David Lewis (8) (1942–)

The idea that Adolf Hitler suffered from hysteria and not really was blinded from a gas attack to the extent that Hitler himself would like history to believe is not David Lewis' original idea, but Lewis certainly knows how to run with the ball. Lewis argues well from medical, archival and even literary grounds. Remarkably - and I would even go so far as to say embarrassingly - Fest, Kershaw & Co. have not given that much attention - or at least dismissed - the theory. Thomas Weber's 2011 book that focused on Hitler's First World War seems to be much more aligned to Lewis (I have only read reviews) than the mainstream Hitler biographers, and perhaps we may in the future see a more critical approach to this aspect of Hitler. If Hitler's blindness at least in part have been psycosomatic, what I have a great tendency to believe, it is embarrassing that a whole line of historians have fallen for Hitlers fictitious story.… (altro)