Milton Mayer

About the Author

Milton Mayer (1908–1986) was an American journalist, educator, and author renowned for his incisive explorations of totalitarianism and human behavior under oppression. Born in Omaha, Nebraska, to Jewish immigrant parents, Mayer pursued a career in writing and teaching, contributing to publications like The New Republic and serving as a professor at the University of Chicago. His experiences as a pacifist and Quaker influenced his deep empathy for the ordinary people ensnared by ideology. Mayer's seminal work, They Thought They Were Free: The Germans, 1933–45, draws from interviews with ten former Nazis to illuminate how democracy eroded in everyday lives, offering timeless insights into authoritarianism's subtle creep. A recipient of the National Book Award nomination, Mayer's legacy endures in his commitment to ethical journalism and moral inquiry.