A self-portrait, composed by one of the greatest monsters of all time: Rudolf Hoess, the Commandant at Auschwitz, and the man who knew more than almost anyone about how Nazi Germany implemented the Final Solution. Captured by the British after the war, tried, and sentenced to death, he was ordered to write his autobiography in the weeks between his trial and his execution (which fittingly took place in Auschwitz itself). Hoess apparently enjoyed the task, and the most careful checking by researchers showed he took great pains to tell the truth. The result: a vivid and unforgettable picture of the 20th century's defining and most horrific event. Royalties from this book go to the fund to help the few survivors of Auschwitz.
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Book Description
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Language Notes
Text: English (translation)
Original Language: German
Original Language: German
About the Author
Rudolf Hoess was the Commandant of Auschwitz during the war. He was executed in Poland upon concluding these memoirs.
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25 of 30 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Worth reading if you're interested in what goes on inside a person engaged in socially-sanctioned mass murder. Full of details about the actual operation of Auschwitz that only he would have known. Balancing this preoccupation with the details of running the camp is ... nothing. No inner life, no emotional depth, no soul. A man who seems to have died long before his victims.
11 of 14 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This book was very disturbing on so many levels. Yet it was also fascinating to see the progression of this semi-average person, into a person who was responsible for the deaths of millions. Read the intro by Primo Levi first to get yourself in the right frame of mind.
27 of 38 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
The autobiography of Rudolf Hoess is the story of a man who would ultimately be in charge of the huge extermination camp at Auschwitz where millions of Jews were systematically murdered.
In its pages you will find an accurate account of the means that were used to isolate those victims, of the political principle that was used to justify the victims' elimination from public life, and of the mental state needed to carry out the order for their deaths. Consequently "this book," as Primo Levi states in his introduction, "is filled with evil."
Even so, the book ought to be read--and read carefully--because an understanding of the ideas that drove Rudolf Hoess to do what he did are a major step towards ensuring that the horrors of Nazi Germany will never happen again.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Commandant of Auschwitz
While part of this is horrific reading it is very important from a historical point of view. In addition to the facts about life and proceedings in Auschwitz, it also gives... Read more
Published 13 days ago by Duane C Hatfield
4.0 out of 5 stars
Chilling Look Into Commandant's Mind
It's a chilling account of this horrible period in history where Commandant Hoess tries to justify his
actions. He was ordered to write it after his arrest for war crimes.
actions. He was ordered to write it after his arrest for war crimes.
Published 13 days ago by Mary S. Boulanger
4.0 out of 5 stars
Just remeber, this is not the truth!
How would one not be curious as to what this man has to say about himself! Though not great literature, this book makes a fascinating read -- just one thing to keep in mind: this... Read more
Published 1 month ago by MrTapi
5.0 out of 5 stars
Memoirs of Rudolf Hoess
It was interesting to read Hoess memoirs. I wanted to read them for a long time. Nothing reallly surprised me though I didn't know that he actually was in prison when he was... Read more
Published 1 month ago by fishyks
3.0 out of 5 stars
Puzzling
Mainly the life of Hoess as told by himself. Doesn't sound like a mass murderer so he is very good at concealing his dark side. Read more
Published 2 months ago by PAULO
5.0 out of 5 stars
Not a confession
I visited Auschwitz on two occasions, and consider it a pilgrimage everyone should make at least once. Read more
Published 5 months ago by F. M. Ryan
4.0 out of 5 stars
A complete loon
This guy is a complete lunatic but his admission shows that the human mind is capable of wholesale denial. Read more
Published 5 months ago by Michael Beloved
1.0 out of 5 stars
If you had been brainwashed, how would you know it?
I could only find one other review on here for this book that gives an accurate and necessary background to understanding how the Allies acquired from Hoess such a custom-tailored... Read more
Published 19 months ago by Ernest Walden
5.0 out of 5 stars
Out of Touch
This book by Hoess is revealing and a reminder that stupid people can rise to power and thus influence greatly the lives of innocent people.
Published on March 18, 2011 by Joyce Surbeck-Harris
4.0 out of 5 stars
Comandant of Auschwitz
I first read this book in the 7th grade, many years ago. It started for me a lifetime interest in history, autobiographies and WW2. Read more
Published on March 18, 2010 by H. Turner
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