Simon Wiesenthal: Die Biographie

by Tom Segev

Unusual book

Genres: History, Biography, Holocaust, Israel, World War II, Nonfiction, War

Perfect Paperback

First published January 1, 2010

About the author

Tom Segev (Hebrew: תום שגב‎) is an Israeli historian, author and journalist. He is associated with Israel's so-called New Historians, a group challenging many of the country's traditional narratives.

Reviews

[Tory Wagner · Rating 3 out of 5]

Simon Wiesenthal by Tom Segev is a biography that covers Wiesenthal's life following the end of World War II. Wiesenthal was instrumental in keeping the atrocities perpetrated by the Nazi regime alive in the hearts of the world and was often referred to as a Nazi hunter. I sometimes found the book difficult to follow as it jumped between different time periods and featured many individuals from both Wiesenthal's private and public life.

[Debbie Trammell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of book information.

This book made so great points, and good recollection. Simon was a very hard working person for what he believed in. Sometimes hard to keep up with so many persons included.

[Andy Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

A biography of Simon Wiesenthal who spent time in Nazi concentration camps during World War II and later became famous for his efforts to bring Nazi war criminals to justice.

The biography is largely was one of admiration but it does not ignore his flaws; according to this book, Wiesenthal could not maintain friendships, became embroiled in too many feuds and perhaps let his ego occasionally get in the way of his work. However, the book puts these flaws in context with the focus on his early life and the horrific losses he had had during the war--his family, his friends and his culture.

I was taken aback by Wiesenthal's contention, supported by the author Tom Segev, that for the most part Nazi war criminals escaped justice. Wiesenthal said that the stupidest Nazis were those who committed suicide after the war. The book recounts individual cases where a Nazi war criminal escaped justice, gave statistics of prosecution, and discussed reasons, among them; a desire by many to "move forward" the popularity of the Nazi movement in Germany and Austria after the war that affected the democratically elected government's attitudes toward Nazi prosecutions, general apathy and in certain cases, Cold War motivations to gain advantages in science and intelligence

I would have liked more attention in the book to the actual prosecutions that involved Wiesenthal. Typically the focus would be on the war crime, the capture and then the sentence--more discussion on the issues that resulted in a particular sentence would have been helpful in understanding Weisenthal's and Segev's thesis that many Nazi criminals escaped full or any justice

All in all, a book I recommend

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a well-written biography of a fascinating and complex man. Segev sets forth all the triumphs, failures, and controversies that surrounded the famous Nazi-hunter and concentration camp survivor in well-documented form. I worried that the book would become less interesting after Wiesenthal's major accomplishments were explored, but it held my interest to the final page. When the world could not face the reality of the Holocaust, when it was caught up in the Cold War and trying to forget the crimes of many Nazis, Wiesenthal became the representative of, as he put it, six million clients, and would not let the world forget. But his quest was for justice, not revenge--it's too bad that so many who should have been brought to justice got away or did not receive punishments equal to the seriousness of their crimes, despite Wiesenthal's efforts. Highly recommended for those interested in the Holocaust.

[Colin · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is a great character study. I was hoping for more details on his Nazi hunting and catching the bad guys, but it has more about his political bouts and fending off or making accusations - I.e. Waldheim and Adenauer's staff. Wiesenthal made an important distinction between murderers, criminals and normal soldiers. He was saved by a Nazi, which I found very interesting. He felt it was important to prosecute crimes against humanity and not just all Nazis. In the end, he apparently hung out with Albert Speer.

[Lukasz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review: Simon Wiesenthal: The Life and Legends by Tom Segev

The Premise
This is a comprehensive and meticulously researched biography of Simon Wiesenthal. The book traces his journey from his early days in the multicultural city of Buczacz—then part of Poland and previously the Austro-Hungarian empire—through his incredible survival of the Holocaust, and into his lifelong dedication to hunting Nazi war criminals. It explores his post-war life in Austria, his complex relationship with the country's political landscape, and his relentless pursuit of justice to ensure the world never forgets the atrocities of the Holocaust.

