Hitler and I

In Hitler and I, Otto Strasser recounts his early engagement with the National Socialist movement and the ideological rift that led him to oppose Adolf Hitler. The story unfolds in post–World War I Germany, where Strasser, driven by nationalist and socialist convictions, joins forces with his brother Gregor to support a revolutionary transformation of the country. Within the growing National Socialist ranks, they champion a left-wing platform focused on economic reform and social justice. However, as Hitler gains dominance over the party, Strasser grows increasingly alarmed by what he sees as Hitler’s retreat from socialist ideals in favor of collaboration with industrial elites and military conservatives. The book traces this widening divide, culminating in Otto’s expulsion from the movement and the formation of his own resistance faction, the Black Front. Strasser’s narrative blends political critique with personal reminiscence. He describes Hitler as calculating and autocratic, offering intimate scenes that reflect what he views as a flawed and dangerous character. The memoir is shaped by loss—especially the death of Gregor Strasser during the Night of the Long Knives—and by Strasser’s effort to frame himself as a moral alternative to the increasingly authoritarian course taken by the National Socialist regime. Written in exile and published in 1940, Hitler and I is part autobiography, part exposé. It offers a rare insider account of early National Socialist dynamics, while documenting one of its most prominent internal dissenters. The tone is urgent and personal, grounded in political conviction and a sense of historical reckoning.