The Holocaust: Roots, History, and Aftermath

by David M. Crowe

The Roots, History, and Aftermath takes a fresh, probing look at one of the greatest human tragedies in modern history. Author David M. Crowe begins with a detailed overview of the history of the Jews, their two-millennia-old struggle with a larger Christian world, and the historical anti-Semitism that created the environment that helped pave the way for the Holocaust.

But it would take more than traditional prejudices to bring Europe to the edge of the Shoah . It would take someone like Adolf Hitler, who blended his own hatred of the Jews with contemporary ideas about eugenics, Aryan racial superiority, and German nationalistic frustration with the post-1918 Weimar democratic experiment, to bring to life the Nazi racial policies that led to the Final Solution—the mass murder of all of the Jews in Europe. Crowe analyzes the complex origins and evolution of these policies not only toward the Jews, the Nazis' principal victims, but also toward the Roma, the handicapped, and other groups deemed racial or biological threats to Hitler's goal of creating an Aryan-pure Europe. He discusses the spread of these policies in Germany as well as throughout Europe and concludes with a detailed discussion of liberation, Displaced Persons and the founding of Israel, the major war crimes investigations and trials, and continuing international efforts to bring Nazi war criminals to justice.

Genres: Nonfiction, History

528 pages, Paperback

First published January 22, 2008

Reviews

[ashy · Rating 4 out of 5]

hiiii read for - second year of uni !!! - llb & ba in social sci and history !! - read this for history class - HIST501 - the holocaust, first essay. very good and educational book, delves very deep into the history of the holocaust (before it took place) with lots of detail. very good for anyone taking the holocaust as a course or just wanting to learn more about it. also was very helpful for my essay!!! 4 stars ⭐️

[Giovanni Bartolozzi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Everyone should have to read this book. Middle school and High school History does not even cover 1/4 of the information in this book. I believe we have lost the actual reality of the Holocaust in our education system, and this book shines a light on this issue.
The author covers great information, such as shedding light on the struggles of the Roma during and after the Holocaust. They even give a brief history of what led up to the Holocaust, including the backstory to anti-Semitism and the church!

[Jack Heath]

Synopsis: a probing look at one of history's most outrageous crimes; it's a complex combination of anti-Semitism, Hitler, and post 1918 issues.

[LA · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid overview of The Holocaust. While there are a few places that seem to be factually questionable, these instances would only be obvious to those readers who are well-versed in WWII history, ie, professional historians, personal biographers, and military experts.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best rendering of Holocaust history that I have come across. Accessible and interesting.