The Anatomy of the Nuremberg Trials: A Personal Memoir [Hardcover]

Telford Taylor (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 6, 1992

A key member of the prosecution team at the Nuremberg war crimes trials offers an eyewitness account of the tribunal, shedding new light on the accused top-echelon Nazis, the events of the trials, the verdicts, and more.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The chief prosecutor of the four-power Nuremberg trials (1945-1946) delivers the ultimate insider's account of the war-crimes prosecution of surviving Nazi leaders. A National Book Critics Circle Award winner for Munich: The Price of Peace , Taylor explains how the Allied governments established the legal basis for the tribunal and organized the courtroom proceedings. He introduces the defendants--Goring, Hess, Ribbentrop, Speer et al.--defines the charges against them, outlines the evidence and recounts individual defense strategies, closing arguments, judicial sentences and (in the case of those condemned to death) the details of their executions. Taylor casts doubt on the legality of the charges against Nazi publisher Julius Streicher and argues that Rudolf Hess, mentally incapable of defending himself, should not have been tried. (Incidentally, he clears up the intrigue surrounding how former Luftwaffe chief Hermann Goring managed to conceal the cyanide capsule with which he committed suicide.) This gripping eyewitness report of an unprecedented international military tribunal is the definitive work on the subject. Photos.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 703 pages
• Publisher: Knopf; 1st edition (October 6, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0394583558
• ISBN-13: 978-0394583556
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.2 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.7 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #420,282 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #48 in Books > Law > Specialties > War

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Detailed, well balanced, well written., January 5, 2001

By 

michael mason (Calcutta) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Anatomy of the Nuremberg Trials: A Personal Memoir (Paperback)

This is quite a long book that gives a detailed exposition of the events of the initial 21 or so cases at Nuremberg. Taylor participated at a high level. He is a distinguished author and scholar.

This covers not only description of the cases, but gives insights into all the main personalities present, including Goering and Jackson. It is written nearly 50 years after the event, so interesting information on what happened in the years afterward is given as well.

Taylor writes well, gives his own opinions in a balanced way and does not back off from sensative issues. And they don't come much more sensative than this.

Strongly recommended.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Well writen important history of the trial., March 24, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: The Anatomy of the Nuremberg Trials: A Personal Memoir (Paperback)

An important history of the trial, written by a
participant. Taylor does not pull his
punches, he calls them as he saw them.
If you are interested in WWII in any aspect
in particular the legal aspects of the trial
from an insiders viewpoint, this is one book
that you must read.

5 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Update on the Author, July 4, 1998

By 

Mike Geronime ([e-mail]) (Milwaukee, Wisconsin) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Anatomy of the Nuremberg Trials: A Personal Memoir (Paperback)

The author, Telford Taylor, died on May 23, 1998, at the age of 90. He was also the author of "Grand Inquest" (1955), which is regarded as one of the best challanges to the methods of Sen. McCarthey. In this, he traced back the history of congressional investigations to the 18th century. This "book was probably the most influential of the nine he wrote" {The Economist, May 30, 1998).