Review of Auschwitz: A New History by Laurence Rees
One of my fascinations has been the Holocaust, ever since I read Number the Stars when I was around ten years old. I would like to one day visit Auschwitz and go see the Anne Frank House.
This book was eye-opening as to the history and purpose of Auschwitz and its two sister camps. The book details the camp from construction to liberation, including political connections, how the Jews were sent to originally fill the camp, social issues within the camp's prisoners, crimes committed by the SS officers and camp leaders, and how Hitler's vision for the camp was fulfilled. Hitler kept his hands pretty clean of the concentration camps, preferring to be seen as fronting the war, when in reality, the war was a front for his vision of exterminating the Jews.
I spent much of my time reading the book in tears and read it slowly. I had to take breaks from it because reading about such horrors was so intense.
The book is well-written and full of information. It's not fluffed up or beautified in any way. It gives the information and context in a brutal fashion befitting the brutality of the camp. It's hard to read, as one would expect. It's also written well, allowing the reader to immerse themselves in the history of such a brutal place and come out educated.
Following reading this book, I was even more awe-struck at the brutality of World War II within Germany. I can't imagine what that must have been like, and am even more outraged that this even happened. My heart aches for the ten million people, not just Jews, who died in the German concentration camps.
This book was eye-opening as to the history and purpose of Auschwitz and its two sister camps. The book details the camp from construction to liberation, including political connections, how the Jews were sent to originally fill the camp, social issues within the camp's prisoners, crimes committed by the SS officers and camp leaders, and how Hitler's vision for the camp was fulfilled. Hitler kept his hands pretty clean of the concentration camps, preferring to be seen as fronting the war, when in reality, the war was a front for his vision of exterminating the Jews.
I spent much of my time reading the book in tears and read it slowly. I had to take breaks from it because reading about such horrors was so intense.
The book is well-written and full of information. It's not fluffed up or beautified in any way. It gives the information and context in a brutal fashion befitting the brutality of the camp. It's hard to read, as one would expect. It's also written well, allowing the reader to immerse themselves in the history of such a brutal place and come out educated.
Following reading this book, I was even more awe-struck at the brutality of World War II within Germany. I can't imagine what that must have been like, and am even more outraged that this even happened. My heart aches for the ten million people, not just Jews, who died in the German concentration camps.
Photo Credit: Katherine Elizabeth
Stars Image Credit: lovethenerddesigns
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