The reich stuff – what does Trump really have in common with Hitler?

Henk de Berg , a professor of German at the University of Sheffield in Britain , has just published a book comparing Hitler and Trump : A Comparative Study in Lying.

He examines the two men’s work ethic, management style and narcissism, as well as quirks such as Hitler 's toothbrush moustache and Trump 's implausible blond hair.

De Berg , 60 , happened to be renewing his study of National Socialism just as Trump was first running for the White House in 2015 .

Trump ’s rallies are typically rollicking affairs, the atmosphere part circus, part concert, part sports, bringing like-minded people together as ritualistically as church.

The spectacle and social glue of mass rallies is also key.

De Berg writes in his book that if an untruth is sufficiently extreme, people are likely to accept it if only because they cannot bring themselves to believe that anyone could lie in such outrageous manner.

De Berg : 'People should absolutely not underestimate this guy' There is method in Trump ’s madness, the academic warns.

He says: One of the most worrying things for me about Trumpism is the way he has managed to transform rational politicians into people who have become basically Trumpists’.