Europe Books

Being a fan of Walter Lord's impeccably researched book "A Night to Remember," I was instantly intrigued upon learning of "The Night Lives On." I had had several lingering questions for years: why was an order given to turn the ship starboard when the iceberg eventually hit starboard? How, specifically, was the matter of the Californian's involvement dealt with? Which theories about "the gash" don't pan out? All of my questions and more were painstakingly answered as if I had asked Mr. Lord for an explanation myself. His ingenius weaving of history, statistics, personal testimonies, and logic, blended into an easily understandable format, made my love of the Titanic's story grow even more. Anyone can buy one book and know the generalities of the ship. But this book goes above and beyond to educate those already acquainted with the story and wanting a much more in-depth look.

WALTER LORD DOES IT AGAIN. HE BRINGS IT ALL TO LIFE. A MUST HAVE FOR ALL "TITANIC" FANS!

I picked up this audiocasette due to curiosity. The information packed tape was interesting, and even made me angry because this tragedy did not have to happen. Like people say, most tragedies are a string of unfortunate events coming together at the same time. I don't think the sinking of this liner is anything different. It gives a glimpse into the technological limitations of the day, the caste system of the gilded age, and the prevailing seaman's attitude of the time. After listening to this (and reading The Perfect Storm), my interest was certainly piqued. I ordered some books on the Titanic and the SS Edmund Fitzgerald, and can't wait until they get here.

Walter Lord follows up his best seller of the fifties-A Night to Remember--with this eighties version on some mysteries about the sunken liner. One learns about the musicians (two groups actually) and what they played that night while the life boats were being loaded. Another story details the negligence of the freighter Californian for not answering the eight rockets of distress from the Titanic. Another story details the shootings and suicide near the end of the launch of the last life boats. Still another story details why there were not enough life boats on the Titanic and most other ocean liners of the day. Walter Lord clears the air about these mysteries with his well informed writing.
If you want to know more about the Titanic, read both Lord's books on the subject (A Night to Remember, The Night Lives On). They will help the reader understand this tragedy. I have seen the movie and I know the producers consulted these books when they made the movie.

Calling this 'the sequel to _A Night to Remember_' is slightly misleading. Rather than the storytelling style employed to relate the story of the sinking of the Titanic, this is almost a collection of 17 1-chapter essays about various points of the disaster. Excellent stuff, but if you were expecting, say, the story of the Congressional and Parliamentary investigations of the disaster, you need to look elsewhere, e.g. Wyn Craig Wade's _The Titanic: End of a Dream_.

"Unsinkable Subject" - Overview of the popular fascination with Titanic.

"What's in a Name?" - The actual launching of Titanic from Harland & Wolff's shipyards.

"Legendary from the Start" - Titanic was indeed popularly supposed to be unsinkable, but the trend of sacrificing safety features for competitiveness had actually taken hold during her design.

"Had Ships Gotten Too Big for Captain Smith?" - Explores Smith's record, including a near-collision in harbor with Titanic's sister ship, the Olympic.

"Our Coterie" - The group of first class passengers, including Col. Gracie, mentioned in _A Night to Remember_.

"Everything Was Against Us" - Contrasts the ice warnings, lack of coordination between radio room & bridge, and lookouts, with the notion that the accident was a one-in-a-million chance.

"The Gash" - The collision itself.

"I Was Very Soft the Day I Signed That" - How and why ships the size of Titanic could legally sail while carrying so few lifeboats.

"What Happened to the Goodwins?" - Facts and figures about 1st class vs. 3rd, contrasting White Star's implication that those people down there couldn't understand English, with the Goodwin family (an electrical engineer and his family, emigrating from London to New York, all of whom were lost, including the 6-year-old).

"Shots in the Dark" - Explores the stories about Murdoch, one of the officers loading the lifeboats, and whether shots were fired.

"The Sound of Music" - An in-depth look at the "Nearer My God to Thee" myth, and the 2 bands on the Titanic. (I was aggravated to learn that that entire, touching sequence with the cornet in _Raise the Titanic!_, which I loved as a kid, was made up from whole cloth - the musicians were just as courageous as the movie made them out to be, but no cornet players.) And if you're a professional musician who thinks *your* agent is heartless, wait till you read this.