My Experience
I found this to be an incredibly impressive and objective account of Wiesenthal's life. Segev doesn’t just list accomplishments; he confronts rumors and half-truths with actual documents and historical facts to avoid mere speculation. The trauma Wiesenthal endured was so profound that even his own accounts of his Holocaust experience varied, and the exact number of concentration camps he survived remains unknown—a fact that highlights Segev’s commitment to historical accuracy. Reading this inspired me to explore related media, like the film The Boys from Brazil, which touches on his famous hunt for Josef Mengele.

Key Highlights

The Man Behind the Myth: Segev provides a deep, unflinching dive into Wiesenthal's strong, individualistic, and sometimes difficult personality, including his tendency to work alone and the conflicts he faced even within Jewish organizations.

Political Battlegrounds: The book offers fascinating insights into his high-stakes clashes with prominent Austrian figures, notably his conflicts with the social democratic Chancellor Bruno Kreisky and his controversial involvement in investigating the Nazi past of Kurt Waldheim.

Unflinching Objectivity: It is widely considered one of the most accurate biographies available, prioritizing hard documentary evidence over speculation.

Final Verdict
If you are interested in the life, work, and complex legacy of Simon Wiesenthal, this is undoubtedly the best biography available at the moment. It is a highly recommended, essential read for history enthusiasts.

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Recenzja: Simon Wiesenthal: The Life and Legends – Tom Segev

Zarys fabuły
Jest to obszerna i skrupulatnie napisana biografia Szymona Wiesenthala. Książka śledzi jego losy od wczesnych lat spędzonych w wielokulturowym Buczaczu – wówczas należącym do Polski, a wcześniej do Austro-Węgier – przez przetrwanie Holokaustu, aż po trwające całe życie poświęcenie w ściganiu nazistowskich zbrodniarzy wojennych. Publikacja dogłębnie opisuje jego powojenne życie w Austrii, skomplikowane relacje z tamtejszym krajobrazem politycznym oraz nieustępliwe dążenie do sprawiedliwości, by świat nigdy nie zapomniał o zbrodniach Holokaustu.

Moje wrażenia
Uważam, że jest to niezwykle imponujące i obiektywne przedstawienie życia Wiesenthala. Segev nie tylko wylicza jego osiągnięcia; konfrontuje plotki i półprawdy z rzeczywistymi dokumentami oraz faktami historycznymi, unikając tym samym taniej spekulacji. Trauma, jakiej doświadczył Wiesenthal, była tak głęboka, że nawet jego własne relacje bywały niespójne, a dokładna liczba obozów koncentracyjnych, które przeżył, pozostaje nieznana – co tylko podkreśla dbałość Segeva o prawdę historyczną. Lektura zainspirowała mnie nawet do dalszej eksploracji odnośnie życia i działalności Szymona Wiesenthala. Dzięki temu natrafiłem na film "Chłopcy z Brazylii", który nawiązuje do jego wieloletniego polowania na Josefa Mengele.

Główne zalety

Człowiek kryjący się za mitem: Segev bez owijania w bawełnę analizuje silną, indywidualistyczną i czasami trudną osobowość Wiesenthala, w tym jego tendencję do pracy w pojedynkę oraz konflikty, w które popadał nawet wewnątrz organizacji żydowskich.

Polityczne pola bitew: Książka oferuje fascynujące spojrzenie na jego starcia z wybitnymi austriackimi postaciami, w szczególności z socjaldemokratycznym kanclerzem Bruno Kreisky'm oraz jego zaangażowanie w śledztwo dotyczące nazistowskiej przeszłości Kurta Waldheima, które wzbudzało kontrowersje.

Niezachwiany obiektywizm: Pozycja ta jest powszechnie uważana za jedną z najdokładniejszych dostępnych biografii, stawiającą twarde dowody z dokumentów ponad domysły.

Werdykt
Jeśli interesuje Cię życie, praca i skomplikowane dziedzictwo Szymona Wiesenthala, jest to prawdopodobnie najlepsza biografia dostępna obecnie na rynku. Gorąco polecam tę lekturę wszystkim pasjonatom historii.

