fourtriplezed's review against another edition
5.0
While reading this harrowing but ultimately fascinating history of the KL system a newly elected senator made a speech to the Australian Senate saying “….the final solution to the immigration problem of course is a popular vote” As was pointed out to him at the time the use of the phrase by Nazi Germany had certain connotations that do not bear thinking about. The newly elected senator was unrepentant and defended the phrases use. At the time I was saddened to think that in this day and age a senator from a minor political faction had had to resort to the outrageous to get attention.
With that incident in mind, and reaching the end of this book, I am now of the opinion that the entire KL system and all the consequences of its existence must be part of the education curriculum in Australia. It is a historical event that must be told and understood.
With that in mind this may not be the book to be part of that curriculum and that is not criticism. The reality is that this amazing work of scholarship is for the individual that is aware of the Holocaust and the treatment of those that the Nazis deemed as enemies of their moribund ideology. The depth of research is superb. The mix of analysis, statistics and first-hand accounts make a compelling, though very tough read. I admit to having a rest several times from when I first began this in early May to finishing now in late September. The subchapter "Killing the Weak" was profoundly mind numbing and I repeat what I have said before to others, man's inhumanity to his fellow man never ceases to amaze. As I get older I am still none the wiser.
Author Wachsman has written his history in chronological order. I found his footnotes excellent and was constantly scurrying to research the new information covered in this book. There is a very good abbreviations section to assist with the various acronyms. The sources section covers archival, electronic and printed sources and if at this point in time I wished to read further on the subject it would be the ideal resource to refer to.
To quote goodreads friend Sharn ‘I cannot recommend this book highly enough, though it is of course with a heavy heart. Monumental.’ With that I also recommend Sharn’s superb review that has articulated this brilliant tome far better than I could ever conceive.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1295690066?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1
With that incident in mind, and reaching the end of this book, I am now of the opinion that the entire KL system and all the consequences of its existence must be part of the education curriculum in Australia. It is a historical event that must be told and understood.
With that in mind this may not be the book to be part of that curriculum and that is not criticism. The reality is that this amazing work of scholarship is for the individual that is aware of the Holocaust and the treatment of those that the Nazis deemed as enemies of their moribund ideology. The depth of research is superb. The mix of analysis, statistics and first-hand accounts make a compelling, though very tough read. I admit to having a rest several times from when I first began this in early May to finishing now in late September. The subchapter "Killing the Weak" was profoundly mind numbing and I repeat what I have said before to others, man's inhumanity to his fellow man never ceases to amaze. As I get older I am still none the wiser.
Author Wachsman has written his history in chronological order. I found his footnotes excellent and was constantly scurrying to research the new information covered in this book. There is a very good abbreviations section to assist with the various acronyms. The sources section covers archival, electronic and printed sources and if at this point in time I wished to read further on the subject it would be the ideal resource to refer to.
To quote goodreads friend Sharn ‘I cannot recommend this book highly enough, though it is of course with a heavy heart. Monumental.’ With that I also recommend Sharn’s superb review that has articulated this brilliant tome far better than I could ever conceive.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1295690066?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1
bkish's review against another edition
5.0
This book is brilliant and devastating like a knife that cuts through to the core which is rotten yet the knife is superb. It is Especially relevant now with the GOP candidate Mr. Trump and his followers. Its the same rage and hatreds and punishments. Also relevant is the view of manhood masculinity that is prime through Third Reich and with Mr Trump and his attitudes. If I can finish this book I will applaud myself cause its raw raw raw...
I did read KL a History of the Nazi Concentration Camps and I wrote to the author researcher Professor in UK and he answered me. This was a ten year successful effort.
It is a painful read.
I did read KL a History of the Nazi Concentration Camps and I wrote to the author researcher Professor in UK and he answered me. This was a ten year successful effort.
It is a painful read.
nikaz98's review against another edition
5.0
It is difficult to give such a book a rating. This books leaves you with a thorough understanding of the working and development of the Concentration Camps. It shows that the Camps cannot be portrayed in a homogenous way and that even one camp had different identities over the course of time. It was a difficult read but it has left me with a deeper understanding of the camps, the victims and perpetrators
molli526's review against another edition
5.0
Very well written with so much information. Excellent book.
shawnwhy's review against another edition
5.0
WOW, didnt think that it was possible, but I think this is more depressing than Applebaum's Gulag book. its very rich detail, and revisits Wiezel and Levi quite a bit, for me, this kind of demystifies the SS from this elite mysterious hyper-educated secret society that usually is portrayed in the movies, to just people rised above their quality , brutish, crass and self serving. The capo system of the self governing of the prisoners described by Eli Weizel, is expanded upon to a great extent, and its quite interesting to read about the drama and hardships in this particular microcosm. usually the camp memoirs of pows ends with the a scenario, in which the survivors go a daring escape and see horse mounted silhouettes in the distance, they immediately thought it was the guards there to bring them back, and the thoughts fill them with dread. as the horse men come closer, they see their uniform and they are the officers of the red army, there to liberate them.. this, like Eli weizel, does not even end on that higher note, but it turns out alot of the survivors end up in the Gulags and die under the soviet reign.....
moodboardultra's review against another edition
challenging
dark
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
5.0
bmctrustery's review against another edition
5.0
An extremely detailed and thorough look into the Nazi concentration camps.
cloudss's review against another edition
dark
informative
medium-paced
5.0
COMPREHENSIVE overview. contextualizes KL in Nazi/WWII history very well
aquinas's review against another edition
5.0
A very in depth look at the german concentration camps, from their beginnings in the early 1930s to their final collapse in 1945. A very worth while read.