No comments about Outsider in the Promised Land: An Iraqi Jew in Israel.

3 comments about Bread, Butter, and Sugar: A Boy's Journey Through the Holocaust and Postwar Europe.

1. This powerful account of a boy's journey through hell, is in spite of all a life affirming hopeful story, which filled me not only with compassion but also with admiration and awe. Engaging and moving, this text also offers the reader a valuable observation of existential, philosophical and psychological nature. One of the best Holocaust memoirs I read.



2. Dear Martin:
   I read your book during the first days of Pesach. I would like to
   congratulate you on an important piece of work that will help the world
   know the horrors of the Holocaust and the unspeakable acts of the Nazi
   barbarians. Your book was very well written and organized and gave me a
   very clear picture of your unbelievable experience. You definitely have
   kept your promise to Jacob the learned. The experience of reading your
   book helped make my Pesach experience with all our freedom and richness
   more meaningful than usual. It also helped put things in perspective.
   By the way, my father's (may he rest in peace) polish name was Motek. I
   had never seen the name written before your book.
   Also the way you saved your mother and brother's life was probably the
   bravest thing a 10 year old has ever done.
   I wish you long life, happiness, peace, and continued nachas from your
   children and grandchildren. You deserve only goodness in your life.



3. This is an outstanding book, particularly for high school students. Teachers: I recommend it as a companion to "The Diary of Anne Frank." Mr. Schiller's book tells two critical stories. It describes a child's experience in concentration camps and it tells the touching story of reunification with remaining family at the end of the war. You can feel the child's fear. You see each scene through the child's eyes. Yet, the book omits just enough of the horrific detail so it's perfect reading for young adults.
   
   It also is a story of a boy quickly becomming a man, despite his age. The book lingers in your mind, long after it's been finished.

5 comments about Hannah Senesh: Her Life And Diary, the First Complete Edition.

1. Hannah Senesh is known as the Joan of Arc of Israel, and is a national heroine in that little country of heroes and heroines.
   Her poems are learned by heart in Israel, and her acts of courage, self-sacrifice and love for her people, has led to forests, parks, streets and settlements throughout the country being named after her.
   
   Her diary, which begins when she was 13, shows her remarkable spirit, intelligence and love for the Jewish people and the Land of Israel.
   At the age of 23 she returned to Hungary as part of an Allied to mission to save Jews from the Nazi death machine. She was captured by the Nazis and tortured to reveal more about the mission and her comrades, but never broke under these circumstances. Her heroic and cruel death at the hands of the Nazis is recounted.
   
   The book is divided into several sections:
   Memories of Hannah's Childhood by Catherine Senesh, the Diary, the Letters, and the acounts by friends and comrades of her courageous mission into Hungary, and her cruel death at the hands of the Nazis.
   The final section consists of a reproduction of some of Hannah's finest poems.
   
   Hannah Senesh was born in 1921 to an assimilated Jewish family. Her father, a sucesful journalist and playwright died when Hannah was 6 years old. She was enrolled in a Protestant school. The deteriorating situation of the Jews in Hungary led Hannah to embrace Judaism and Zionism-the national liberation movement of the Jewish people, which she was passionate about and dedicated to.
   She became involved in Maccabea, a Hungarian Zionist students organization.
   But she also loved beautiful clothes and ice-skating and was enthusiastic about life and living. She was interested in astrology, spiritualism and development of the soul.
   The sensitivity of her gem of a soul and her intelligence is shown in this excerpt from her diary. It could serve as a testament to Hannah Senesh herself:
   "There are stars whose radiance is visible on earth though they have long been extinct. There are people whose brilliance continues to light the world though they are no longer among the living. These lights are particularly bright when the night is dark. They light the way for mankind",-
   Indeed in these dark days of the resurgance of anti-Semnitism and the Satanic international campaign to destroy Israel, it is comforting and inspiring to read her words.
   Also interesting are Hannah's words about Jewish nationhood and Zionism:
   'If we had to define Zionism briefly perhaps we could best do so in the words of Nahum Sokolow: "Zionism is the movement of the Jewish people for it's revival.'
   In these days when Jews around the world are being pressured by evil forces to renounce Zionism we would do well to remember Hannah's words.
   "We canot renounce a single on of our rights, not even if the ridiculous acusation were true- that Zionism breeds anti-Semitism. Anti-Semitism is not the result of Zionism but of Dispersion. But even if were no so, woe to the individual who attempts to ingratiate himself with the enemy instead of following his own route. We can't renounce Zionism even if it does strengthen anti-Semitism...For only Zionism and the establishment of a Jewish State could ever bring about the possibility of the Jews in the Diaspora being able to make manifest their love for their Homeland. Because then they could choose to be part of the Homeland- not be necesity but by free will and free choice".
   In these days it is so important to remember her words and her story.



