War and Genocide: A Concise History of the Holocaust (Critical Issues in World and International History)

In examining one of the defining events of the 20th century, Doris Bergen situates the Holocaust in its historical, political, social, cultural, and military contexts. Unlike many other treatments of the Holocaust, the revised, second edition of War and Genocide discusses not only the persecution of the Jews, but also other segments of society victimized by the Nazis: gypsies, homosexuals, Poles, Soviet POWs, the handicapped, and other groups deemed undesirable. In clear and eloquent prose, Bergen explores the two interconnected goals that drove the Nazi German program of conquest and genocide_purification of the so-called Aryan race and expansion of its living space_and discusses how these goals affected the course of World War II. Including first hand accounts from perpetrators, victims, and eyewitnesses, the book is immediate, human, and eminently readable.

Professor Bergen has really written an outstanding short account of the Holocaust. "Concise" is exactly right. But this book is thorough, too. Bergen's book would make an excellent starting point for anyone interested in delving into further research into the Holocaust. The bibliography makes such an effort easy. I particularly appreciated the author's discussion of the Nazi plan to annihilate Europe's Gypsy population, since this topic is usually overlooked in historical accounts of the era.

I bought this book because it was a requirement for my German history class at college. If I had excess funds I would probably not think twice about buying this book even if it were not a requirement for my course because it describes the Holocaust very well, Amazon provides a very reasonable price, and that it is not a very condense book as it is less than 300 pages long. This book was very interesting to read and I learned many news things about the Holocaust, some of which were that Jews were not the only ones persecuted and/or systematically murdered by the Nazis as the Gypsies along with homosexuals, Freemasons, Jehovah's Witnesses, Communists, and Soviet prisoners of war were victims as well. I highly recommend this book to anyone above the age thirteen to buy and/or read this book because you will most likely learn numerous more facts about the Holocaust than you currently know, you will not have to read many books on the subject to understand the Holocaust well, you can buy it for a fair price on Amazon, and that it is very concise.

The item I purchase was in great condition and was sent to me within a reasonable time frame which I appreciate.

A very detailed chronology of the events leading upto, during and after the Holocaust in Europe.

This is a great little book for anyone who wants a concise but detailed and interesting overview of the Holocaust. It is easy to read, well laid out, and provides enough historical information for students and the general public alike. Any high school or college student who is studying modern European history will find this extremely useful.