The Holocaust : Origins, Implementation and Aftermath (Rewriting Histories)

Rating:
Summary: Superb collection for classroom use
Review: It would be hard to imagine a better, and certainly a more up-to-date, introduction to the Jewish holocaust and the scholarly controversies it has engendered. Omer Bartov, whose research on the role of the Wehrmacht (German army) in Nazi crimes has helped to shatter many comfortable myths about that key institution, here presents a selection of the best and most searching writings on the holocaust. The selections range from Raul Hilberg's analysis of European anti-Semitism (a reminder that many scholars had isolated this as key to the Nazis' policies long before Daniel Goldhagen made his "discoveries" in "Hitler's Willing Executioners"), to a meditation by Alan Finkielkraut on the Klaus Barbie trial and the notion of "crimes against humanity." Sandwiched in between is a fine overview of the functionalist/intentionalist controversy in holocaust scholarship (the debate over whether the holocaust was primarily the willed result of Hitler and other Nazi ideologues' hatred of the Jews, or an unplanned consequence of war, demographic policy, internecine rivalries, and bureaucratic momentum). Bartov has selected the essays with great sensitivity, and provided brief introductions to place them in scholarly, historical, and human context. A bonus is the inclusion of Primo Levi's unforgettable essay "The Gray Zone," which explores the politically-charged issue of Jews' coerced collaboration with the forces of mass murder. This book is ideal for introductory classes on the holocaust or genocide in general, and as a primer for those who want to find their feet in the scholarly debate, which shows no signs of waning.

Rating:
Summary: Superb collection for classroom use
Review: It would be hard to imagine a better, and certainly a more up-to-date, introduction to the Jewish holocaust and the scholarly controversies it has engendered. Omer Bartov, whose research on the role of the Wehrmacht (German army) in Nazi crimes has helped to shatter many comfortable myths about that key institution, here presents a selection of the best and most searching writings on the holocaust. The selections range from Raul Hilberg's analysis of European anti-Semitism (a reminder that many scholars had isolated this as key to the Nazis' policies long before Daniel Goldhagen made his "discoveries" in "Hitler's Willing Executioners"), to a meditation by Alan Finkielkraut on the Klaus Barbie trial and the notion of "crimes against humanity." Sandwiched in between is a fine overview of the functionalist/intentionalist controversy in holocaust scholarship (the debate over whether the holocaust was primarily the willed result of Hitler and other Nazi ideologues' hatred of the Jews, or an unplanned consequence of war, demographic policy, internecine rivalries, and bureaucratic momentum). Bartov has selected the essays with great sensitivity, and provided brief introductions to place them in scholarly, historical, and human context. A bonus is the inclusion of Primo Levi's unforgettable essay "The Gray Zone," which explores the politically-charged issue of Jews' coerced collaboration with the forces of mass murder. This book is ideal for introductory classes on the holocaust or genocide in general, and as a primer for those who want to find their feet in the scholarly debate, which shows no signs of waning.