2. I had never heard of Hannah Senesh until I planned to go to Israel and was looking at possible places to visit. After I heard about her I wanted to know more. This book tells the story, in her own words of how a young Jewish woman came to be an Israeli hero. It makes me wonder if I too would have the courtage of conviction to stand up for something even to death. A very remarkable story indeed.



3. 
   The story of Hannah Senesh is the story of a heroine of the Jewish people. This volume contains her diary including a record of her early years in Hungry and her time in Eretz Yisrael, two chapters about her by her mother, and chapters by fellow soldiers in the British Army from the Yishuv who served with her when they were dropped behind enemy lines during the War. Hannah Senesh was the daughter of a well- known Hungarian playwright who died when she was six. She and her older brother were raised by a very caring and devoted mother . In her school where she was outstanding she suffered from Anti- Semitism. And as Nazi power grew in Europe she moved toward a deeper connection to her own Jewishness, at one point announcing that she had become a Zionist. Her diary records her decision to go to Eretz Yisrael, and her years of education there at Nahalal. It is the diary of a spirited, intelligent and idealistic person. She volunteered to serve in the British Army Unit which was to be dropped behind enemy lines in the hope of helping rescue Jews. She and her fellow soldiers from the Yishuv were connected with the Partisans' struggle against the Nazis in Yugoslavia. The day before she was about to enter her native Hungry where she most hoped to help the Nazis entered and took control of Hungry. Upon hearing this news she cried. A friend asked her if this was because she was thinker of her mother. She said ' That the entrance of the Germans to Hungry doomed one - million Hungarian Jews to death. She was not wrong. The greatest share of Hungarian Jews were eventually murdered by the Nazis. She entered Hungry was captured, and was placed in prison. The Nazis brought her mother to the prison , and told Senesh that if she did not give them the information that they wanted the secret radio codes she had they would torture her mother before her eyes. She begged her mother's forgiveness, and she herself was tortured. But she did not give away the information. Eventually she was taken out and shot to death . All those associated with her admired her tremendous courage and integrity .
   Her ambition was to be like her father a writer, but not a playwright but a novelist. Her love and dedication to the Jewish people in the land of Israel that she came to love so much are strongly apparent in the work.
   Perhaps the best tribute to her is her own words,
   "There are stars whose radiance is visible on earth though they have long been extinct.There are people whose brilliance continues to light the world though they are no longer among the living. These lights are particularly bright when the night is dark. They light the way for Mankind.'



4. Hannah Senesh is the story every Jew should know, a heroic woman who fought the Nazis, parachutting into Europe in the worlds darkest hour, but beyond that her wonderful diaries tell the story of a young Jeiwsh girl finding herself, and her Jewishness amid the tumult of Europe and the Kibbutzes of Aretz Israel. This is a wonderful new volume on a true Jeiwsh Heroin, a message to all generations that evil must be confronted, ironically sometimes it is the most unlikely people that rise to the occasion. A heartrending book.
   
   Seth J. Frantzman



5. For such a small stature as Hannah was, she is one of WWII's, strongest women. It is a must read for any philosophical or history buff. In addition, would make a great movie if someone would be wllling to do so.
   
   Once you pick up this book you will devour it. Her life and who she was will remain forever in your memory. I envy her.
   
   For 20 years Hannah's diary still remains so dear to my heart.

4 comments about A Match Made in Hell : The Jewish Boy and the Polish Outlaw Who Defied the Nazis.

