Synopses & Reviews
Hitler and the Holocaust is the product of a lifetime’s work by one of the world’s foremost authorities on the history of anti-Semitism and modern Jewry. Robert S. Wistrich begins by reckoning with Europe’s long history of violence against the Jews, and how that tradition manifested itself in Germany and Austria in the early twentieth century. He looks at the forces that shaped Hitler’s belief in a "Jewish menace" that must be eradicated, and the process by which, once Hitler gained power, the Nazi regime tightened the noose around Germany’s Jews. He deals with many crucial questions, such as when Hitler’s plans for mass genocide were finalized, the relationship between the Holocaust and the larger war, and the mechanism of authority by which power–and guilt–flowed out from the Nazi inner circle to "ordinary Germans," and other Europeans. He explains the infernal workings of the death machine, the nature of Jewish and other resistance, and the sad story of collaboration and indifference across Europe and America, and in the Church. Finally, Wistrich discusses the abiding legacy of the Nazi genocide, and the lessons that must be drawn from it. A work of commanding authority and insight, Hitler and the Holocaust is an indelible contribution to the literature of history.
Synopsis
The product of a lifetime's work by one of the world's foremost authorities on the subject, Hitler and the Holocaust deals with such key questions as the origins of Hitler's belief in a "satanic Jewish power" and the mechanisms of authority by which power -- and guilt -- flowed out from the Nazi inner circle to "ordinary Germans." In this "carefully crafted and engaging work" (The Jerusalem Post), Robert S. Wistrich explains the workings of the death machine, the nature of Jewish and other resistance, and the tragic story of collaboration and indifference across Europe and America. Scrupulously attentive to the legacy of the Holocaust and the lessons that can be drawn from it, Wistrich's book is an indelible contribution to the literature of history.
About the Author
Robert S. Wistrich is professor of modern Jewish history at Jerusalem’s Hebrew University, visiting fellow at the Royal Institute of Advanced Studies in the Netherlands, and visiting professor of history at Brandeis and Harvard universities. A regular contributor to the Times Literary Supplement, he is the author of many books.