Crimes and Mercies: The Fate of German Civilians under Allied Occupation, 1944-1950 (Paperback)

by James Bacque (Author)

Editorial Reviews

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"A scholar of courage and great perseverance who deserves to be heard because what is at stake is our understanding of the twentieth century not in terms of fantasy but of fact."  --Dr. Dwight D. Murphey

Product Description
More than nine million Germans died as a result of deliberate Allied starvation and expulsion policies after the Second World War - one quarter of the country was annexed, and about fifteen million people expelled in the largest act of ethnic cleansing the world has ever known. Western governments continue to conceal and deny these deaths. At the same time, Herbert Hoover and Canadian Prime Minister MacKenzie King created the largest charity in history, a food-aid program that saved an estimated 800 million lives during three years of global struggle against post-Second World War famine - a program the German people were initially excluded from as a matter of official Allied policy. Revised and updated for this new edition, "Crimes and Mercies" was first published by Little, Brown in the UK in 1997, becoming an immediate best seller.

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Product Details Paperback: 320 pages Publisher: Talonbooks; Revised edition (August 1, 2007) Language: English ISBN-10: 0889225672 ISBN-13: 978-0889225671 Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 0.9 inches Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies) Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (13 customer reviews) Amazon.com Sales Rank: #64,680 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books) Popular in these categories: (What's this?) #2 in  Books > History > Americas > Canada > 20th Century #5 in  Books > History > Military > Prisoners of War #7 in  Books > History > Military > Canada

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Customer Reviews

13 Reviews 5 star:  (10) 4 star:  (2) 3 star:    (0) 2 star:  (1) 1 star:    (0)           Average Customer Review 4.6 out of 5 stars (13 customer reviews)		Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews 103 of 113 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars "Those who forget history are condemned to repeat it.", September 3, 2002 By  G. Miller (Berlin Deutschland) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)    This review is from: Crimes & Mercies: The Fate of German Civilians Under Allied Occupation, 1944-1950 (Hardcover) An extraordinary book. It tells two of the most extraordinary stories of the 20th century simultaneously. Neither has been told before. One is the story of a great hero - Herbert Hoover, not J. Edgar the FBI boss, but a multimillionaire humanitarian whose courage, outspokenness, persistence and dedication saved literally tens of millions of people from starvation after the first world war and then after the second. And it's the story of why we never hear about this. General Eisenhower, war "hero" and later US president, of whom we have all heard, persued a deliberate policy of preventing available food aid into Germany between 1945-49. Laws preventing immigration turned the country into a prison. As Bacque revealed in earlier book OTHER LOSSES, millions of disarmed soldiers died in prison camps; further more, Bacque tells the story of the suffering of civilians, dying from starvation. It is a part of living memory that times were extraordinarily hard, but Bacque's research has enabled an estimate of the scale for the first time: at least 9 million. He has found the documents which trace the decisions leading to this second holocaust, leading back to Eisenhower and his advisors. It is a courageous act for a man aged more than 70 accuse a war hero and president of being commiting atrocities. Bacques thoughts on collective are thought provocing. It's a sign of the times that a book like this is out of print. By it before it becomes a historical document in itself. Read it and tell people. It's relevant to today. 130 of 145 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars To Bad Some "Top Reviewers" are Filled With Hate!, December 30, 2003 By A Customer This review is from: Crimes and Mercies: The Fate Of German Civilians Under Allied Occupation, 1944-1950 (Paperback) If historical facts truely cause some "readers to write trash" so be it. I have read my copy of this book and in my opinion should be required reading by everyone. Many Germans civilians were killed and their properties stolen from them because of this war. My family lost our farm that we had for over two hundred and fifty years in East Prussia. But I guess accordingly to "The Top Reviewer" we had it coming to us because our German government, at the time, was evil. I was only a young boy at the time, but we survived. Because we lost our farm in the real eastern Germany, we came to this country. And I grew up and became an Electronic/Electrical Engineer. By the way. One last special note to "Mr. Top Reviewer", and people like him, when you look up at the moon at night, remember this. A young German boy survived your bad wishes and was a proud member of the team that helped design and build all of the first unmaned Spacecrafts that landed the moon. This Spacecrafts series were called the Rangers. And they are still there, all of them that went. Don't forget, never. 82 of 93 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars Learn about the US Occupation of Germany, December 7, 1998 By A Customer This review is from: Crimes & Mercies: The Fate of German Civilians Under Allied Occupation, 1944-1950 (Hardcover) This is a first rate book, well researched, well documented and well indexed (which is often the best proof of godo research). The USA, as part of our policy, starved 1M German POWs and 10M German civilians after WWII. But Truman reversed the policies of FDR and Morgenthau. So, by 1946, the USA, under Hoover (yes, the former president and the one who lead the food aid to the Beligans during WWI), was attempting to reverse the horrors of FDR and Ike's policies. The numbers are sound. Backed up by our own occupation government census numbers. Americans did object. Ambassador Murphy, a number of senators. As was pointed out by one US officer: "the only difference between the US and the Nazis was the color of the uniform." How many GIs will admit today what they did? Have you heard one?		Ad feedback   Most Recent Customer Reviews 4.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating and flawed... The book is divided between a strong presentation of facts and the author's personal feelings about the United States, religion, and the Soviet people. Read more Published 4 months ago by Peter Hyatt 5.0 out of 5 stars Both sadness and anger Reading this thorough account of what happened in Germany to civilians (mostly women and children) after the official end of hostilities made me both sad for the victims and angry... Read more Published 15 months ago by Larry H. Burdoin 5.0 out of 5 stars Enlightening A very well researched book that reveals the acts of revenge and horrors that were committed upon innocent German civilians and soldiers by the allies even for years after... Read more Published 16 months ago by Mr. F. Mackay 2.0 out of 5 stars Hmm After reading the first couple of chapters, I thought I was going to give this book 5 stars. Clearly, German civilians did suffer in the post-war years, and much of that... Read more Published on November 11, 2004 by Christopher Grant 5.0 out of 5 stars A Powerful Book In this powerful new book, Canadian historian James Bacque presents detailed evidence, much of it newly uncovered, to show that some nine million Germans died as a result of... Read more Published on October 13, 2004 by Jorg Gunnderson 5.0 out of 5 stars No one, single group has a monopoly on Evil or Madness Excellent book. Extremely well researched. I have always been interested in East Prussia from having read a lot on the Teutonic Knights. Read more Published on September 19, 2004 by T. Clemence 5.0 out of 5 stars Everyone should read this book My Grandparents were expelled from their home because of the Potsdam treaty. My grandfather's sister was sent to a Soviet work camp. Read more Published on May 28, 2004 by Erik Knoedler 5.0 out of 5 stars Historical accuracy triumphs over politcal correctness! BRAVO! This book is long overdue! Finally historical fact is placed over group think and pressure groups! Published on April 11, 2004 by That Kraut 4.0 out of 5 stars Evil is as Evil does I read with absolute disgust the so-called non-review of this book by Seth Frantzman. He sounds just like the Nazi's he condemns. Read more Published on December 11, 2003 by D. Liston 5.0 out of 5 stars Crimes and Mercies by James Bacque Exelent book for joung people!to learn something about the great United States and their crimes.My family and I lived through it, in Bad-Kreuznach Rhld.Pfalz.Germany. Published on December 21, 2000 by Franz Ritter Search Customer Reviews Only search this product's reviews