[RICK "SHAQ" GOLDSTEIN · Rating 3 out of 5]

RICK “SHAQ” GOLDSTEIN SAYS: “G-D WAS ON VACATION AND HAD NOT LEFT ANYONE TO REPLACE HIM”
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Simon Wiesenthal the infamous international Nazi hunter has had numerous books and movies written and produced about him. Including the tear jerking DVD “I HAVE NEVER FORGOTTEN YOU”. The author Tom Segev’s research and investigation is excruciatingly detailed and perhaps too minutely targeted. Utilizing newly available information from governments around the world including data from the secret services of the United States, Israel, Poland, and East Germany, along with having access to Wiesenthal’s private papers… the author spends as much time and energy raising questions about Simon’s motives, integrity, and boasts… as he does on his actual historical accomplishments. What after awhile seems to be an ongoing flood of decades of soap opera like accusations… many claims are disproved… some claims are acknowledged… and some are left to simply float into the ether.

Wiesenthal’s childhood and his internment in multiple Nazi prison camps are discussed but they are not the type of intricately despicable details as have been covered in other Wiesenthal media. This is more of a textbook like dissection of Simon’s interaction with all form of media representatives such as newspaper and magazine reporters, and his connections, both real and imagined with multiple countries secret service organizations. Untold microcosms of innumerable events within each of these categories are held up to a bright light with the sole purpose of filing each individual circumstance into a slot designated either… “HAPPENED-WITH-PROOF”… “NEVER-HAPPENED”… “POSSIBLY-HAPPENED”… “MAY-NOT-HAVE-HAPPENED”… et al. Because of this constant attempt to put even the smallest details (Which may not even be that interesting or earth shattering) under the strongest literary microscope, many parts of the book seem to drag.

There are of course the names of histories must wretched individuals ranging from Hitler to Eichmann to Stangl to Mengele to Bormann… and so on… through the list of the Holocaust’s horrific non-human abominations. But this book does not attempt to go anywhere near the detail on these individuals that have been unearthed like the turning over of a rock many times before. Covered are Wiesenthal’s many books he authored… the many articles he wrote… the speeches he gave… his battle for funding… his allies and enemies (in his quest for bringing Nazi’s to justice)… and the constant effort by the author to prove… disprove… or not come to a full conclusion… on seemingly endless minute issues… rather than more fully explore and share the bigger picture items that made Simon Wiesenthal such a revered figure keep this book from fully satisfying the reader.

With the overall tone of the book seeming to be verification or non-verification on the historical image that was Simon Wiesenthal a quote from a Mordechai Elazar a Mossad (Israel’s secret service.) agent seems to sum it up well:

“WIESENTHAL WAS A MAN WITH MANY IDENTITIES-LIKE A DIAMOND WITH MANY FACETS,” “ELAZAR RECALLED AFTER HE RETIRED. THEY SPOKE YIDDISH. IN THE EYES OF HIS ISRAELI FRIEND, WIESENTHAL WAS THE ULTIMATE JEW AND THERE WAS NOTHING THAT WAS MORE JEWISH THAN HE WAS. HE WAS REFERRING TO, AMONG OTHER QUALITIES, WIESENTHAL’S WILLINGNESS AND ABILITY TO LIVE OUT OF CHOICE IN A COUNTRY WHERE JEWS WERE NOT WANTED AND TO HIS INCLINATION TO FEEL AT HOME THERE.”

[Clair Keizer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Many of us grew up with a larger than life perspective of Nazi hunter, Simon Wiesenthal. Tom Segev's biography of Wiesenthal does a great deal to lessen that perspective. Segev reinforces our understanding that Wiesenthal's mission to track down and imprison countless Nazis who escaped punishment after World War II was a noble cause. More so when we learn that Wiesenthal's efforts were conducted by a small network of volunteers in addition to himself. Few countries, even the newly recognized state of Israel did much to support Wiesenthal's work. What he accomplished, under those circumstances, is admirable. But Wiesenthal may have been his own greatest obstacle in accomplishing more than he did. Ego and vanity too often influenced his work and offended those who may have contributed more to Wiesenthal's efforts. Segev's writing adds to what was an already complicated story, bouncing us around as we try to keep track of who Wiesenthal was pursuing and who, on any given day, may have been helping or hindering his work. In the end, it's hard not to feel some sadness that Wiesenthal's life ended with many praising his efforts, but even more never taking him seriously enough to help him accomplish more.

