I had the opportnity to sit at the breakfast nook in the kitchen of a friends father some years ago now with a man who had a very similar opportunity. There was me, my friend, his father, one other interested military historian and Profesor Harold C. Deutsch. He never actually met Hitler, but did interview many of his associates. Professor Deutsch was the chief interrogator at Neurenberg, at least for the Americans.

Yes, he was fluent in the German language, and he had been a teacher of the History of the Great War, and had interviewed many of the top commanders from that war from the German side, and this had a unique way to establish raaport with these now imprisoned officers.

He approached the inmates with respect and as much kindness as was possible while maintaining a professional decorum, something which went against the SOP of the time. The standard was that the interrogator should remain detached, cold, rigid, and unbending as far as the interviews went, such as to provide no comfort for the German officers. Professor Deutsch, on the other hand, shook the hand of all, speak to them with some sympathy, allow them to smoke, et cetera.

I recall his telling carrying messages to Mrs. Jodl, the wife of the General, which thus established a long-term friendship with the woman and their son.

Anyway, back to Adolf... Professor Deutsch recommended a book entitled "Hitler's Table Talks", something which was published within a decade of VE day. The Leader had had secretaries record the conversations around the dinner (lunch) tables which he had with his contemporaries. This book is a condensation of these reports.

The book paints Adolf as a congenial host for the most part, but dominenating the conversation. As has been pointed out his personality was mesmerizing. The man's power of persuasion was legion.

As far as the possibility of assasination, he was paranoid even before the war. Before the war Liebstandard Adolf Hitler was the personal bodyguard of the man, thus it was highly unlikely that anyone culd get so close to him as to off him. Several tried, all failing.

Curiously Professor Deutsch wrote the book on this: "The Conspiracy Against Hitler in the Twilight War"