Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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53 of 59 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Well-researched and thorough book, May 2, 2001
This is a thorough book. Contrary to what the critics on this page have written, the book includes: (1) Interviews with catholic priets directly involved with smuggling Nazi collaborators (2) Intelligence documents from France, the US, British and Russia (3) Media reports from Italy and other places at the time (4) interviews with some of those who were smuggled through the Vaticans 'Ratline', and of course photos and miscellaneous personal testimony from others involved or affected. In other words, the authors bring an enormous amount of evidence to bear on the issue of Vatican complicity in helping war criminals escape from justice. The other critics on this page, it seems, have either not read the book, are talking about another book, or believe that the Vatican is mankinds sole connection to God or whatever and can do no wrong. The critics charge that the Vatican was pro-communist is ludicrous. Communist persecution of Catholics behind the Iron curtain was a principle motivation for the Vatican to protect ex-Nazis. See, the Nazis hated the Communists as well. The vatican and the Pope desperately wanted to stop the eastward expansion of the communists. So they turned to ex-Nazi leaders (who still had connections, military equipment and money) for help. That is a key part of the story (theres more to it, though). Even so, the Vatican was not a monolithic entity. There were elements within the church that hated the Nazis, and elements that supported them (most notably the Catholic priests connected to the Pavelic regime). Like any large organization, different people had different opinions. But the evidence is very strong that the highest levels of the Vatican supported helping ex-Nazis. US intelligence infiltrated the Vatican and reported that known war criminals were hiding in the vatican, where they had diplomatic immunity. I would not give the book 5 stars, however, because it is not well organized. Some of the writing is confusing. The information is extremely somplex, since it relates many events involving different people at different places. Its a very complicated story thats difficult to tell. One mor thing: if the Vatican is so virtuous and infalliable, then why are they still refusing to reveal what they know about the 'Ratlines'? Why are they refusing to provide public access to their internal documents of the period? Methinks they have something to hide. So buy this book. It is a revealing story about power politics behind-the-scenes. To simply deny the evidence is naive.
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49 of 58 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A disturbing account of Vatican aid for fleeing Nazis, September 7, 1998
First published in Britain under the title Ratlines in 1991, and in the United States the following year under the title Unholy Trinity: the Vatican, the Nazis and Soviet Intellegence, the current revised edition of the book replaces "Soviet Intellegence" in the subtitle with the Swiss Banks." This latest title change reflects the recent direction of the international investigations into the Vatican's role in WWII. The bulk of the book (Chapters 1-12) remains unchanged from earlier editions. The authors have, however, added an introduction and a new chapter of revised conclusions Using previously classified government documents, the authors give the most detailed account in print of the Catholic Church's collaboration in the smuggling of Fascist and Nazi war criminals out of Europe at the end of the Second World War. Officials at the Vatican who helped these men get false papers and safe passage included then Monsignor Montini (later Paul VI) and Bishop Hudal, author of the clero-fascist Foundations of National Socialism. Among those who thus escaped justice, at least temporarily, were Adolph Eichmann, chief administrator of the holocaust, Walter Rauff, director of the mobile gas truck extermination program, Franz Strangel, Commandant at Treblinka, and Ante Pavelic, fascist Croatian dictator. Many other ex-Nazis were recruited by the church to become "freedom fighters" against the Eastern bloc. Aarons and Loftus argue Vatican's primary motivation throughout this operation was an anti-communism so fanatical that it knew no moral limits. The second half of the book recounts how the church's smuggling operation was infiltrated and turned against the West by the Soviet Union. Although the authors' analysis of the motivations and culpability some of the figures involved can be questioned (most notably their exoneration of Pius XII on charges of complicity with the Nazis in the rise of fascism), this book remains a remarkable history of a little known dark chapter in modern church history. In their introduction to the new edition, Loftus and Aarons detail how some of their original investigative work led to the capture and arrest of Erich Priebke, the SS officer who directed the infamous massacre at the Ardeantine Caves near Rome. Priebke had escaped through the Vatican Ratlines to Argentina and was sheltered by the church even during his 1997-1998 trials. The authors also point out some of the connections between their investigations and the ongoing highly-publicized attempts to trace the Nazi gold held in Swiss banks. More detail on this is given in their revised conclusion (ch 13) in which they suggest that financial motives may have been as important a motive in the Vatican's decision to establish the Ratlines as anti-communism. The Vatican invested the $29 million cash settlement that it received from Mussolini as part of the deal for the Concordat in Germany. During the 1930s, it attempted to protect that growing investment against the looming international conflict by setting up a money laundering scheme which involved secret exchange protocols between the Vatican Bank and banks in Switzerland. Recognising this, the authors have moved fairly far away from the conclusion of their original edition that the Vatican was not involved on the build up of fascism in Germany. In fact they now even cite a passage from La Popessa which claims that Pacelli (later Pius XII) gave money to Hitler in 1919 to suggest early links between the Nazis and the Vatican.
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40 of 48 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Vatican could end controversy by opening documents, November 30, 2001
In tackling such a paramount topic that will offend the core of many people's religious beliefs and its institution, Aaron and Loftus have stirred up a torrent of controversy with this book. ...
Obviously, for a reader to believe whether Aarons and Loftus' claims are valid, they will have to read the book for themselves.
I first heard about this book from an associate professor of genocide studies at a major US college who highly recommended it because of the authors' extensiveness in their research.
As I began reading the book, I noticed Aarons and Loftus footnoted any important piece of information and have over 60 pages of end notes in the back of the book for documentation. It is unfortunate they could not document more from the Vatican itself but because the papal state chooses to not open its files, this controversy will keep continuing. And considering it just opened files on the Spanish Inquisition a few years ago, I doubt any of us will be around when the Vatican finally divulges the truth on this disturbing piece of history. Many people will object to this book but their anger should be directed at the Vatican, who could end this controversy by opening its files. If there's nothing to hide, then why aren't the documents available to an impartial researcher, unlike Father Graham?
Aaron and Loftus break "Unholy Trinity," into two major sections, part one being "The Church's War Against Communism," and the second "Communism's War Against the Church."
The first section is on how bishops like Hudal and Draganovic harbored war criminals and smuggled them to safety in South America. It also goes into detail on the Ustashi and Croatian thug Ante Pavelic and his "Catholic Holocaust," on muslim and orthodox followers in the Balkans.
The second part is on the spylines the Communists had setup throughout Europe, unbeknownst to the OSS, MI5 and the Vatican. Aarons and Loftus take just as many shots at Great Britain and the US (especially Allan Dulles) as they do the Vatican in this section.
Although the book is subtitled, "The Vatican, the Nazis, and the Swiss Banks," there is nothing on the money aspect of the scheme and the swiss banks' involvement until the updated Conclusions chapter at the very end.
I gave this book four stars because it helped answer some of my questions involving the Vatican's role with war criminals and unlike many conspiracy books, it gives documented proof on its evidence. But not all questions were answered and probably won't be in my lifetime. Also, the book is very dry and is tough to get through in some sections. Not that I expected it to read like Tom Clancy but the reader can tell that the authors have backgrounds in journalism and law with their writing style.
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