This exceptional work, a bestseller on its original publication by Landser, offers a veritable autopsy of a totalitarian regime. It explores an unfamiliar branch of the SS, the Allgemeine-SS (the "General SS") involving military but also civilians, including university professors, personalities from civil society. Its goal was to achieve a "total society". This formed only part of the overall organization, which encompassed units both in barracks and on active service, and amongst other features this book examines the proposed new religion of Himmler, the SS organization of marriage, the Ahnenerbe think-tank, furniture designed for the new family life, and even Allach porcelain. This study is a veritable encyclopedia richly illustrated with a wealth of information and unpublished documents. Depicted are Uniforms and decorations, furniture and porcelain, in a form that will prove useful to both the general reader and historians.