I first became acquainted with this topic a couple of years ago when I came across an old Donahue episode on YouTube. One of the guests was a young Jewish guy named David Cole (not featured in this book). He made some interesting points that no one really responded to. Donahue for example simply dismissed him sarcastically, "You're a real Columbo, David." The opponent they got to appear didn't really seem very informed on the topic, and I found it odd that they couldn't get a specialist to come on and provide a proper response.
My next encounter with the topic was seeing the Denial movie about the Lipstadt-Irving trial. After seeing that I came to understand that Lipstadt has a firm policy (apparently shared by most other Holocaust specialists) of not debating the Holocaust. The idea is that if you debate the position, you give the other side respect and credibility they don't deserve. But apparently she felt like the revisionists/deniers were getting enough attention that she couldn't ignore them any more. Hence we have this volume, a sort of indirect response.
We're told early on the book will not be a "point-by-point" rebuttal and this is a understatement. The book is an annotated bibliography of sorts. She goes through pretty much in chronological order, beginning with WWI revisionism and pro-German apologetics as well as isolationist movements. These she says are the seeds Holocaust denial. She then moves on to Rassinier, App, Arthur Butz, Institute for Historical Review, Zundel, Irving, and others. (As I read through, I usually searched for more info on the names mentioned). Again, for the most part she does not focus on rebuttals. Rather, her primary technique is to describe her targets with disgust and question their motives and overall credibility. Throughout she uses very loaded language which I thought detracted from her book. "Neo-Nazi," "discredited," "fallacious," several of these kinds of words on every page. She only rarely ventures beyond this sort of ad hominem. For example, there's the guy Leuchter who took samples from the walls at Auschwitz and had them chemically tested for cyanide. Lipstadt goes on for pages and pages about his credentials but only spends maybe a paragraph on the key question: is there or isn't there cyanide residue in the walls of the gas chambers and how much?
This would have been a more interesting book if she had been a least shown a little nuance in considering people's motivations rather than just calling everyone a Nazi. For example, Rassinier was a French leftist who himself was a political prisoner in several of the German camps. Whatever his motivations, he does not sound like a textbook Nazi to me.
She also neglects epistemology entirely. She just says "it" is self-evident and is not up for debate. That obviously isn't true of history in general, and she doesn't explain why the Holocaust is uniquely beyond historical critique; that is to say, she doesn't say how we determine the precise boundaries of "it" and whether "it" can be redefined on the margins and by what process. Her implicit argument seems to be a practical one: that the people that do it are politically motivated and do not act in good faith. She may well be substantially correct, yet I still find her take lacking and philosophically unsatisfying.
Lipstadt at several points claims to support free speech but she is frankly unconvincing in this. People have been jailed for this stuff in many countries. The US does not yet have these kinds laws, but there is considerable private censorship, including on this very website which has banned many dozens of Holocaust books.
Other Sellers on Amazon
$9.52
+ $3.99 shipping
+ $3.99 shipping
Sold by:
KnowledgePond
Sold by:
KnowledgePond
(8304 ratings)
88% positive over last 12 months
88% positive over last 12 months
In stock.
Usually ships within 3 to 4 days.
Shipping rates
and
Return policy
Usually ships within 3 to 4 days.
Add to book club
Loading your book clubs
There was a problem loading your book clubs. Please try again.
Not in a club?
Learn more
Join or create book clubs
Choose books together
Track your books
Bring your club to Amazon Book Clubs, start a new book club and invite your friends to join, or find a club that’s right for you for free.
Flip to back
Flip to front
Follow the Author
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.
OK
Denying the Holocaust: The Growing Assault on Truth and Memory Paperback – July 1, 1994
by
Deborah E. Lipstadt
(Author)
|
Deborah E. Lipstadt
(Author)
Find all the books, read about the author, and more.
See search results for this author
|
|
Price
|
New from | Used from |
Great on Kindle
Great Experience. Great Value.
Putting our best book forward
Each Great on Kindle book offers a great reading experience, at a better value than print to keep your wallet happy.
Explore your book, then jump right back to where you left off with Page Flip.
View high quality images that let you zoom in to take a closer look.
Enjoy features only possible in digital – start reading right away, carry your library with you, adjust the font, create shareable notes and highlights, and more.
Discover additional details about the events, people, and places in your book, with Wikipedia integration.
Enjoy a great reading experience when you buy the Kindle edition of this book.
Learn more about Great on Kindle, available in select categories.
-
Print length304 pages
-
LanguageEnglish
-
PublisherPlume
-
Publication dateJuly 1, 1994
-
Dimensions5.99 x 0.77 x 8.97 inches
-
ISBN-109780452272743
-
ISBN-13978-0452272743
The Amazon Book Review
Book recommendations, author interviews, editors' picks, and more. Read it now.
