Summary of Not I
In his autobiography “Not I”, Joachim Fest recalls memories of his childhood in Berlin, beginning with his father’s dismissal from his post as a school headmaster in 1933 for refusing to support the Nazi regime. The book recounts the hardships faced by his family due to their moral convictions, his adolescence under totalitarian rule, and his personal life after the war.
Reasons to read Not I
“Not I” – also published in English as “Not Me” – offers a first-hand account of everyday life under the Third Reich, from the perspective of a German Catholic family who opposed National Socialism – an often-overlooked group. The book serves as a tribute to the author’s father Johannes Fest, a man of principled resistance against the Nazi regime. Joachim Fest, a renowned German journalist, historian and author, also wrote an acclaimed biography of Adolf Hitler (“Hitler”) and “The Downfall” (“Der Untergang”), an account of Hitler’s final days in his Berlin bunker, later adapted into a major motion picture.
Original title: Ich nicht: Erinnerungen an eine Kindheit und Jugend
Year of publication: 2006
Number of pages: 458
