Young Adolf

Young Adolf was published in 1978 and was Beryl Bainbridge’s first and only historical novel until the 1990s. Many its characters are inspired by real people: besides the protagonist Adolf Hitler, there is his half-brother Alois, Alois’ English wife Bridget and their baby Pat. Some other names mentioned in the novel - mainly those of relatives of the future dictator, such as his brother Edwin or his half-sister Angela - are also those of real historical people. Other important but fictional characters are Meyer, the Jewish landlord and future friend of Adolf, Mary O’Leary, another tenant, Dr Kephalus, a somewhat mysterious doctor and friend of Meyer’s, Mr Dupont, a guest at the Adelphi Hotel, and the “bearded man”, who is in fact Mrs O’Leary’s husband. The story itself was largely inspired by a memoir of Bridget Hitler, published in 1941 and recounting Adolf Hitler’s alleged stay in Liverpool between summer 1912 and spring 1913 where she and Alois Hitler really lived at that time. Although no one has ever been able to prove Bridget Hitler’s assertion, Beryl Bainbridge found herself rather intrigued and inspired by this story.