"She's Gone" - Compares the eyewitness accounts of Titanic's last moments with what we now know.

"The Electric Spark" Captain Rostron of the Carpathia, who picked up the survivors at great personal risk.

"A Certain Amount of Slackness" Discussion of Captain Lord (no relation to the author) of the Californian, in sharp contrast to the preceding chapter.

"Second-guessing" - The inquiries and subsequent litigation (Lord's treatment of Senator Smith should be contrasted with Wade's more detailed treatment, but then Wade has a whole book to play with).

"Why Was Craganour Disqualified?" What happened to some of the survivors. (Craganour, owned by a member of the Ismay family, was disqualified from winning a major British horse race.)

"Unlocking the Ocean's Secret" - The search for the Titanic, leading up to Robert Ballard's successful attempt in 1985 (written before others began plundering the ship for relics).

Ted Lawson's first-person tale of America's first blow back at the Empire of Japan is a "must read" for anyone interested in military history. The first book published on the Doolittle Raid, Lawson's narrative describes the genesis, preparation, and execution of the raid, and should be followed with a reading of Doolittle's autobiography, in which Doolittle describes his mission as well as his despair after bailing out of his B-25. Little did either of them suspect that a raid intended to boost American morale would have strategic consequences, and that Japan would divert badly needed resources to home defense that otherwise would have gone to the front lines.

Well told story of the Doolittle raid told by one of the pilots on the raid. The story is about the pre-raid, the raid itself, and the aftermath, which tells about the injuries sustained by Capt. Lawson and his crew and the help they received from missionaires and the Chinese in escaping capture by the Japanese. He also relates the stories of some of the other crews on the raid.

This is a tense account of the Doolittle Raid on Tokyo in the spring of 1942. World War II pilot Ted Lawson describes the pre-raid preparation, taking off from the aircraft carrier Hornet, attacking Tokyo, and crash landing his B-25 bomber in Japanese-occupied China. As many know, the B-25's took off farther out to sea than planned after the Hornet was spotted while approaching Japan. With too little fuel to reach the safety of Chinese lines, the crews bailed out or crash land in Japanese-occupied China. The surviving airmen then tried to avoid Japanese army patrols and find help from friendly Chinese. Most flyers did so despite the language barrier and survived. But Lawson was injured in the crash-landing, and when infection set in his leg was amputated in a field hospital. Lawson survived, returned to the USA, and wrote this book in a matter of days in 1943. The story is often gripping but loses a bit of steam later on - thus just four stars.

I read this book as a youngster for its thrill value without fully realizing that war is mostly tragedy rather than adventure. The book became a 1944 film starring Van Johnson, Robert Walker and Robert Mitchum. As for Lawson, he returned with his wife to California where he eventually ran a machine shop and he lived until 1992.

It a first person account of the Doolittle raid over Tokyo in 1942, written by one of the B-25 pilots from the raid. It covers his story from flight school all the way through his eventual return to the United States. Its an amazing story, especially the crews crash in China and the 5 month ordeal of evading the Japanese. It is a great book for younger readers with its fast pace and informaly written style.

I first read this book so many years ago that I can't remember, but I think it was about when I was in the eighth grade, say about 1955. I remember the book, and I remember the Van Johnson movie. The scene where the Chinese peasant brings Van Johnson the pair of slippers only to see that he has lost one leg stays with me even now. ==This is a classic book. It was written by one of the pilots on the Doolittle raid over Japan. In fact it was the character played by Van Johnson, Lt. Ted W. Lawson, that wrote this book.

This book, these men as much as any other that I can think of illustrates exactly what Tom Brokaw had in mind when he referred to them as the 'greatest generation.' Especially so when you talk to one of them and they invariably tell you they were not a hero. Heros were the ones who didn't come back. Heros were the other guys. I was just doing my job. Heros they were all.

Read this book. Read it again if you read it years ago. Give a copy to that youngster in your family or church that you think will appreciate it.

This is an exciting autobiography, which I have read and reread over the years. Of particular interest is the author's introduction into the SAS.

This book will become a permanent fixture in your library.