1. It was indeed a fine match that paired Morris/Moishe/Moniek Goldner, a man with a compelling story to be told, with Larry Stillman, a man who can really tell a story. I have read many books and stories on the Holocaust and its survivors, many by the most celebrated authors in the world. This book compares favorably to the best of them by the best and most famous of these authors.
   
   Everything about Morris is amazing and told with clarity and great style by Mr. Stillman. It is the kind of book you will stay up all night in order to finish. He has clearly done his research carefully to give a flow and continuity to what must have been somewhat disjointed and random series of incidents remembered by Mr. Goldner.
   
   Buy this book for yourself and enjoy the pleasure of sharing it with your dearest friends.



2. Of all the fascinating personal stories coming out of WW II that I've read, A MATCH MADE IN HELL is unquestionably at the top of my list. It's a gripping, nail biting true account of a notorious Polish outlaw and a young Jewish man who is determined to survive long enough to avenge the horrible death of his family at the hands of the Nazi occupiers. Author Larry Stillman has done a magnificent job in researching and writing this book. The young Jewish man survived the war, came to the US and now lives in the Chicago area. A must read.



3. A Match Made In Hell: The Jewish Boy And The Polish Outlaw Who Defied The Nazis is the true story of sixteen year old Moniek Goldner and Polish outlaw Jan Kopec. The two were brought together by chance during the darkest days of World War II and formed a most unlikely partnership. Moniek began as an accomplice to robbery and black market trading, but soon learned enough to join a resistance group -- and that made it possible for him to commit acts of sabotage and directly fight against the Nazis. An important contribution a particular aspect of the struggle against the Nazi holocaust, A Match Made In Hell is a powerful, unusual, and vividly memorable story of desperation in murderous times.



4. This book not only appeals to people who enjoy an action packed story, but also to those interested in issues of morality, personal development, survival, religion, and WWII history. A great book discussion pick!

5 comments about We Just Want to Live Here: A Palestinian Teenager, an Israli Teenager -- an Unlikely Friendship.

1. Forget the negative reviews---this is a wonderful, sweet, realistic and educational view of what it's like to live in Jerusalem, as seen through the eyes of two teenage girls...one Muslim and the other Jewish. I am impressed with the intelligence of these two young women. They don't chat about rock music or Britney Spears or trendy clothing--instead, they describe the love they feel for their city and how they can each do their part to create lasting peace. The girls get into serious political debates and they disagree quite frequently, but they respect each other as human beings and the friendship is strong. It's fascinating to learn what young Israelis think of America--Odelia, for instance, believes it's far more dangerous to live in New York than in Jerusalem! This is a warm and endearing book. I recommend it to anyone interested in contemporary Jerusalem (or all of Israel) and what life is like there. I learned a lot from reading it.



2. It is interesting to see the views of two young women caught up in this conflict. My main complaint about this book is the chronology in the back of the book.
   
   1. Under 1947 Temple writes "The Jewish population in Palestine rises from 24,000 to 630,000 due to several ways of immigration (aliyah; plural, aliyot) between 1882 and 1948. This more than triples Palestine's Jewish population at that time" It seems to me that the Jewish population increases by 26 times, why use triple? I really have no idea what she is referring to.
   
   2. Under 1948 Temple writes "Declaration of the independent state of Israel on May 14 by Israel's first prime minister, David Ben-Guerion. On the following day, troops from Egypt, Jordan, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, and Saudi Arabia attack Israel. The Jewish underground movements, Lechi and Ezel, launch a wave of attacks against Arab civilians, which culminates in the massacre at Deir Yassin, where 245 inhabitants lost their lives. According to UN estimates, 700,000 Palestinians fled or were driven out of their homes." Deir Yassin occurred on April 9, five weeks before Israel declared independance and Arab armies intervened. Most of the Palestenians who were driven out of their homes were expelled before May 14.
   
   3. 1956 - Not mentioned, England, France and Israel invade Egypt. Retreat under US pressure.
   
   4. 1987 - Temple writes "In opposition to the nationalistic PLO, Israel supports the foundation Islamic factions, which will be the origin of he fundementalist Hamas (Arabic for "enthusiasm/excitement") under its leader Sheikh Achmed Yassin."
   Hamas was formed in the late 1970's and had been supported by Israel from the beginning.
   