[Klr · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very well documented book about the man who hoped to bring to justice those who had attempted the annihilation of the Jews and the Gypsies (Roma). He was a complicated man who had endured great cruelty during the war, as well as a few extraordinarily lucky escapes.

His failures as well as his successes were fascinating. I liked that he did not limit his efforts to Nazis, but looked to any person who led oppression of any group of people.

He was full of contradictions, and often was his own worst enemy. The book details his many battles that arose from his dedication. It also shed light on the way the rest of the world were willing to overlook the criminals from the war, to let them escape, or in the case of Americans, were willing to bring some of them into their country for their own needs. And many enemies of Israel were eager to shelter Nazis who they often saw as allies.

There were a ton of people mentioned in the book, and sometimes it was hard to keep them straight. I also gained a greater insight into the origins of Israel, and the many issues that complicated the foundation of this country.

[Klaus Metzger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Der bekannte israelische Historiker, Tom Segev, hat eine sehr detaillierte Biographie über Simon Wiesenthal geschrieben. Es waren unendliche Schwierigkeiten, die dieser auf der weltweiten Suche nach den Kriegsverbrechern des 2. Weltkrieges überwinden mußte. Große Probleme machte ihm das Land Argentinien, wo die NAZI-Täter durch den Präsidenten Peron geschützt wurden und kein Auslieferungsabkommen bestand. Der Argentinier Uki Goni hat dies in seinem Buch: "ODESSA - die wahre Geschichte" ausführlich beschrieben. Uki Goñi
Deshalb mußte Eichmann nach langer Suche 1960 von der MOSSAD entführt werden. Nach dem Prozeß in Jerusalem wurde er gehängt. Simon Wiesenthal hat zu diesem Erfolg einen großen Beitrag geleistet. Am Ende seines Lebens wurde er mit Auszeichnungen überhäuft.

[Elmer Romero · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful read.

It's the first book I've read about Mr. Wiesenthal and I loved it. It was written very objectively. He was a man so he was not perfect. He had his flaws as we all do. The antagonistic relationships he had with Bruno Kreisky, the Klarsfelds, Marvin Hier (founder of the Simon Wiesenthal Center), and others is amazing. As well as his friendships with Kurt Waldheim and Albert Speer are fascinating too. Whichever side you side with, he will always be a historical figure. I'm not Jewish but I can't help loving a man with so much dedication so the world not forget the ATTEMPTED annihilation of a people simply based on their religion. Now I think I'll read The Sunflower.

[Carol Hamilton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very difficult book to read in the sense of reading about the atrocities committed during WWII, but very good to "not ever forget". This was the goal of Simon Wiesenthal: to not forget those who had lost their lives and why. The author of this book did a good job of trying to sort out the many facets of Wiesenthal's life. It is a beneficial book to read.

[Scott Cedotal · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great man and greatly conflicted. I enjoyed learning about him through this book. Although I thought the narrative was a bit disjointed and at times hard to follow.

[Matthew Lynch · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating study of a man committed to justice and not revenge.

[Doug Van Meter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Worth reading. An enigmatic individual. Interesting insights into the psychology of suffering.

[James Stirling · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very good book on his life but a bloody long read 📚......

[Jason Walker · Rating 3 out of 5]

Simon Wiesenthal is a controversial figure in history. He invented his life after the Holocaust. At the same time he did many things to inspire others, but not everything about his tale is rosy. He was willing to compromise his integrity if he thought it would produce results. Even his arrival in Israel is marked with suspicion and his first government post is was something that he assumed even when the local leaders had nothing to do with him. This is a grand styling summary of a life well crafted from nothing and dying in the bunk houses of Buchenwald to becoming the premier chaser of war criminals, the one thing you will not misunderstand in this book is that Wiesenthal wanted to account for everything and everybody: His fame grows as an undeterred fan of the US, but pushing Israel to do more.