Pre WWII, Maclean finagled trips through parts of the USSR where no westerner had previously been, even crossing into Afghanistan from the north at one point. He spent much of WWI aiding Marshal Tito's effort to drive the Germans out of the Balkans. Fascinating stuff, this, eloquently written and he's a damn good storyteller.

This book is of great historical value. The narration is witty and elegant. I would recomant it to everybody interested in European history.

Great entertaining read, although it is said to have inspired Ian Fleming to write James Bond, this story is worth a place on the silver screen.

This is a truly unique book and comparable only with Churchill's 'My Early Life' as an adventure history. Some people write adventure books, some people have adventures but Fitzroy McLean, like Churchill, or TE Lawrence, is able to do both. A rare treat and very easy to read.

the illustrations and delightful story of Eloise in Paris with Nanny and all of their pets. Almost as delightful as the original, if you and/or your children liked the first book, you will like this one too. I promise, i promise, i promise....

I love Kay Thompson and ordered this for my great-niece without ever having read an Eloise book. It certainly has the feel of a different era (one moment of Eloise swatting the doctor and him ordering a Johnny Walker Black) but the flair, exhuberance and open personality of Eloise makes it "tres drole". Just remember to read it fast and without taking a breath. Pure fun.

Eloise's First trip to Paris, is unforgetable.
With her Nanny (Nanny), Turtle (Skiperdee), and her Dog (Weenie)...It's a Treasure. It's a keeper. It's great. A+

Eloise gets a telegram one day from her mum inviting her and Nanny to come over to Paris. Eloise can't wait. She falls onto the French capital like an American storm and goes just about everywhere. She dines, sightsees, meets locals, gets a dress made just for her by none other than M. Dior, and she eats so much she gains "rawther" a lot of weight. In the end, Eloise misses the Plaza and is happy about her return home to New York. In a nice touch, in the doorway above the famous old hotel Eloise and Nanny call home, a big banner hangs, and it reads, "Welcome Back Eloise!" Eloise has gone full circle and we feel we've taken every galloping step along the way with her. Yet another fun and charming volume in the Eloise series from Kay Thompson and Hillary Knight!

I'm 32 years old and I LOVE Eloise - she is an absolutely delightful character! I have bought several of the Eloise books for my 5 year old daughter and she just loves Eloise as well. How fun and inspiring is it for a little girl to read about a character as whimsical and independent as Eloise?

The illustrations in this book are fantastic and really bring Paris to life for children. I have read this book at least 100 times to my daughter, and each time I enjoy it more. My daughter now wants a champagne cork necklace just like Eloise...thanks Kay Thompson for laughs you have allowed my daughter and me to share!

I adore this book. It makes me wish I lived on the plains of Hungary on a ranch like this family. The Good Master is the story of two twelve year old cousins growing up and learning what it is to be a good, respectful and hardworking person. Jansci, the son of the "Good Master", is excited for his cousin Kate to come from Budapest to live with them. That is until she gets there. She is not used to living in the country and gets into many different "adventures". The time setting is about 1900 because the next book The Singing Tree is about WWI. The Good Master is just a wonderful book that everyone will love.

This was my favorite book from my childhood-- it is a classic children's novel full of great Hungarian folktales and tall tales. It is very autobiographical for the author. Kate Seredy should be an author every child reads at least sometime. I still love this book and bought it to give to my child's teacher.

This is a wonderful book forupper elementary or Jr. High girls who just love horses...which is a big section of this age group. The extra bonus is that it gives them a broader picture of girls/horses than the usual stories of girls and their horses in America....this is a great story of a culture and time much removed from their own sphere of experience.

This book and it's sequel, The Singing Tree, are the reasons that I am such an avid book reader. My mother read this book to me as a child, and when I have children, I will read this to them as well.
This story is a wonderful tale about life in a different time and a different place, and the best things in life.

My sixth grade teacher read it to me in 1961. I became a teacher and have read it to hundreds of students as well as my own two children. It should be on a required reading list. It is a simple but delightful tale that centers on family, love and hard work.

This is a great book, all of Kapuscinski`s books are great. It takes you for a journey you don`t expect. Great style and I always regret it`s over, after I finish to read his book.