   5. 1994 - Temple writes "Hamas commits suicide bombings with the goal of sabotaging the peace process." Hamas committed it's first suicide bombing in response to murder of 29 muslims at a mosque in Hebron by Baruch Goldstein an american born far right settler. Temple leaves out the part about Baruch Goldstein.
   
   There are some other things that I don't think she is very evenhanded or possibly even correct about in the chronology but I don't have time to research everything. The most glaring error is getting the date of Deir Yassin wrong, simple historical research.



3. In the summer of 2000, a group of Israeli and Palestinian teenagers were invited to Switzerland. Despite many misunderstandings between the Jews and Muslims on the trip, tentative friendships were formed. However, just before the students returned home to Israel, the second Intifada broke out reminding each participant of their differences. Two young women on the trip who did become friends were Palestinian Amal Rifa'i and Israeli Odelia Ainbinder. Two years later, in June of 2002, journalist Sylke Tempel began looking for a young Israeli and a young Palestinian to exchange letters and ideas in order to create a book that would tell the story of Palestine, Israel and the Intifada in their own words. She found the ideal pair in Amal and Odelia. The result is WE JUST WANT TO LIVE HERE, a series of letters and conversations between Amal and Odelia.
   
   Just 18 years old when they begin corresponding, the women are wise beyond their years and patient with each other's points of view. There is much potential for name-calling, disrespect and worse in such a dialogue, but Amal and Odelia behave with a restraint and open-mindedness often sorely lacking in regards to this difficult and delicate subject. Covering topics such as Jerusalem (where they both live, geographically close but socio-cultural worlds apart), school and the Israeli army, both women are not only quite honest and articulate about their feelings, but are also well versed in their cultural and religious history and tradition. To further illustrate certain points, each invites family members to share her story and thus we read about Odelia's parents and Amal's grandfather in their own words.
   
   Even with such an open dialogue, Amal and Odelia realize there are some things they may never see eye to eye on --- each has a different interpretation of the formation history of the State of Israel, each interprets the plight of the Palestinians in a very different way. Yet they both agree that continued violence is not the answer and hope for strong leadership for the Israelis and the Palestinians. One major problem they both identify is the lack of knowledge about each other's culture, religion and history. Knowledge, they stress, is key to a sustainable peace.
   
   As the book was being written, both Amal and Odelia faced adult life and responsibility --- Amal was engaged to be married and Odelia was preparing for her mandatory service in the Israeli army. Yet the tone of the book still reflected a youthful hopefulness and youthful frustration.
   
   Poignant, brutally honest and sometimes heartbreaking, WE JUST WANT TO LIVE HERE is written with the idealism of youth and the cynicism of those who grow up amid war and violence. This is a book that puts a human face on the violence and destruction of the Israeli-Palestinian war and invites the reader to question her beliefs and opinions. Amal and Odelia are brave and admirable, willing to open their hearts and minds to each other.
   
   WE JUST WANT TO LIVE HERE is not about solutions or roadmaps to peace. It is the tale of a friendship and intellectual exchange in spite of the most difficult circumstances imaginable. I highly recommend this book for those who want a glimpse of what life is like for teenagers in Israel.
   
