The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich: A History of Nazi Germany Review ''One of the most important works of history of our time.'' --New York Times''A splendid work of scholarship, objective in method, sound in judgment, inescapable in its conclusions.'' --New York Times Book Review  About the Author William L. Shirer (1904-1993) had a distinguished career as foreign correspondent, news commentator, and historian of the contemporary world. He reported from Berlin for the Universal News Service and for CBS on the rise of the Nazis, and he covered their fall as a war correspondent. Out of these reports grew his bestsellers, Berlin Diary and The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich, which has sold more copies for the Book-of-the-Month Club than any other book in the club's history.