I purchased this book after reading about the author in the Wall Street Journal. He died earlier this year. The author, a journalist, kept two notebooks while on assignments throughout the world, one for his assignment and one for himself. In this book he combined his observations from several trips he took within Russia and its states over a span of many decades. At times his writing style can be quite poetic, and the book is not unlike a travel book, although Soviet Russia was not a friendly place at the times of his visits. I intend to read his other books, and highly recommend this one.

As stated in most of the reviews of this book, Kapuscinski is a great writer. If you have not read him allready, read this book and understand why. If you allready have read him, you are going to read this book based on what you allready have learned to know.

Having given Kapuscinski the credit he obviously deserves for his writing, I believe there is some points that should be done.

-First Kapuscinski stands on the shoulders of giants. His writing is to a great extent the result of the local people that he meets on his journeys and agrees to open their region and their lifes to him.

-Kapuscinski is a very gifted writer endeed, that have read a lot about the places and peoples that he visits. On one hand this is what always makes his writing so alive, something to go back to and read agian, so informative. On the other hand gret litterature sometimes can serve as a way of getting away with having little or nothing to really report from the battleground when his plan fails or when he does not get what he intended out of a trip. Striking examples of this is his journey at the Trans-siberian railway where he only observes the Soviet Union through the train window or to Nagarno Karabakh where he is stuck inside an airport, a car and a flat. That his stories is as intriguing, even when he hardly experience "what the war looks like on the ground" is a clear sign that his capabilities as dramaturg and writer can make up for a rather thin story. Even when he gets the chance to write the story he intended from a place he visits, the timeframe and the difficulties he worked under limits his insights compared to the writers that have covered the area afer him.

-Some paragraphs in the book makes me a bit uncertain about how good the translation is (my review is based upon the Norwegian translation). In the first chapter - Pinsk '39 the comment of a NKVD officer visiting their house "Muzh kuda?" is traslated "where is your husband" instead of the correct "Where have your husband gone", meaning that the NKVD officer allready knows that he has recently been in the house, meaning someone has infomed the NKVD that Kapuscinski's father (a hunted partisan) has recently been in the house. Things like this is not a big deal, but it makes you start thinking about the quality of the translation in general and if it can be the case that the author underplays the role of ordinary people as informers in the terror.

-In his story about the war in Pinsk 1939, his memory of the events as a child probably is an important expalianation behind the qualities of the stories. In the memory of a child events that would probably be described as horrorful and sad by a grown up, in the eyes of a smal shild gets exciting, intriguing, colorful and down to earth.

All in all, Kapuscinski is good reading and Imperium is a great intruduciton to the former Soviet Republics. To get true insight in the contemporary former Soviet Republics, you will need further reading though.

Perhaps history will never be told better than through the eye of this travelling writer (or is it a writing traveller?). Read and be awed by the staggering proportions of recent history in the vast empire that is no more, the Sovjet Union. And be chilled to the bones by the unimaginable amounts of suffering inflicted by the sovjet leaders on their own people. And be astonished that in the midst of the most utter despair, poverty, and enslavement, Kapuscinski can find optimism, humor, and love of life.

A lyrical masterpiece by this superlative writer! Nowhere have I found a dissection of the Evil Empire done with such fluid verse. He goes from the periphery into the heart of the beast and everywhere he discovers that appearances deceive and what seems to signal change is really a re-hash of old. Kapuczinski's sharp analysis and trenchant comments will be sorely missed!

This book was written in 1959 by a young French Jewish man who fought with the French resistance, was himself imprisoned, and somehow survived the holocaust. Mythical and artistic and touched with a bit of magic realism, it is the story of the persecution of the Jews in Europe in the context of history dating back to the eleventh century. The basic premise is a fictional Jewish myth of 36 just men, one from each generation, who absorb the burden of humanity's suffering so that mankind can survive.

