Hitler's Willing Executioners: Ordinary Germans and the Holocaust

Description

Daniel Jonah Goldhagen re-visits a question which history has treated as settled, and his research leads him to the inescapble conclusion that none of the answers holds true. That question is: "How could the Holocaust happen?", and his response is an exploration of German society and its ingrained anti-semitism that demands a fundamental revision of our thinking about the years 1933-1945. The author marshals fresh, primary evidence - including extensive testimony from the actual perpetrators - to show that the killers were ordinary Germans who were not compelled to act as they did (they knew they could refuse without retribution) yet they killed willingly and zealously.

Daniel Goldhagen is Associate Professor of Government and Social Studies at Harvard University. His doctoral disseration, which is the basis for this book, won the Gabriel A. Almond Award for the best dissertation in the field of comparative politics.

** 'A monumental achievement.' SUNDAY TIMES ** 'Powerful and well-researched... this book stimulates thought... It is a serious book written by a gifted scholar.' TLS ** 'As stomach churning in its grueseome detail as it is mind-blowing for its radical facade stripping of one of the ghastliest episodes of human history.' DAILY MAIL ** 'There is enough material here to disturb the human race to the end of time.' ROBERT KEE 'This book is a tremendous contribution to the understanding and teaching of the Holocaust...it should be read in every school.' OBSERVER 'Daniel Goldhagen's astonishing, disturbing and riveting book, the fruit of phenomenal scholarship and absolute integrity, will permanently change the debate on the Holocaust.' SIMON SCHAMA 'A must read...Daniel Godlhagen's book is a landmark...a profound analytical and graphic book.' SUNDAY TIMES 'This shocking and well docuemented book is an indictment of the vast number of Germans who directly or indirectly took part in Hitler's extermination of the Jews...genuinely shocking. I hope this book will be widely read.' EVENING STANDARD