Bookpleasures.com welcomesas our guest Tom Hutton, MD, PhD, author of Hitler’sMaladies And Their Impact on World War ll.

Tom is an esteemedneurology expert trained under the renowned neuropsychologist Dr.Alexander Luria, brings a wealth of knowledge to the subject.

With a distinguishedcareer in neurology, including serving as the president of the TexasNeurological Society and holding academic positions such as professorand vice-chairman at the Department of Medical and Surgical Neurologyat the Texas Tech School of Medicine, Hutton’s expertise shinesthrough in his meticulous research and insightful analysis.

Norm: Good day Tom andthanks for taking part in our interview

What inspired you toresearch and write about Hitler's health issues?

Tom: Thank you Norm. It isgreat to be with you. 

 Once Ibecame aware of Hitler's Parkinson's disease, I wished to learn itschronicity and based on our own work, how this disorder impacted hisleadership during World War II.

It seemed to me that Hitler'sdecision-making toward the latter part of World War II had becomefaulty, and I wondered if his physical and mental health brought thisabout.

It was later that I learned of Hitler's coronary arterydisease along with his many minor disorders.

Norm: Whatwere your goals and intentions in this book, and how well do you feelyou achieved them?  

Tom: I wished to answerwhether Hitler's physical illnesses and unusual personalitycharacteristics impacted his decision-making toward the latterportion of  World War II.

I learned that by the time of theNormandy invasion (D-Day) and the Battle of the Bulge that Hitler hadhad signs of Parkinson's disease for longer than the critical tenyears- the duration of disease that in our laboratory was associatedwith a definable cognitive and memory disorder. 

Also thetiming for the launching of Operation Barbarossa (the invasion of theSoviet Union) in 1941 has baffled historians as Germany wasunprepared with its stock of conventional weapons and had not yetdeveloped its qualitatively superior "wonder weapons."

Given the life expectancy of a person with Hitler's coronary arterydisease and Parkinson's disease, three to four years hence would havelikely found Hitler dead from his cardiac and neurological illnesses,both of which were untreatable at that time. His egomania would havedriven his decision for an early invasion.

A thirdmajor finding consisted of two acute gastrointestinal illnessesduring the Fall of 1941 and at a critical time during the invasion ofthe Soviet Union. The first was likely bacterial dysentery that ontop of Hitler's chronic irritable bowel syndrome lasted a full month.

The second illness was likely a gallbladder attack that lasted anadditional month. These illnesses prostrated Hitler and made itimpossible for him to frustrate his generals in their attempt to takethe Soviet capital of Moscow.

The addition of the third objective,the capture of Moscow, to the other two, the taking of Leningrad andUkraine along with the oil and gas reserves in Georgia overstretchedthe German military forces, leading to their eventual defeat. 

I believe myanalysis contributes to the overall understanding of what made Hitleract in the fashion that he did.

My interest andresearch in Hitler's poor health and impact goes back some 25 years.The actual writing of this book took five years to complete.

Norm: How has the feedbackbeen so far? 

Tom: The reviews andinteractions with persons who have read my book have been extremelyencouraging. The book appears to have struck a chord that explains inpart the enigma of Hitler's poor decision-making toward the end ofWorld War II.

Norm: What were some ofthe most surprising things you learned about Hitler's health whileresearching and writing this book?

Tom: Despite his commentsto the contrary, Hitler's health as a child and young adult wasexcellent. He had only the usual childhood illnesses.

Also I learnedthe onset of his rage attacks, stubbornness, and tendency towardsubjecting those around him to long lectures began as a child andyoung adult.

His oratory built from these perorations and to nosurprise he had very few friends as a child and young adult.

Also claimsof Hitler having suffered syphilis exist. On my careful neurologicalreview of his neurological symptoms and signs, the rumors of Hitlerhaving suffered from the advanced form of syphilis can be put torest. Hitler did not show these signs.

Norm: Can you tell usabout your research process and how you ensured accuracy andreliability in your sources?

Tom: I reviewed videotapesfor the physical signs of Parkinson's disease and studied the Englishlanguage literature for insights into his physical and mental health.

Also the casebook written by Theodor Morell provided valuableinsights into Hitler and his complaints.

Many cogent intelligenceinterviews of Hitler's generals occurred following the conclusion ofWorld War II that further described how he had "aged"dramatically in his last five years of life rendering him less thaneffective in his leadership.

I used myskills as a physician and medical scientist and provided a moremodern understanding of his illnesses and their impact.

Norm: How do you think thestudy of Hitler's health can contribute to our understanding ofhistory and leadership?

Tom: Historians havedebated interminably why the Germans were so dreadfully slow tocounterattack at Normandy, why Germany chose to invade the SovietUnion in 1941, and why the German military seemed slow in respondingto Allied actions.

Understanding how Hitler progressively limited hiscapable generals toward the end of World War II and inserted himselfdirectly in the decision-making helps to clarify the strategic Germanerrors.

 His grandiosity, stubbornness, and neuropsychologicalabnormalities add to our understanding of Germany's strategic errors.

Norm: How did Hitler'sphysicians and inner circle handle his medical issues, and did theytry to cover up his ailments from the public?

Tom: Hitler's personalphysician, Theodor Morell, was not a specialist and was regardedpoorly by Hitler's better trained physicians.

 Despite his avariciousnature, obesity, and poor manners, Morell was held in high esteem byHitler.

Morell was very slow to recognize Hitler's Parkinson'sdisease despite other physicians and lay people alike havingrecognized it.

Morell was a therapeutic enthusiast who used anincredible number of medicines without regard to drug interactions.

He also likely caused a dependence in Hitler on methamphetamine,oxycontin, and possibly cocaine. This dependency fostered Hitler'sdependence on Morell and further limited Hitler's effectiveness.

The Nazicensors edited carefully the videotapes of Hitler so as to not showhis obvious signs of Parkinson's disease.

Eventually this effortbecame impossible with his minister of propaganda providing thespeeches toward the end of World War II.

Some videotapes toward theend of World War II escaped the censors and demonstrate Hitler's handtremor, stooped posture, slowness of movement ,short-stepped gait,and lack of facial expression.

Also progressive Parkinson'smicrographia (literally small handwriting) can be seen over the lastyears of Hitler's life.

A greaterunderstanding of the physical and mental health of the leaders ofgovernments in particular dictatorships will contribute tounderstanding and predicting their actions.

Norm: Where can ourreaders find out more about you and Hitler’s Maladies AndTheir Impact on World War ll?

Tom: My WEBSITE  along with my blog Views From Medicine Spirit Ranch. Anearlier book (2015) titled Carrying the Black Bag: A Neurologist'sBedside Tales is available from Texas Tech University Press and yourfavorite bookstores.

Norm: What is next for TomHutton?

Tom: The fatiguingchallenges of bringing our Hitler's Maladies during the Covid erawith its inherent delays and difficulties will require me for awhileto limit my writing to ranching and a rural lifestyle.

Norm: As this interviewcomes to an end, if you could invite three world leaders (dead oralive) to your dinner table, who would they be and why?

Tom: First off I wouldinvite Winston Churchill, a man who fascinates me. I likely wouldsimply listen to his wonderful narratives and enjoy sipping hisbrandy.

I also would like to have Vladimir Putin in my examinationroom more so than my dinner table.

I would like to determine whetherhis physical or mental health are playing a role in his current waron Ukraine or whether this is more the result of his ideology andaffection for the Soviet empire.

Finally Iwould like to interact of Mao who also had Parkinson's disease andwho may have had his behavior and decision-making altered by hisneurological disorder.

Norm: Thanks once againand good luck with all of your future endeavors.

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