Enter your mobile number or email address below and we'll send you a link to download the free Kindle App. Then you can start reading Kindle books on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.
-
Apple
-
Android
-
Windows Phone
-
Android
|
Download to your computer
|
Kindle Cloud Reader
|
Frequently bought together
Customers who viewed this item also viewed
Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1
Get everything you need
Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1
Editorial Reviews
Review
Praise for Denying the Holocaust
“Important and impassioned... A comprehensive account of Holocaust denial, particularly from an American perspective and particularly for the reader with little prior knowledge of the subject. It rigorously traces the movement's roots and development both in this country and abroad, describes the ways the deniers have managed to focus attention on their arguments in both educational institutions and the news media, and explores the susceptibility of Americans, as well as others, to their arguments.”—Walter Reich, New York Times
“Lipstadt, who has been sued for libel by Holocaust denier David Irving, was the first to call attention to the rapidly expanding movement to deny that the Holocaust ever took place. In this groundbreaking analysis, she profiles the deniers and explains their viewpoints and exposes the rabid anti-Semitism at the heart of Holocaust denial and the very serious threat it poses.”—Donna Seaman, Booklist
“Important and impassioned... A comprehensive account of Holocaust denial, particularly from an American perspective and particularly for the reader with little prior knowledge of the subject. It rigorously traces the movement's roots and development both in this country and abroad, describes the ways the deniers have managed to focus attention on their arguments in both educational institutions and the news media, and explores the susceptibility of Americans, as well as others, to their arguments.”—Walter Reich, New York Times
“Lipstadt, who has been sued for libel by Holocaust denier David Irving, was the first to call attention to the rapidly expanding movement to deny that the Holocaust ever took place. In this groundbreaking analysis, she profiles the deniers and explains their viewpoints and exposes the rabid anti-Semitism at the heart of Holocaust denial and the very serious threat it poses.”—Donna Seaman, Booklist
About the Author
Deborah E. Lipstadt is Dorot Professor of Modern Jewish History and Holocaust Studies at Emory University. She is the author of History on Trial: My Day in Court with David Irving (a National Jewish Book Award winner); Denying the Holocaust: The Growing Assault on Truth and Memory; and Beyond Belief: The American Press and the Coming of the Holocaust, 1933–1945. She lives in Atlanta.
Start reading Denying the Holocaust on your Kindle in under a minute.
Don't have a Kindle? Get your Kindle here, or download a FREE Kindle Reading App.
Don't have a Kindle? Get your Kindle here, or download a FREE Kindle Reading App.
Product details
- ASIN : 0452272742
- Publisher : Plume; Reprint edition (July 1, 1994)
- Language : English
- Paperback : 304 pages
- ISBN-10 : 9780452272743
- ISBN-13 : 978-0452272743
- Item Weight : 11.8 ounces
- Dimensions : 5.99 x 0.77 x 8.97 inches
-
Best Sellers Rank:
#744,775 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #411 in Jewish Social Studies
- #912 in History of Judaism
- #941 in Censorship & Politics
- Customer Reviews:
Customer reviews
4.7 out of 5 stars
4.7 out of 5
145 global ratings
How are ratings calculated?
To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzes reviews to verify trustworthiness.
Top reviews
Top reviews from the United States
There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.
Reviewed in the United States on March 3, 2019
Verified Purchase
12 people found this helpful
Report abuse
Reviewed in the United States on January 12, 2019
Verified Purchase
Dr. Lipstadt has produced an excellent account of Holocaust Deniers which is troubling because the Deniers continue their assault on truth. It is a necessary read for those who study the Holocaust as the Deniers accounts continue to spread online and in print. Recognizing them is essential in the battle for truth and to remember the Holocaust for the unique evil that it was.
5 people found this helpful
Report abuse
Reviewed in the United States on September 20, 2019
Verified Purchase
And this book describes what is happening today from various sources. There are those who are trying to deny history. And it would be dangerous to allow that to happen. If we don't know history, if we don't learn about it in our early years, we may end up believing that some history never happened which would make humanity vulnerable to witnessing a repetition of evils.
One person found this helpful
Report abuse
Reviewed in the United States on August 29, 2017
Verified Purchase
This book traces the history of Holocaust denial. Convincing and well-researched, Lipstadt's study is a solid work on the formation and significance of the neofascist movement. Her argument, that the distortion of historical truth threatens human society, is alarming and still relevant to America today. Worth a read.
5 people found this helpful
Report abuse
Reviewed in the United States on February 13, 2019
Verified Purchase
Holocaust denial is such a disturbing subject, but Dr. Lipstadt gives a very engaging account of the evolution of a sub-industry of lies and the liars that tell them. I would read this and learn the history behind the pseudo-history, then folllow this up reading her other book "History on Trial", or see the movie "Denial" which is based on that book.
