This history provides ready access to the insights of recent research, combining analysis with a narrative account of the period. It covers the rise of the Nazi Party, the consolidation of power in 1933-38, preparations for war, and the nature of the Nazi State. The war itself is a particular focus of attention and is considered in relation to the military engagements, the persecution of the regime's victims, the extermination and terror program, and the policies of occupation in the Nazi-occupied parts of Europe. Finally, there is a discussion of the attempt to place the Nazi crimes into their proper contexts.