The first third of the book relates one gruesome story after another, all the in the context of Jewish persecution as it moves through different historical periods, with some of the stories even including a bit of humor. It gave me the feeling of the inevitability of Jewish suffering and how long it has been going on. Once this concept is firmly established we are soon in the beginning of the twentieth century and are introduced to a family in the Polish ghetto. Each one becomes an individual and I was drawn into the personalities, especially the courtship and marriage of a young couple who later figure prominently in the story. We watch them move from Poland to Germany and then to France, each time hoping for a better life. We meet their grandchild, Ernie Levy, as a child in Germany, suffering the mental and physical violence of his schoolmates. Later, we see him as a young man in France, as the Nazi war machine moves in. Always, we are aware of the realities of history and the horrors that still await him as he gradually realizes his fate as the "last of the just men". Eventually he and the woman he loves await death in a concentration camp surrounded by Jewish children who have all lost their parents. I shuddered throughout at the awfulness of it all. But I just couldn't stop reading.

This book is a small masterpiece and a literary gem. Yes, it is sad. It is very sad. And yet, there is beauty in it too, and love and courage. I will never forget the impact it had on me. I give it my highest recommendation. It is a true work of art.

An immensely illuminating and personal history of the Jewish people. It educates and elicits emotional response. Brilliantly written. Essential for anyone interested in Jewish history.

The Last of the Just
THis novel ,in my opinionis the greatest,most moving and most unllifting book about the holocaust ever written; about a jewish boy ,a just man ,in the midst of NAzi Germany and finally the concentration camps.The belief that there a a finite number of Just men ,who keep the balance of goodness in the world, in any given generation and the holocaust ,by killing them tipped a cosmic balance is a powerful . I first read it over 20years ago and I have never forgotten it .It is one of the world's great books .
I have just replaced my copy { my old one stolen by book lover]because it bears a re read often to remind us all of us may be "just men/womenTHe world can then will be a better place . Read this book to remind yourself of your humanity and that of others who suffer .

My father got me this book and it took me a few years to get around to reading it. After I did, I found "The Last of the Just" to be quite a memorable story, to say the least. Once you get a couple of chapters into the story, it becomes emotionally gripping as you begin to get to know the characters. The story weaves together fiction and legend against a historical backdrop. The writing is poetic, haunting and beautiful. To me, the spiritual and emotional depth of this novel is unmatched. I plan to read this again some time, after taking some time to digest the entirety of this story. This book is definately a first-class work of art in my opinion.

This book is a deeply personal account of a Jewish family in the 19th and 20th centuries. Part of it's power comes from following the lives of the family well before the holocaust began... thus showing that anti-semitism was not only a Nazi trait and making the continually worsening conditions even harder to bear in contrast to their lives before. Ernie Levy, our main anti-hero, is so real. Every moment of his roller coaster of life is so charged with real emotions and desires that you cannot help but be 100% invested in what happens to him. The paragraph on the final page is possibly one of the most powerful in all of literature. I finished this book two days ago, and am already ready to read it again. It is a cleansing, miraculous experience.

The part that most struck me was when he wrote "Before the war would end, little Austria would supply nearly half of the staff of all Nazi concentration camps and death camps." and the story he tells of being a boy in Vienna in March 1938 "when Hitler entered the city and found a quarter of a million people rapturously cheering him". He says his cousin Sonja still lives in Vienna "where the citizens now call themselves victims....hoping to keep their secret from the rest of the world". Hitler was an Austrian and so was the head of the Gestapo Kaltenbrunner and many many other Nazi's.

I just finished this book, I coulnt beleive the outcome of it.It was so shocking to hear all of this. I couldn't put it down. Im very interested in the Holocaust, even though im not a surviver, but it is so interesting on how people were back in WWII, it amazes me that people had to go through all of this..I would diffently reccommend this. Thanks to Leo and Michael, to share such a tragic story and a big and unhumian peice of your life, a peice of history..Best Wishes

an incredible story about the human spirit and the will to live against all odds.

I've read several books about the holocaust,whether their authors were survivors of the death camps, survivors on the run, or even non-Jews who helped others survive by hiding them. This book was an incredible story. His escapes were brave and amazing. I'm always looking for more stories such as this, it is amazing to me, there are so many stories, I want to know them all. If you have any other recommendations, e-mail me at Stacy1212@aol.com. Great book, must read.