   --- Reviewed by Sarah Rachel Egelman



4. "Boom," a bomb goes off two blocks away from your school, just as you are leaving class. This isn't that rare of occasion for the two teenage co-authors of the book, We Just Want to Live Here. In this book they are often left to decide how they feel about the suicide bombings and other occurrences in their hometown, Jerusalem. Sylke Tempel put the fascinating letters between these very different teenage girls together into this great factual book about living in Jerusalem during the second Intifada.
   Sylke Tempel does a great job putting together the letters in a logical order that helps the reader to understand the conflict in Jerusalem from both opinions. By using a Palestinian girl (Odelia Ainbinder) and an Israeli girl (Amal Rifa'i) you were flushed with both aspects of such topics as the suicide bombings, the army, school and even normal girl talk such as boys. Through both girls' lives, their views of the other side were only composed of what they heard from their friends, family and media making them only see a glance of the big picture. The girls' way of expressing their feelings made you get in the shoes of both sides of the conflict. They didn't leave anything out about their beliefs on what should be done to solve the conflicts between the Palestinians and Israelis. their feelings are even supportive of the other side. For example they agree on such things as how influential their parents were to their lives, yet abruptly disagree on such issues as whether Odelia, the Israeli girl, should join the army after her year off. Sometimes all they would do through their letters was learn more about the other persons culture, which is what happened when they started talking about such things as school and getting married and moving in with boys. This book is very un-biased because it shows how real teenagers on both sides feel about the conflict. Sylke Tempel makes it very clear that she wants people to receive no bias towards either side. She does this by showing both sides of the argument and showing how neither girl is evil. Because of the way Tempel broke up the book, it reads very fast and is easy to understand. The girls' discussion was very interesting and sometimes even shocking to learn how they felt on different issues.
   We Just Want to Live Here, is a great read for people of all ages. It would probably be better for girls to read because it is written by girls and sometimes would get a little into girl talk. Being the letters of real girls, this book would be great to read as a class in history or English. This is because it is very factual and a great un-biased way to learn about the conflict in Jerusalem. Before reading this book I would suggest to have previous knowledge of the conflict to better understand what girls are talking about. Overall this was a great, educational book filled with many different opinions and thoughts. I would definitely recommend this book to someone wanting to expanse his or her knowledge in the Arab-Israeli conflict.



5. Ashley Southard
   English Book Review
   April 16, 2004
   The Arab/ Israeli conflict has been discussed in many books, and Americans hear of it every day in the news. But do you really know both sides to the story? We Just Want to Live Here, a story of teenagers Amal Rifa'I (a Palestinian) who is planning on studying special education in an Israeli college, and Odelia Ainbinder (an Israeli) who is part o a socialist/Zionist movement before she gets ready to join the military living in Israel, shows the opinion of both sides of the conflict. Amal and Odelia met one summer while at an exchange program in Switzerland. After, they were asked by journalist Sylke Tempel to begin writing to each other discussing the conflict in which they are living.
   This non-fiction book is presented as a compilation of the letter the girls wrote to each other. In these heart-to-heart letters, Amal and Odelia discuss political, social and ethnic issues. This book was published for people who are passionate about the "bad blood" between the Palestinian and Israeli issues. These letters really dig deep into the soul of the people of Israel, Palestinian and Israeli alike, and readers begin to feel compassion for these girls. One of the only weaknesses of this book was the fact that there was really no plot or suspense to keep a person reading. Many people watch TV shows consistently because of the suspense, and many people like books that are the same way. This book lacks that appeal, and it is easy to become bored with this book if you don't wish to delve into the Palestinian/Israeli conflict.

   Unlike most books, these letters truly had no bias. Each teenager is from one side of the conflict, and they discuss the modern issues in such a way that the reader genuinely gains an understanding of the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. Readers begin to realize the stupidity of the prejudices that people hold and realize that you cannot make judgment about this dispute until you completely understand the emotions of both peoples.
   I would recommend We Just Want to Live Here for readers who are interested in this dispute. People who are passionate about this ongoing war will not become bored with the lack of plot in these letters. The letters really help to achieve true understanding of this everlasting issue.

5 comments about Eichmann Interrogated: Transcripts from the Archives of the Israeli Police.

1. Adolf Eichmann made many statements when interviewed, and this review only touches on a few topics. One of these is the personal philosophy of Eichmann, including his rejection of Christianity: "More and more I came to the conclusion that God can't possibly be as small as in the Bible stories. I thought I had found my own belief. And I read Schopenhauer, who says the way of religious faith is safer and the way of freedom is a dangerous way, which the individual must perpetually work out for himself. I said to myself: The God I believe in is greater than the Christian God." (p. 39).
   
   Eichmann also touches on the early days of the Nazi Party: "Yes, Herr Hauptmann, of course there was hatred of the Jews in it. But in those days there were lots of party members with Jewish relatives by blood or marriage. I myself knew an SS-Scharfuhrer who was a Jew...I said to him: Good God, man, there's nothing I can do for you. The only advice I can give you is: Clear out, go to Switzerland or somewhere else, because it's no good for you here, it's no good, it's hopeless." (p. 41).
   
