The history of the Holocaust keeps being written and rewritten in ever greater detail, but almost always by Jews. Wolgang Benz's book makes an important contribution by bringing the German perspective to this horrific event. A masterpiece of compression, the books covers all the major topics and issues, from the Wannsee Conference of January 20, 1942, to stripping Jews of their civil rights, from the establishment of ghettos to the creation of killing centers and the development of an efficient system for extermination. The book also includes a chapter on "The Other Genocide: The Persecution of the Sinti and Roma," detailing the crusade against the Gypsies. From the Foreword by Arthur Hertzberg: Benz's account is the necessary 'first course' for anyone who wants to know about the Holocaust and to think further about its meaning for humanity. It is of particular importance that the historian who has written this book is a German. This account is trustworthy because its author combines within himself the rare authority of someone who belongs to the past of his nation. He has both understood and transcended its history in this century. The subject of the book, the Holocaust, is somber beyond words, but this account in Benz's words is a cause for hope.

Germany's leading Holocaust scholar has crafted a concise, well-written, and powerful introduction to the subject, concluding with a discussion of what the Germans knew about the genocide.

About the Author
Wolfgang Benz is professor of antisemitism research at the Technical University of Berlin. He has written numerous studies on the history of the Jews during the Third Reich, including The Jews of Germany, 1933-1945 and Dimension des Volkermords (Dimension of Genocide).Arthur Hertzberg is professor of Jewish Studies at New York University. He is the author of The Jews in America: Four Centuries of an Uneasy Encounter: A History (Columbia) and The Zionist Idea: A Historical Analysis and Reader.

Reviews
This will be an essay of choice for anyone wishing a sophisticated description of the major aspects of the genocide of the Jews. -- Deborah E. Lipstadt Washington Post [T]he book pulls no punches, is well written, and is thorough in its presentation. -- Samuel Totten Canadian Social Studies Book Review By detailing the events that led Jews to be stripped of their rights, resettled in ghettos and deported to the killing centers, Benz's work provides and indisputable record of the Nazi genocide. Hadassah Magazine A good, short history of the Holocaust. Neue Zurcher Zeitung An example of superb analysis. Das Sonntagsblatt



Book Information
ISBN 9780231112147
Author Wolfgang Benz
Format Hardback
Page Count 176
Imprint Columbia University Press
Publisher Columbia University Press