The Lost Life of Eva Braun by Angela Lambert

How did a 19 year-old, middle-class, Catholic girl from Munich become Hitler's mistress and what kept him faithful until the end of their lives? Was her appeal sexual, domestic, political - or did he really love her? This biography of Eva Braun is the first in English for 40 years. Angela Lambert has dug deep into Eva's background and brought into sharp focus a fascinating and unexpected relationship, hitherto neglected by male historians. There are more than 700 biographies of Hitler, yet this is the first thorough study of Eva Braun, his secret mistress. Using never before seen family papers and interviews with her surviving cousin, this book will cause a considerable stir. Illustrated throughout with little-known black and white photographs of life at the Berghof, it sheds new light on the man, the woman and the past.

Okay, so I'll warn you upfront, this is very long at 602 pages. It was perhaps a little ambitious for me so soon after the 900+ page Shantaram. But I waded thru. And wade thru you must. It is very interesting and jam-packed with foot notes (which generally I find make book-reading more tedious than enjoyable). I'm glad I read it. I think it could've been helped with some sort of historical timeline in the front because (since I didn't do history for matric) I am not so up-to-date on all the dates that everything happened or the individual details of the war (obviously tho, I do have a general knowledge of it, but it would've been handy to be able to just know at a glance where in the order of things we were while reading).

I'd definitely recommend it if you have any interest in World War 2. It's quite fascinating.