Holocaust: A History

Unrivaled in reach and scope, Holocaust illuminates the long march of events, from the Middle Ages to the modern era, which led to this great atrocity. It is a story of all Europe, of Nazis and their allies, the experience of wartime occupation, the suffering and strategies of marked victims, the failure of international rescue, and the success of individual rescuers. It alone in Holocaust literature negotiates the chasm between the two histories, that of the perpetrators and of the victims and their families, shining new light on German actions and Jewish reactions. No other book in any language has so embraced this multifaceted story. Holocaust uniquely makes use of oral histories recorded by the authors over fifteen years across Europe and the United States, as well as never-before-analyzed archival documents, letters, and diaries; it contains in addition seventy-five illustrations and sixteen original maps, each accompanied by an extended caption. This book is an original analysis of a defining event.

About the Author :
Debórah Dwork is director of the Center for the Study of the Holocaust, Genocide, and Crimes Against Humanity at the Graduate Center—CUNY. Author (with Robert Jan van Pelt) of Flight from the Reich, Holocaust, and Auschwitz, among other works, she lives in New York. Robert Jan van Pelt is a University Professor at the University of Waterloo. He lives in Toronto.

Review :
"[A] scholarly miracle...a sophisticated and gripping contribution to Holocaust education." -- Rabbi Irving Greenburg, President, Jewish Life Network "[A]n elegantly written, thoroughly researched and compelling narrative...certain to be a standard work in the field of Holocaust studies." -- Dr. William L. Shulman, President, Association of Holocaust Organizations "[T]he focus is on the fate of named individuals on almost every page. That creates the unusual passion and strength of this remarkable book." -- Rabbi Herbert A. Friedman "A rare achievement that will take its place among the best histories of the destruction of European Jews." -- Michael R. Marrus, University of Toronto "A signal contribution to the vast literature on the history of the Holocaust... a volume from which general readers and scholars can both benefit." -- Douglas Greenberg, Survivors of the Shoah Visual History Foundation "[A] 'must read' for anyone interested in understanding the true history of this extremely tragic time." -- Roman Kent, American Gathering/Federation of Jewish Holocaust Survivors "The reader looking for a clear and readable account of how Hitler and the Nazis came to conceive and carry out their diabolical project need look no further than this book." -- Boston Globe "Holocaust is a superb work." -- The Forward "Starred Review. A monumental, sobering attempt to make sense of collective insanity." -- Kirkus Reviews "Starred Review. Through it all, the faces of the victims, and their persecutors, are clearly visible, making the reader aware of the human dimension of the Shoah and providing what Holocaust studies desperately needs: a single volume suitable for a wide audience." -- Library Journal "A distinctive blend of moral intensity, attention to detail and multifaceted breadth." -- Los Angeles Times