilitated, encouraged, and financed Hitler's agenda. But why Hitler? What were the conditions favoring his rise? And what was he thinking during this transformative period in his life? Taylor seeks to answer these questions throughout.