Customer Reviews

The Nazis: A Warning from History

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For the serious history student interested in a quick cold-water style immersion in an excellent though disturbing look at the murderous excesses of the Nazi years, this startling book provides a sanguine, surprising, and totally readable overview of the brutalities, torturous acts, and murder accomplished by the Germans during their 12-year reign of terror, complete with hundreds of compelling photographs. Generated as a companion tome to a History Channel documentary, this is a good introduction to the scope and breadth of a mind-boggling range of Nazi atrocities perpetrated not only on European Jews, but also to the infirm, mentally impaired, and to anyone else they had motivation to exterminate. From the early acts of euthanasia of its own `infirm' and "undesirables" to the systeamtic and publicly witnessed clubbing murder of hundreds of Jews in the streets of 'liberated' Latvian villages, this is a journey into the belly of the fascist beast.

This is a cautionary (and absolutely historically accurate) tale, made especially relevant in the year 2000 by the recent "ethnic cleansing" barbarism in Bosnia and Kosovo, of what can happen when people begin to surrender to the worst impulses of the social realm, and decide to ignore, or stand aside, or to pretend they just don't see where it is all leading. It has something to teach us about the very real dangers associated with unleashing the politics of hate, of what happens when ordinary citizens let other groups break the law to bully and terrorize minorities, when we let the central Government get out of control. History, as told in this excellent book, can teach us about how easily we humans succumb to subconscious evil, and seem to passively slip, almost without really deciding to, down the social and political slope to easy excuses and euphemisms, toward depravity, torture, and genocide. This is a book I highly recommend, although given its provocative and graphic photographic contents I would use caution about limiting its viewing by younger readers.

this book provides a good introduction to the history of the nazi party. it is readable, even for someone who knows very little about the subject, and yet is also a good review for those familiar with WWII-era german history. the many pictures in the book are wonderful and help not only to break up long bits of text to keep the reading interesting, but also to remind one that the people being read about were living, breathing human beings. umm, i like it.

Most books on Nazism start at the top with Hitler and his regime and offer brief glimpses, if any, at what it was like for the common soul. This work takes the opposite approach, putting us in the shoes of the war's victims. We learn plenty about the doings at the top, but the focus is on individual stories, many of which will chill the reader to the bone.

I was a bit puzzled by the moralistic tone of the work, however. After all, few readers need to be told that the Nazis were bad and did terrible things that should never be done again. And a real anti-German animus pervades the book. The author points the finger of guilt at the Germans again and again, insisting that they were completely responsible for all that happened, and can make no excuses. Perhaps this is so, but I wonder what lesson it provides for the rest of us.

Based upon a video series led by Prof. Ian Kershaw, this book posseses a renowned leading scholar to assert its in-depth discovery of the Nazi regime. Overall, we can assert that this book is above all a collection of pictures taken from 1933 to 1945, retracing the 12-year life of the 3d Reich through its leaders. The chronological structure helps the reader dive alongside the European people of the 30's into the abysses of the Holocaust. The latter step is reached after a series of thrilling and frightening visual and written testimonies of that period. Laurence Rees accurately explains the mecanisms of the Nazi regime and its policy towards peoples . Beware however, this bok is not dealing with the military aspect of the 3d Reich but packs a living testimony ,through contemporary witnesses of the deep horror of Hitler's killing machine.

Great job by the producers. Very real and chilling. I'm afraid though that mankind has not thus far shown that we learn from history. It is imperitive that we begin to.

This book covers the politics and rise to power of the Nazi Party in the 20's and 30's. It also covers the way in which the Nazis ran the government while in power and during the war. It is a fantastic book that presents all the important details in a fast paced read. I read this book in only 3 or 4 sittings. I found myself immersed in it every time.

Author made claims that book is a warning from history about actions not to be repeated. I seem to feel it came off sounding sympathic. I liked it.