One person found this helpful
Report abuse
Reviewed in the United States on May 17, 2000
Verified Purchase
This is a carefully researched and well written study of what holocaust deniers and revisionists have been saying and writing since the late 1940s. Ms Lipstadt makes very clear their political agendas, sometimes hidden and sometimes not, such as anti-semitism and the political rehabilitation of nazism. Of course, a lot has happened since the book's publication in 1994: changes in the law on racial incitement and holocaust denial, the unsuccessful lawsuit of David Irving, amongst others, and the huge expansion of hate sites on the internet. Indeed, the internet is now (unlike in 1994) the main media outlet for those wishing to deny the existence of gas chambers at Auschwitz or claiming that allied crimes were worse than nazi ones. The author suggests rightly that holocaust deniers will increasingly try to find a respectable and intellectual image for their claims. This the net allows them to do. It is perhaps desirable that a revised edition of this book appears soon to analyse more recent developments. Ms Lipstadt's account of the odd careers of many deniers, such as self-styled expert on gas chambers Fred Leuchter, is masterful. She really does know her enemies.
36 people found this helpful
Report abuse
Top reviews from other countries
Miss Lesley Carol Saunders
5.0 out of 5 stars
Very good.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 16, 2020Verified Purchase
Incredible facts and story.
Leonard Miller
5.0 out of 5 stars
Top class read
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 28, 2018Verified Purchase
Very informative reading
Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars
Five Stars
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 22, 2018Verified Purchase
An interesting and important book.
Louise mcveigh
5.0 out of 5 stars
Important part of history
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 26, 2018Verified Purchase
Good book
Fred Arshoff
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good read
Reviewed in Canada on April 28, 2020Verified Purchase
Deborah Lipstadt-- Denying The Holocaust
54th book read in 2020
I purchased this book used as I saw a good review of it and when read it was close to Passover and normally during Jewish holidays I like to read a book on Jewish things.
This book was a good read and has a huge section on notes where the informsation came from This in an older book published in 1994.
Forty years ago, such notions were the province of pseudohistorians who argued that Hitler never meant to kill the Jews, and that only a few hundred thousand died in the camps from disease; they also argued that the Allied bombings of Dresden and other cities were worse than any Nazi offense, and that the Germans were the "true victims" of World War II. For years, those who made such claims were dismissed as harmless cranks operating on the lunatic fringe.
But over the past decade they have begun to gain a hearing in respectable arenas, and now, in the first full-scale history of Holocaust denial, Deborah Lipstadt shows how - despite tens of thousands of living witnesses and vast amounts of documentary evidence - this irrational idea not only has continued to gain adherents but has become an international movement, with organized chapters, "independent" research centers, and official publications that promote a "revisionist" view of recent history.
One sign of the movement's disturbing resonance is the rise of such figures as the Holocaust denier David Duke to national prominence. Holocaust deniers have also begun to make common cause with radical Afrocentrists such as Leonard Jeffries of New York's City University, who retells racist myths about the Jews; and a recent campaign of ads in college newspapers calling for "open debate" on "so-called facts" about the Holocaust suggests a bold new bid for mainstream intellectual legitimacy.
I would give this book 4*
54th book read in 2020
I purchased this book used as I saw a good review of it and when read it was close to Passover and normally during Jewish holidays I like to read a book on Jewish things.
This book was a good read and has a huge section on notes where the informsation came from This in an older book published in 1994.
Forty years ago, such notions were the province of pseudohistorians who argued that Hitler never meant to kill the Jews, and that only a few hundred thousand died in the camps from disease; they also argued that the Allied bombings of Dresden and other cities were worse than any Nazi offense, and that the Germans were the "true victims" of World War II. For years, those who made such claims were dismissed as harmless cranks operating on the lunatic fringe.
But over the past decade they have begun to gain a hearing in respectable arenas, and now, in the first full-scale history of Holocaust denial, Deborah Lipstadt shows how - despite tens of thousands of living witnesses and vast amounts of documentary evidence - this irrational idea not only has continued to gain adherents but has become an international movement, with organized chapters, "independent" research centers, and official publications that promote a "revisionist" view of recent history.
One sign of the movement's disturbing resonance is the rise of such figures as the Holocaust denier David Duke to national prominence. Holocaust deniers have also begun to make common cause with radical Afrocentrists such as Leonard Jeffries of New York's City University, who retells racist myths about the Jews; and a recent campaign of ads in college newspapers calling for "open debate" on "so-called facts" about the Holocaust suggests a bold new bid for mainstream intellectual legitimacy.
I would give this book 4*
What other items do customers buy after viewing this item?
Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1
Pages with related products.
See and discover other items: history of censorship, museum studies, great historical speeches