[Mari · Rating 4 out of 5]

Цікава та непроста біографія Симона Візенталя заслуговує на увагу в Україні хоча би тому, що Візенталь є уродженцем Галичини - містечка Бучача, яке має славну та багату на відомі постаті історію. У цій книзі (яка між іншим має російський варіант перекладу) можна відчитати, як людина може залишатися усе життя відданою своїй справі та ідеям. Симон Візенталь опісля Другої світової війни, врятувавшись під час Голокосту, стає "мисливцем за нацистськими злочинцями" та особливих старань докладає до впіймання Адольфа Айхмана - головного відповідального за "остаточне вирішення єврейського питання" в уряді Гітлера. Книга чудово ілюструє процес створення особливого шарму перед особою Візенталя. У будь-якому разі, варто прочитати, як одну із кращих біографій про життя легендарних людей.

[Philipp Wehmann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eine interessante Biografie eines spannenden Lebens. Viele Dinge im Leben des Simon Wiedenthal erscheinen fragwürdig, können aber doch immer wieder mit seinen Erlebnissen der Verfolgung und Inhaftierung im 3. Reich erklärt werden. Diese Erklärungen unternimmt Segev in einem Buch, das gut zu lesen ist und viele Facetten des Nazijägers auslotet. Nebenbei erfährt man viel über die Verfolgung diverser Kriegsverbrecher (Eichmann, die "Stute von Majdanek", Mengele etc.), die Affaire um Kurt Waldheim etc.

[Karen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I dug into this one because our freshman students read Night by Elie Wiesel and I was looking for some text to balance the gloom of Wiesel's memoir. My main quibble with this book is the disjointed flow of the narrative; it pings back and forth in time elements and lacks organization around the myriad elements of Wiesenthal's life. Clearly Wiesenthal was a complex person but the reader would benefit from structured information rather than the ramble that is presented here.

[Dan Ackman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating treatment of the Holocaust and an interesting character. The book peters out a bit as it goes along, but is still a fascinating a readable window into many topics that touched Wiesenthal, including the Holocaust, the changing views of the Holocaust over time by Jews, Israelis and society at large; an the possibility of some sort of justice in the wake of that unfathomable event.

[Gizella Czene]

Layered account of Simon Wiesenthal, you come to appreciate his philosophy of justive versus revenge, individual versus collective guilt, redemption. Very interesting, informative and inspiring.

DOne, not that great but a few good thoughts inside; he stayed in Vienna because that's where all the anti-Semites are.

[Craig Brantley · Rating 2 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book, very interesting subject, but I'm not sure it's one that will stick with me. I found it a bit hard to follow at times, with Wiesenthal such a contradictory person perhaps this fits.

[Jill Delaney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good biography of the Nazi Hunter, although I will say, sometimes the author would add a thought to a paragraph that seemed out of place. Just a pet peeve of mine! The information was good though, should a question ever arise on Jeopardy.

[Camille Willis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Startlingly objective as Segev does not allow us to see Weisenthal as only the hero and sufferer but also an interesting character while not pulling his punches about his subject just because Weisenthal is a Holocaust survivor.

[Rieka · Rating 4 out of 5]

Keine Frage: Simon Wiesenthal hatte ein bewegtes Leben und hat mit seinem Wirken viel erreicht - gerade für die deutsche Gesellschaft. Dennoch blieb bei der Lektüre bei mir das Gefühl, dass Simon Wiesenthal ein höchst unsympathischer Mann war.

[Caroline · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book left me with ambivalent feelings about Wiesenthal. On the one hand I applaud the work he did to bring Nazi War Criminals to justice. On the other I am not sure that I liked the man.

[Jenny · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good biography of Wiesenthal (although perhaps a bit too much editorializing by the author). I didn't know he had such a feud with Eli Wiesel!

[Caroline · Rating 4 out of 5]

Didn't know much besides the "Nazi Hunter" persona. Very interesting and fair bio of him

[Loveeac · Rating 3 out of 5]

a very difficult book at times for obvious reasons. I knew something of Wiesenthal's story already but learned even more. he was a complicated man, dedicated to his work.