   The idea of sending Europe's Jews to Madagascar has at times been mistakenly attributed to the Poles. In actuality, this idea goes back to one of the early pioneers of Zionism. As Eichmann explains: "I remembered Theodor Herzl's efforts to bring about a Jewish state, described by Adolf Bohm, and that at one time Herzl had considered plans for Madagascar." (p. 65). After being asked by interrogator Avner W. Less if he got the idea from a Polish commission that had visited Madagascar in 1937, Eichmann replied: "No, never, never, never. I got the idea from Theodor Herzl." (p. 69). Eichmann also denied knowledge of the conclusions of the Polish commission, which had found the whole idea impractical, as recounted by Less: "...this Polish commission...came to the conclusion that a maximum of fifteen thousand European families could be settled there, while certain members of the commission thought that figure far too high..." (p. 69).
   
   Eichmann denies knowledge of any written order to exterminate the Jews. He instead claims that Heydrich communicated this order verbally from Hitler (p. 81).
   
   Eichmann briefly discusses the deal he made with Hungarian Jewish leader Rudolf Kastner, in which nearly 1,700 Jews were eventually freed (p. 211, 255). As the editor describes: "What Eichmann wanted to `straighten out' was a deal which Becher, with Himmler's approval, had made with a Swiss representative of the American Joint Committee. Several hundred Hungarian Jews selected by Dr. Kastner had already arrived, via Bergen-Belsen, in Switzerland, from where they would continue on to Palestine. But the agreed payment in foreign currency had not arrived in Germany." (p. 255). Even more intriguing is Eichmann and his claim of being prepared to free 1 million Jews in exchange for ten thousand trucks (p. 211).



2. This is a hard book to read, but highly recommended. It must have been Eichmann's worst nightmare: to find himself brought to justice by the very people he tried to exterminate. One feels no sympathy for the man; what makes the book so uncomfortable to read is to see him lie and dissemble.
   
   Like the monstrous bully he was, he is unable to accept responsibility or to show any genuine remorse. Rather, he claims to have been a cog in the wheel, to have no responsibility for what happened. One would almost wish he just denied guilt rather than put on this snivelling performance (but then, it is the Holocaust deniers who ought to be forced to read this book because it not only makes it clear what happened, it makes it obvious, to me at least, that Hitler ordered it).The brilliant interrogation of Captain Avner Less of the Israeli police should be read by all law enforcement officers as a way to trap a suspect. Eichmann denies knowledge of a particular matter and then is shown a document on that very subject that he signed. "I can't wriggle out of that one," becomes a refrain. Peculiar little sidelights about the Holocaust pop up. Captain Less asks about Jewish Nazis, for instance (of which there were a few, surprisingly enough) and Eichmann goes through a song and dance about how they had to be sent off to the camps because they were Jews but were isolated from the other prisoners because they were Nazis. Really twisted knowledge.
   
   It was impossible for me to read this book with a lower opinion of Eichmann than I already had, but it does give you insight into how evil can dominate someone who lacks a moral compass.



3. In many works attempting to discuss the minds behind the Nazi Final Solution, the reader is harnessed with the task of sorting facts from assumptions and interpretations that too often color an otherwise accurate book. However, Eichmann Interrogated allows the reader to study the words of one of the most notorious actors of Hitler's plans for genocide and mass murder. While reading the transcripts of Eichmann's interrogations at the hands of Israeli police, I attempted to try and understand what would cause Eichmann, a man who in his earlier years had a fascination for Jewish culture, to turn evil and attempt to destroy a whole race of people. Although the transcripts don't provide an answer to such a complex question, they did provide a means to study Eichmann. Through out the interrogation, Eichmann consistently denied his role in carrying out the Final Solution. Rather than admit to any actual killings of Jews, Eichmann stuck to a story which maintained that he was simply a soldier following orders, and even then, his only task was to ensure that the trains containing the Jews were running accurately. I found it also interesting to read that Eichmann claims to have provided alternatives to the wholesale slaughter of the Jews, such as exportation of all Jews to the African island of Mauritius, or the strangely Zionistic support for the creation of a Jewish state in Palestine. Although the truth about Eichmann and his motivations will never be clear, the transcripts of his interrogation, although possibly filled with lies, provides an interesting historical document for those wishing to learn more about the psychology of the engineers of the Final Solution.



