This biography examines the life of Paul Joseph Goebbels, the man who perfected the art of mass manipulation in service of history's most genocidal regime. As Reich Minister of Propaganda from 1933 to 1945, Goebbels bears significant responsibility for creating the psychological conditions that made the Holocaust possible.

Writing about Goebbels presents unique challenges. How do we study evil without glorifying it? How do we understand the techniques of manipulation without providing a handbook for future demagogues? This book attempts to thread that needle by maintaining rigorous historical accuracy while never losing sight of the monstrous consequences of Goebbels' work.