What makes this book so powerful is the use of personal interviews and personal stories. Because we are human, a personal storyhas far more resonance than a statstical number.

Rees brings out several not widely kown facts, but he also realies on a variety of eye witness accounts that bring a depth to the history. One hears the story of an adopted child who is taken from her family because her biological grandmother was a gypsy. One learns about what happens in the Channel Islands, and how Jewish refugees there were deported.

At once dsitrubing and enlightening.

4.5

This is a hard book to read, but it's so essential to help understand how we get from point A to point XYZ in a few moments.

My stomach turned multiple times, but I refuse to be unaware of the horrors of history. I don't recommend it to everyone, but if you enjoy history, please do read.

A tough read, content-wise, but compelling and important. Definitely recommend.

8.5/10

Horrifying literature with a perfect mix or higher level politics and personal accounts from the camp.

I think the book is 20 years old, so the language is a bit heavy and weird at times, at least in the norwegian translation.

This is a very different take on the oft written account of the Holocaust and Nazi movement. The events that transpired over the course of the war are viewed from the perspective of the camp at Auschwitz and how it grew, transformed, and evolved based on the plans and needs of the party. It was a reflection of the greater movement. One of the things that I appreciated about this book was that so much of it is based on interviews that the author personally conducted with people who lived through the Holocaust. There are quotes and narrative segments interspersed with the discussion from the author that lend an “on the ground” feel to the text. While it isn’t a narrative text, it certainly flows differently than your standard non-fiction. This book would not serve well as a standalone text if the reader did not already have at least a basic understanding of these events of World War II, however I think that it serves as a great supplemental text for those looking to expand their experience and understanding.

This review was previously posted at The Maiden's Court blog.

For someone who is not particularly knowledgable in all of the atrocities during World War II, this is a great place to start. The writing was incredibly easy to follow and has eyewitness accounts from both sides. I highly recommend.