Auschwitz: A New History by Laurence Rees Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Auschwitz: A New History
Book Review: Haunting
Summary: 5 Stars
The story of Auschwitz is often taught in today's schools as that of a concentration camp erected during the Second World War that witnessed one of the world's worst genocides - the slaughter of one million innocent Jewish souls.
Laurence Rees has written this book, Auschwitz: A New History, in part to dispel the common thought and bring the reality of what happened at this death camp to light for a new generation. Auschwitz may have been built originally as a concentration camp, but it soon became a key cog in the wheel of the "final solution" when the SS heirarchy elected to evolve it into its more sinister role as that of a death camp.
As Rees so poignantly states at the conclusion of the book - soon there will be no survivors, no living witnesses to the horrors that took place in Auschwitz. Books like this must speak for them instead.
Rees has relied largely on original research; interviews with survivors and SS members who were stationed at the camp, in order to compile this tome. His writing style is engrossing, and the stories he recounts from the victims and perpetrators are haunting indeed. This book is not for the faint of heart - the atrocities described are gut-wrenching, and the tales of escape or victories by the oppressed are cause for cheer. The book draws the reader in and never lets him/her go.
As I was reading this history of Auschwitz, which could be more accurately described as a brief history of the entire German concentration camp system, as other camps, such as Treblinka, Dachau, and Bersen-Belgen do get their fair share of attention, I could hardly put the book down. For anyone that has an interest in Holocaust studies or World War II in Europe, this book should be put on the "must read" list.
Book Review: Harrowing and powerful
Summary: 5 Stars
This book is a fascinating, enlightening, and moving history of one of the most infamous of the Nazi concentration camps. Rees doesn't just explain the history of the camp itself, he frequently ties it into the "big picture," the things happening elsewhere in the world and how they affected the camp, and sometimes vice versa. This big picture focus really makes the book, showing how everything in interrelated and how even the distant Allied nations affected Auschwitz's development throughout the war.
The book is not only an indictment of the Nazis and those others responsible for such atrocities as Auschwitz and its sister camps, but even of the powers that "liberated" the inmates there at the end of the war. This was the part that really shocked me. The stereotypical image of the prisoners returning to hearth and home to resume their lives is shattered. Those lucky enough to be freed from Auschwitz had nowhere to go in the new eastern European totalitarian state created by the Soviets--their homes had been possessed and taken over by new owners "renting" from the state, and, as it turned out, the Soviets were no more friendly to the Jews than the Nazis. Women faced rape--some were even raped to death.
Of course, there were also happy endings, and Rees gives them time as well. But the book is still a harrowing exploration of how deep human beings can sink--Nazis, Soviets, and even some of the prisoners were conscienceless by the end.
Laurence Rees's new history of Auschwitz is a very good, readable book that should be required reading for anyone interested in Holocaust or World War II history.
Highly recommended.
Book Review: Easily accessible and reader-friendly
Summary: 5 Stars
This was my first attempt to learn about Auschwitz and I was very pleased with the book. The author explains the entire history of the camp without getting bogged down in any single aspect of the story. If you are a casual history buff like me, this book is a winner. The first-hand accounts of survivors and the SS men who worked at Auschwitz are amazing. I highly recommend this book. Book Review: Fantastic account with no holds barred!!
Summary: 5 Stars
I will be visiting the Auschwitz concentration camp ( actually death camp) in April so i wanted to read this book so it will help me understand what happened. I can honestly say this is one of the best books that i have ever read regarding WWII and the atrocities the Germans committed.The author explains the politics behind Auschwitz and how its use change thru the war.The account of witnesses and people who were imprisioned in that camp are heart-breaking but very revealing as to what happened inside the camp( there even was a brothel in the camp). I also like very much Mr Rees way of telling the story because he is not afraid of pointing fingers and holding people and countries accountable for their actions. This book is a must for anyone who wants not only wants to understand the Nazis and the political machinery of WWII but also a must for people who want to understand human behavior in the worst conditions possible.Great book!!Book Review: SIMPLY BRILLIANT...
Summary: 5 Stars
When one thinks of the labor and death camps instituted by the Nazis during World War II, the notorious concentration camp at Auschwitz comes immediately to mind. One cannot help but wonder what kind of mindset would devise such an infamy. How could Germany, a nation that was noted for its richness of culture, have devised a plan of genocide that was so far reaching and so inherently evil?
The author attempts to answer that question and succeeds in doing so brilliantly. This is a very well-written book that will appeal to those who are interested in the general human condition, as well as those interested in the holocaust itself. It is scholarly, yet, at the same time, immensely readable. This is because the author has put a very human face on the dreaded death camp of Auschwitz. The stories and experiences of more than a hundred people are integrated throughout the narrative, which delves into the historical backdrop of the Nazi political machinery and its leadership. Survivors of Auschwitz, as well as Nazi perpetrators, tell of their experiences in the hell that was known as Auschwitz, and they tell it from their own unique perspectives. The symbiosis that often existed between prisoner and prison guard is quite unsettling, as are the attendant moral and ethical issues.
The author attempts to help the reader understand how it was that the "final solution" came about. It is an unsentimental, intellectually objective, critical analysis of one of the most infamous episodes in modern history and warfare. The author carefully delineates how the Nazis developed their reprehensible strategy for global genocide, and how it came about being implemented. The creation of Auschwitz was crucial to the Nazis' desire to rid itself of Europe's Jewish population but, however, that desire may not have been entirely ideologically driven. From his extensive research, the author postulates that there may have been a practical, more pragmatic component that dictated the actions of the Nazis in the final, waning days of World War II that was no less immoral than the ideological one.
This is simply a stunning and authoritative book by an author whose expertise in this area is undeniable. It is a comprehensive and insightful look at one of the most notorious death camps in the history of Nazi Germany. The author carefully explains the rise and fall of Auschwitz within the context of the Nazi mentality and ideology, as well as within the broader context of historical and military pragmatism. It is a devastating portrait, indeed, and with its sixteen pages of vintage black and white photographs, it is a book that will keep the reader riveted to its pages until the very last one is turned. Bravo!