Well, the writer is my Grandpa. I am 10 years old so I read it early. My mom helped me out a lot. But thats not exactly a bad thing! Everytime I came to a word I didn't know she would tell me. My mom really could help because my mom was even the one who read it and edited it so she was one of the first, and that really helped because she knew the whole story. I first thought it wasn't such a bad tradgedy of what he did, but after I accually read it, I really changed my mind! If you have not read it, you really got to. Even if you are ten like me, try and you will really like it! Expeccially read it if you like biographies and autobiographies, cause this is an autobiography! Even if you don't like non-fiction, read it anyway! This is so cool that it sounds impossible, and im it sounds impossible it's as fiction as any other book!

"The Romanovs: Love, Power & Tragedy" is perhaps the best book on the last Imperial Family of Russia. Its aim is to not only tell the story through written text, but also through large, beautiful photographs - some which have never been published elsewhere, and most specially, through the very words of the Imperial Family themselves. It begins with the Tsar's and Tsarina's childhood, to their courtship and marriage, coronation, their family life, the 300th anniversary of Romanov rule, the Great War, and to the Tsar's abdication, his family's imprisonment and later their execution. It is not an ordinary book, but is so lovely and charming and will surely be treasured and cherished.

This wonderful book contains beautiful pictures of the last Romanovs. I own about 50 books related to Tsar Nicholas II, and this one is my favorite!

This book is too good for words!!!! The pictures are wonderful and the text is just as good. I suggest this book to anyone. It is worth it!!!

If you are the type of Romanov buff that really enjoys seeing a good deal of photos of the family as you read, then this is the book you need to get. This book is awsome, the pages are filled with photographs of the family. Some of the pictures take up the entire page. The photographs range from Nicholas's family, to Alexandra's family, and then to the family they made together as the Tsar and Tsarina of Russia. Some of the photographs are really rare, that have not been seen in other books. You will really appreciate that when you look through this truly well accomplished book.
When you have had your fun looking at all the great photographs thats when you should start to sit down and read the book. The text is so rich and well written. The author goes into great detail in describing the life of this wonderful family. Each major event of their life is carefully laid out into a well researched story. It's an easy read that is not at all boring or misleading. The book is not entirely political, which is a big plus to me. If you just want to educate yourself more on this extrodinary family, don't get a book that is completely focused on Russian politics of the period. This book is the one to buy and trust me it is well worth the money.

This book is THE best pictorial/essay on the last Romanovs. I am a Russian history buff and probably have most, if not all, books on the Romanov family (up to this last Tsar-Nicholas II) and this book is by far the most interesting and fascinating with many photos that have never been published before. This book remains close at hand since I find that I go back to it to either re-read, or use as a reference as I am reading another book. It definately belongs in your library if you find that this time in history is of interest to you.

Auschwitz by Laurence Rees provides a compelling look at one of the darkest deeds in human history. Including first hand accounts from SS and prisoner alike, the book traces the history of the infamous camp from its origin as a work camp through its evolution into one of the most "productive" death camps. Rees delves into the myriad factors that created Auschwitz and how the camp's mission changed as the war progressed. The history of the "Final Solution" is detailed as well and Rees also describes several of the other camps and how they paralleled or were different from Auschwitz.

I had read accounts of the Holocaust before, but this book was incredibly detailed. The personal accounts were often gut-wrenching, especially some of the SS interviews in which there was often no regret expressed, in fact often the opposite. Not only a history of Auschwitz, but of Jewish persecution, the book provided information I hadn't heard before. There were a few accounts the author concluded the book with in which several Jews returned to their homes, only to find them gone or in someone else's possession. This was a side to the Holocaust I hadn't been consciously aware of, but probably should have guessed at The book was well written and quick paced, the material repugnant, but important to remember. Books like this need to be written and read, so that we never allow these events to simply pass into history or their magnitude diluted with time.

I just visited Auschwitz and Birkenhau prison camps and the book "Auschwitz-A New History" placed all this into perspective. The author writes the book purely from a historical researched point of view rather than from personal point of view. The book is very good reading and an excellent historical document.