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Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Talonbooks; Revised edition (August 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0889225672
• ISBN-13: 978-0889225671
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #64,680 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #2 in	Books > History > Americas > Canada > 20th Century
  #5 in	Books > History > Military > Prisoners of War
  #7 in	Books > History > Military > Canada

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

103 of 113 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "Those who forget history are condemned to repeat it.", September 3, 2002

By	G. Miller (Berlin Deutschland) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Crimes & Mercies: The Fate of German Civilians Under Allied Occupation, 1944-1950 (Hardcover)

An extraordinary book. It tells two of the most extraordinary stories of the 20th century simultaneously. Neither has been told before. One is the story of a great hero - Herbert Hoover, not J. Edgar the FBI boss, but a multimillionaire humanitarian whose courage, outspokenness, persistence and dedication saved literally tens of millions of people from starvation after the first world war and then after the second. And it's the story of why we never hear about this. General Eisenhower, war "hero" and later US president, of whom we have all heard, persued a deliberate policy of preventing available food aid into Germany between 1945-49. Laws preventing immigration turned the country into a prison. As Bacque revealed in earlier book OTHER LOSSES, millions of disarmed soldiers died in prison camps; further more, Bacque tells the story of the suffering of civilians, dying from starvation. It is a part of living memory that times were extraordinarily hard, but Bacque's research has enabled an estimate of the scale for the first time: at least 9 million. He has found the documents which trace the decisions leading to this second holocaust, leading back to Eisenhower and his advisors. It is a courageous act for a man aged more than 70 accuse a war hero and president of being commiting atrocities. Bacques thoughts on collective are thought provocing. It's a sign of the times that a book like this is out of print. By it before it becomes a historical document in itself. Read it and tell people. It's relevant to today.

130 of 145 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars To Bad Some "Top Reviewers" are Filled With Hate!, December 30, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Crimes and Mercies: The Fate Of German Civilians Under Allied Occupation, 1944-1950 (Paperback)

If historical facts truely cause some "readers to write trash" so be it. I have read my copy of this book and in my opinion should be required reading by everyone.
Many Germans civilians were killed and their properties stolen from them because of this war. My family lost our farm that we had for over two hundred and fifty years in East Prussia. But I guess accordingly to "The Top Reviewer" we had it coming to us because our German government, at the time, was evil.
I was only a young boy at the time, but we survived. Because we lost our farm in the real eastern Germany, we came to this country.
And I grew up and became an Electronic/Electrical Engineer. By the way. One last special note to "Mr. Top Reviewer", and people like him, when you look up at the moon at night, remember this.
A young German boy survived your bad wishes and was a proud member of the team that helped design and build all of the first unmaned Spacecrafts that landed the moon. This Spacecrafts series were called the Rangers. And they are still there, all of them that went.
Don't forget, never.

82 of 93 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Learn about the US Occupation of Germany, December 7, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Crimes & Mercies: The Fate of German Civilians Under Allied Occupation, 1944-1950 (Hardcover)

This is a first rate book, well researched, well documented and well indexed (which is often the best proof of godo research).

The USA, as part of our policy, starved 1M German POWs and 10M German civilians after WWII. But Truman reversed the policies of FDR and Morgenthau. So, by 1946, the USA, under Hoover (yes, the former president and the one who lead the food aid to the Beligans during WWI), was attempting to reverse the horrors of FDR and Ike's policies.

The numbers are sound. Backed up by our own occupation government census numbers.

Americans did object. Ambassador Murphy, a number of senators. As was pointed out by one US officer: "the only difference between the US and the Nazis was the color of the uniform."

How many GIs will admit today what they did? Have you heard one?