4. Adolf Eichmann was the main character behind the deportation of the jews to concentration and extermination camps during the second world war. With that in mind, one better understands the historic and sociological value of a book made of the transcripts of his interrogation at the hands of the israeli police prior to Eichmann execution at the conclusion of his trial. However several things wich I will now detail diminish the impact of this neverteless important work.
   The first of these diminishing factor is Eichmann himself... Eichmann lies constantly all trough the transcript and try to weasel is way out of most of what he consider to be potentially damming evidence for his trial... Given the man's weak intellect most of his lies are unimaginative and most of the time he doesn't even realize he is not making any sense and denying evidence already backed by numerous witness and written evidence... He doesn't even have the common sense to realise what constitute dammaging evidence and what doesn't and he sometimes argue against or refute very technical details of little importance and yet not realize that by his own previous admission he has already confirmed the most important charges against him. All through the book Eichmann shows himself to be an uninteresting bore of little character or imagination. Totally selfish he constantly blame others for his wrong doings. He is also completely unrepentant (One gets the impression that under the same circunstance Eichmann who do it all over again, as he doesn't even seem to grasp the importance of his part in the holocaust)
   Another factor that raise question about the value of this book is the circumstances in which the transcript were obtained from Eichmann. Even considering the disgusting nature of the character, one must admit that sending secret agent to kidnap him from Argentina (with not respect for the sovereignty of that country)and to bring him to trial on such short notice, trial which ended by Eichmann execution, might raise questions about the impartiality of the israeli authority and the fairness of the procedings. Incidentally, Capt. Avner Less the man who interviewed Eichmann had lost several direct family members to the extermination camps ... So are the extract presented in this book truthfull representation of what really took place in the interogation process? Probably, but one must nevertheless not forget the circumstances in which Eichmann's words were obtained...
   In conclusion, the transcript will be of limited interest to people trying to get a better picture of the holocaust and the role Eichmann played in it. Eichmann's constant lying and droning on and on in his answers leave very little interesting facts and you will get a better picture of the holocaust or the role Eichmann played in it in other books. However this book will be of great interest to anybody interested in knowing and undersanding more of the personality and mind of a man who is responsable for the death of 6 million jews. Reading this book makes one realise the rather unconfortable fact that a man like A. Eichmann is not exceptionnal but rather a very dull, very normal man, the kind of promotion chasing heartless civil servant like there are hundreds in every big city ...



5. The Israeli agents involved in his capture couldn't believe that such an unremarkable man could be the one with the blood of six million Jews on his hands - This book reveals how he could! This is one of the best books I have read in a long time, not (I agree) everyone's cup of tea but definately mine! Once started I couldn't put the thing down. I was locked to it with disbelief at the way Eichmann could rationalise all his actions (almost justify them) and distance himself from the end product of the conveyor-belt he claimed to be....just the transporter of! I know others have written not particularly savoury reviews of this book, but if you are in any way interested in the Holocaust then reading of the bringing to justice of one of it's most notorious perpetrators will be time well spent. Highly recommended...............Fascinating!

1 comments about Karl Kraus: Apocalyptic Satirist, Volume 2: The Postwar Crisis and the Rise of the Swastika.

1. It was a pleasure to receive Timms' second volume on Karl Kraus. It came new and in mint condition. Thank you Amazon.

1 comments about Albert Kahn: Builder of Detroit (Detroit Biography Series for Young Readers).

1. I bought this as a present for my nephew, along with a field trip of downtown Detroit, where we spend an afternoon spotting Albert Kahn buildings. He loved it and continues to reread this book! It has the right amount of history, a good story and explains basic architectural terms.

No comments about Elie Wiesel: A Religious Biography.

No comments about A Square of Sky: A Wartime Childhood: from Ghetto to Convent.