I expected this to be a detailed presentation on how Auschwitz worked. Instead it was all over the place, with large portions talking about Sobibor; human interest stories; and how Jews were transported from Denmark, Slovakia, and France. This book should have focused on Auschwitz.

Most history books tend to get bogged down in their own data and dry writing style. What makes "Auschwitz" stand out as one of the most important books ever on the infamous concentration and death camp (there were both in many locations in Nazi Germany) is its readability - accurate but poignant and full of the drama that the subject provided.
Rees offers staggering information concerning the camp - the horrifying conditions for those selected to work and die as soon as they were unable to work any more - others "selected" outright for murder, most commonly by gas and guns, and even the occasional breakouts and shows of kindness, sometimes even by the SS troops who ran the camp.
Combined with the horrors of other concentration and death camps like Bergen-Belsen, the first discovered by British troops, Treblinka, Dachau and smaller camps that are not as well known, over six million Jews, gypsies and political "enemies" died at the hands of Hitler and Heinrich Himmler, easily Hitler's equal for depravity and pure hatred.
It is mind boggling how anybody can deny the events here, or the Holocaust in general. Yet Rees doesn't ignore naysayers who still try to deny such atrocities ever took place. Such denials belong in the same category as those who believe the earth is hollow, the moon visits were faked in a Hollywood studio or, believe it or not, that the Earth does not revolve around the sun!! This was opined by a state representative from, I believe, South Carolina just in the last few weeks.
We must remember too that the hate that leads to genocides is present in all of us and still occurs with regularity. We cannot forget Stalin's murder of 25 million Soviets, Pol Pot's Khmer Rouge, Idi Amin, and Rhodesia and Darfur. We still have troops in Kosovo after the "ethnic cleansing" that took place in the mid '90's.
Understanding what we, as humans are capable of, good and evil, gives us a better perspective on our behavior. We see in "Auschwitz" how "normal" people, placed in horrible situations, could turn murderous, callous and numb to what they were forced to do. We also see how some preferred death to killing others. It's not a fun read, but it should be in every high school classroom.

When considering the history of the Holocaust, Auschwitz and extermination are synonymous, as it should be for the 1.1 million people who were killed by the Nazis at this concentration camp alone. Yet as Laurence Rees sets out to show in "Auschwitz: A New History", the camp's beginnings were a far cry from its final stages. Like other concentration camps within the Nazi's network, Auschwitz evolved as Hitler and the SS found themselves further forced to eliminate their self-imposed "Jewish problem".

Rees begins his history with an examination of the camp's beginnings, built by prisoners of war and meant to serve a myriad of research and industrial purposes. Heinrich Himmler and camp commandant Rudolf Hoss discussed various strategies for using the Auschwitz 'Zone of Interest' - as agricultural research center to coal factory, neither seemingly forseeing the infamous nature it would assume as the war progressed and fortunes turned for the Nazi party. Filled with eye-witness accounts and personal interviews, "Auschwitz: A New History" is a chilling testimony of the Nazi's cold-blooded attempt to exterminate an entire people.

Rees' examination, though compact, is complete. He offers not only the eye-witness accounts and hard facts, but is able to debunk the theories that Holocaust deniers and Nazi sympathizers have seized upon. The greatest power this book holds is the testimony of the SS men themselves, men unabashed in their view of what transpired within the camp, men who cannot (to this day) see their actions as anything but right. They will not just deny their actions away by claiming they were "following orders".

It can often be difficult for someone who did not experience the atrocities firsthand to understand what life in Auschwitz was like: it is rightly difficult to grasp something so incomprehensible. Rees uncovers tender histories along with the harsh, moments of joy and love and the reality of daring escapes. By comparing Auschwitz to the other camps within the Nazi system, he is able to offer a complete picture of the greatest crime in history. Yet while his book has the added title of "How Mankind Committed the Ultimate Infamy at [Auschwitz]", the greater infamy lies in the fact that the majority of those responsible for the mass murder went unpunished, free to live the life they had taken away from so many others. And at the conclusion, Rees points to the very real fear that this may one day become just another piece of ancient history: the survivors and eyewitnesses are growing fewer, and the greatest infamy may be that one day Auschwitz is just another word, just another place in the history books. Lest we forget.