New York Times Bestselling Author | Cultural Historian | Exploring Power, Human Behaviour & Consciousness
Norman Ohler is a New York Times bestselling author, novelist and screenwriter, best known for his non-fiction book “Blitzed: Drugs in the Third Reich”, an explosive account of the Nazi regime’s covert use of drugs and stimulants. Published in over 30 languages, the book has received widespread international acclaim.
He is a cultural historian exploring power, psychology, altered states of consciousness and the hidden forces that shape human behaviour and history.
Through extraordinary historical discoveries, Norman reveals how power, perception and human decision-making are influenced by forces we often fail to recognise. His work offers a compelling perspective on leadership, institutional thinking and the consequences of decisions made under pressure.
His subsequent non-fiction book, “Tripped – Nazi Germany, the CIA, and the Dawn of the Psychedelic Age”, attracted international attention, including an appearance on The Joe Rogan Experience, which received over one million views in its first ten days. Based on extensive archival research on both sides of the Atlantic, Tripped uncovers a remarkable and unconventional postwar history, weaving together the CIA, psychedelic research and Norman’s personal experience of his mother’s Alzheimer’s disease.
His forthcoming book, “Stoned Sapiens”, takes his exploration further, examining the role of altered states of consciousness in shaping human civilisation, creativity and our understanding of what it means to be human in an increasingly technological world.
Norman was recently honoured with an invitation to deliver a keynote address at the prestigious Oxford Union, becoming only the third German to receive this distinction, following Albert Einstein and Boris Becker. This remarkable recognition places him in exceptionally distinguished company and reflects his international standing as an influential author, historian and thought-provoking speaker.
In his fascinating talks, Norman reveals how Hitler became dependent on drugs and how methamphetamine influenced the trajectory of World War II, challenging established historical narratives and exposing the extraordinary forces operating behind some of history’s most consequential decisions.
Starting from a childhood conversation that exposed the moral blind spots of a generation, to groundbreaking research that challenged accepted historical accounts, Norman delivers a powerful exploration of how individuals, leaders and institutions behave under pressure.
For corporate audiences, Norman’s insights extend far beyond history. His work raises provocative questions about the psychology of power, the dangers of unquestioned assumptions, the influence of hidden forces on decision-making and the importance of independent thinking in complex and uncertain environments.
By exposing the extraordinary gap between accepted narratives and historical reality, he challenges audiences to reconsider how organisations, leaders and societies interpret information, exercise judgment and respond to change.
Blending exceptional storytelling, meticulous research, humour and sharp analysis, Norman leaves audiences questioning assumptions and seeing both the past and present in an entirely new light.
A genuinely unconventional keynote speaker, Norman brings intellectual depth, surprising revelations and an engaging storytelling style to audiences seeking fresh perspectives on power, leadership, human behaviour and the future of consciousness.
Why Book Norman Ohler?
Norman Ohler is no ordinary keynote speaker. A New York Times bestselling author and acclaimed cultural historian, he captivates audiences with extraordinary revelations about the hidden forces shaping power, human behaviour and history.
Combining meticulous research, provocative insights and exceptional storytelling, Norman challenges conventional wisdom and exposes how deeply held assumptions can influence decisions, institutions and entire societies.
His fascinating exploration of power, psychology and consciousness offers audiences a fresh perspective on leadership, independent thinking and the complexities of human behaviour.
Intellectually stimulating, surprising and often humorous, Norman delivers a truly memorable keynote that challenges audiences to question what they think they know.
TESTIMONIALS:
“Norman Ohler lit up the Oxford Union.
Tracing his journey from novelist to historian, he brought the same storytelling brilliance to the lectern that defines his books.
Funny, personal, and thought-provoking, his talk on Blitzed, Tripped, and the upcoming Stoned Sapiens doubled down my appreciation of his work.” – Ally Houston Oxford Union
“Norman Ohler’s perspective on history challenged public perceptions and
encouraged the audience to reconsider familiar historical narratives
and interpret them from a different angle. The meeting sparked
meaningful discussion and raised thought-provoking questions about the
relationship between drugs, politics, and human experience.” – Estonia Literary Festival
” Norman Ohler’s keynote main stage talk at the MAPS Denver Psychedelic Science 2025 Conference was my favorite presentation. I learned about the topic for the first time and found him riveting, humorous and vulnerable.
I was able to absorb the challenging material because of his comprehensive communication style.“– Jade Netanua Ullmann, Ulmann Family Foundation
“Blitzed: Drugs in the Third Reich” is an explosive true story which uncovers an untold aspect of what fuelled the Nazi war machine during World War II. Revealing the close relationship and hidden connections between the Nazis, and the early days of drug prohibition in America, the author shares how this secret history held back therapeutic research for decades and became the foundation of America’s unsuccessful War on Drugs.
A NEW YORK TIMES BEST SELLER
A fast-paced narrative that discovers a surprising perspective on World War II: Nazi Germany’s all-consuming reliance on drugs
The Nazi regime preached an ideology of physical, mental, and moral purity. But as Norman Ohler reveals in this gripping new history, the Third Reich was saturated with drugs. On the eve of World War II, Germany was a pharmaceutical powerhouse, and companies such as Merck and Bayer cooked up cocaine, opiates, and, most of all, methamphetamines, to be consumed by everyone from factory workers to housewives to millions of German soldiers. In fact, troops regularly took rations of a form of crystal meth—the elevated energy and feelings of invincibility associated with the high even help to explain certain German military victories.
Drugs seeped all the way up to the Nazi high command and, especially, to Hitler himself. Over the course of the war, Hitler became increasingly dependent on injections of a cocktail of drugs—including a form of heroin—administered by his personal doctor. While drugs alone cannot explain the Nazis’ toxic racial theories or the events of World War II, Ohler’s investigation makes an overwhelming case that, if drugs are not taken into account, our understanding of the Third Reich is fundamentally incomplete.
“An astonishing account that changes what we know about the Second World War.” – The Guardian
“A fascinating, most extraordinary revelation.“ – BBC World News
