A lengthy autograph essay by Shmuel Yosef Agnon, devoted to William Shirer's The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich. [Jerusalem, 1961].

Written at the request of Haaretz newspaper, on the occasion of the publication of the Hebrew translation of the book, the essay was printed alongside contributions by seven other writers (including historian Jacob Talmon, prosecutor Gideon Hausner, poet Haim Gouri, Menachem Begin, and others). Each contributor was asked to provide a brief review and respond to four key questions concerning Nazism.

The present text is Agnon's response. It opens with a short review of the book, which Agnon describes as
"a portrait of the world from which Divine Providence had, as it were, withdrawn". The essay then segues into a personal recollection of Agnon, describing his acquaintance with one of Hitler’s associates in Germany:

"In Hitler’s early days in Munich, I had a friend… whose brother was one of Hitler’s close associates. One day, she said to me in her brother’s presence, ‘Explain to this fool that there’s nothing to learn from that hollow man’ (i.e., Hitler). Her brother had been a naval officer during the First World War, and he used to visit me often. After the Beer Hall Putsch… I had to travel to Berlin, and there was no porter or transportation to be found. He carried my heavy suitcase on his shoulders to the train and sat there for two hours to save me a window seat". The final version of the essay, which slightly differs from the present draft, was published in Haaretz on November 24, 1961.

Written on seventeen halved envelopes (inner sides), sent to Agnon by various acquaintances, institutions, and correspondents – likely due to a paper shortage at the time. The reverse of each leaf bears Agnon’s address in Talpiot (Jerusalem), printed or handwritten, with colored Hebrew postage stamps and cancellation marks.

17 leaves. Approx. 15.5 cm (slight variations in size). Good condition. Minor blemishes.