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74 reviews for:
Hunting Eichmann: How a Band of Survivors and a Young Spy Agency Chased Down the World's Most Notorious Nazi
Neal Bascomb
4.16 AVERAGE
74 reviews for:
Hunting Eichmann: How a Band of Survivors and a Young Spy Agency Chased Down the World's Most Notorious Nazi
Neal Bascomb
4.16 AVERAGE
Non-fiction about the capture of Adolph Eichmann, the notorious Nazi responsible for transportation of millions of Jews to the death camps during WWII. This book traces the Israeli Mossad’s efforts to locate Eichmann and bring him to justice. Although I knew the basics of the story, I had no idea of the complexity of the task. I was impressed at the author’s ability to maintain a thread of tension and suspense, especially since the outcome is already known. The author also kept the story tightly leashed. It would have been easy to range far afield, since he had to cover enough of Eichmann’s early years, his rise to power in the Nazi SS, and how he escaped after the end of the war. I found it fast-paced and riveting. It reads like a mystery or thriller. The writing is journalistic in style: straight-forward and easily followed. Content includes descriptions of Holocaust atrocities and violence. Recommended to those interested in WWII history, the Holocaust, international espionage, or war crimes.
A fascinating look at the hunt for one of the worst perpetrators of Nazi atrocities. More proof of why you don't want to mess with the Israelis.
informative
reflective
fast-paced
Fascinating and surprisingly suspenseful, given that we know they did catch him and bring him to justice.
Adolf Eichmann was the model for Hannah Arendt's banality of evil. Kafka could not have written a more bloodless bureaucrat than Eichmann - the Chief Operating Officer of the Final Solution. Although he was manifestly responsible for the deaths of 6 million or more Jews, Communists, prisoners of war, Gypsies, political dissidents, homosexuals, mentally retarded people, and anyone else who had the misfortune to be caught in the wheels of the Nazi system, he never accepted responsibility. He was just following orders. "I never killed anyone ... I was involved in collection and transport."
[b:Hunting Eichmann|4778436|Hunting Eichmann How a Band of Survivors and a Young Spy Agency Chased Down the World'sMost Notorious Nazi|Neal Bascomb|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1255639555s/4778436.jpg|4843274] tells the story of the 15-year hunt for Adolf Eichmann after the War ended. Eichmann had been last seen in Hungary, overseeing the systematic murder of over 430,000 Hungarians before fleeing the country in 1945. Captured by the Americans under a false name in 1946, Eichmann escaped them and eventually made his way to Argentina where a community of expatriate Nazis waited to welcome him.
Bascomb's book is the most comprehensive story of how Eichmann was tracked down yet written. Bascomb had access to extensive written materials all over the world that have recently become declassified. In addition, he was able to interview every major player in the story of the capture. It is clear from reading the book that the US and the Europeans were invested in ignoring the Nazis that were left unprosecuted after Nuremberg because bringing them and their stories to light would have also shed light on the number of prominent ex-Nazis working for the U.S. and various other European governments. By the time WWII ended everyone was primarily concerned with fighting Communism and looked the other way when convenient.
Had it not been for the relentless bravery of Nazi hunters like Simon Wisenthal and Tuviah Friedman the case might have gone cold, but their work along with the work of concentration camp survivors in Argentina identified and located Eichmann. The Israelis were tipped off to his location by a West German prosecutor and the capture was on. This team of a dozen Israelis - over half of whom were concentration camp survivors or who had lost their entire families to the camps - went to Argentina to pick him up. That they did so was pretty amazing. That they managed to hold him for 10 days without murdering him outright, despite how soul sucking being in his presence was, is nothing short of a miracle.
This book reads like the best fictional spy stories you've ever read. The history is fascinating and the writing is gripping. I'm not sure that I enjoyed this, but it was well worth reading.
[b:Hunting Eichmann|4778436|Hunting Eichmann How a Band of Survivors and a Young Spy Agency Chased Down the World'sMost Notorious Nazi|Neal Bascomb|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1255639555s/4778436.jpg|4843274] tells the story of the 15-year hunt for Adolf Eichmann after the War ended. Eichmann had been last seen in Hungary, overseeing the systematic murder of over 430,000 Hungarians before fleeing the country in 1945. Captured by the Americans under a false name in 1946, Eichmann escaped them and eventually made his way to Argentina where a community of expatriate Nazis waited to welcome him.
Bascomb's book is the most comprehensive story of how Eichmann was tracked down yet written. Bascomb had access to extensive written materials all over the world that have recently become declassified. In addition, he was able to interview every major player in the story of the capture. It is clear from reading the book that the US and the Europeans were invested in ignoring the Nazis that were left unprosecuted after Nuremberg because bringing them and their stories to light would have also shed light on the number of prominent ex-Nazis working for the U.S. and various other European governments. By the time WWII ended everyone was primarily concerned with fighting Communism and looked the other way when convenient.
Had it not been for the relentless bravery of Nazi hunters like Simon Wisenthal and Tuviah Friedman the case might have gone cold, but their work along with the work of concentration camp survivors in Argentina identified and located Eichmann. The Israelis were tipped off to his location by a West German prosecutor and the capture was on. This team of a dozen Israelis - over half of whom were concentration camp survivors or who had lost their entire families to the camps - went to Argentina to pick him up. That they did so was pretty amazing. That they managed to hold him for 10 days without murdering him outright, despite how soul sucking being in his presence was, is nothing short of a miracle.
This book reads like the best fictional spy stories you've ever read. The history is fascinating and the writing is gripping. I'm not sure that I enjoyed this, but it was well worth reading.
5 star - Perfect
4 star - i would recommend
3 star - good
2 star - struggled to complete
1 star - could not finish
4 star - i would recommend
3 star - good
2 star - struggled to complete
1 star - could not finish
Much more exciting now that they're making plans to capture him.
Fascinating look at how banal evil can be. He had no regrets. After all, he was just following orders.
Fascinating look at how banal evil can be. He had no regrets. After all, he was just following orders.
"'We will bring Adolf Eichmann to Jerusalem,' Harel said, striking the table, 'and perhaps the world will be reminded of its responsibilities. It will be recognized that, as a people, we never forogt. Our memory reaches back through recorded history. The memory book lies open, and the hand still writes.'" (174).
This quote embodies the stakes involved in capturing Eichmann for several Israeli agents--the book discusses how some of these had relatives who died in the Holocaust, prompting them to take action after the war was over. Simultaneously, Adolf Eichmann, who worked with the Nazis throughout, tries to hide out with his family, traveling across Europe until he eventually gets to Argentina, which hides him well for a decade.
The more positive reviewers compared this to a spy novel or a detective story, and it clearly shows. We see the Israeli agents try to hunt Eichmann down, but to no avail. There are multiple conversations, plans, and intrigue involved. However, due to the writing style of this book, it may not be as well highlighted as it was supposed to be, making it more dense. Bascomb frequently uses details to add color to his storyline, along with the arcs of the different players in the book. It also provides very good detail on why Argentina became the Nazi haven it was during the 1950s.
However, he does do good research and incorporates quotes quite well. One of my favorites was during an interrogation with Eichmann after he was captured:
"'As soon as you told me to keep quite, there in the car, I knew it was in the hands of the Israelis,' Eichmann continued. 'I know Hebrew. I learned it from Rabbi Leo Baeck. Sh'ma Yisrael, Ha'Shem Elokeinu--'
"Aharoni cut him off, refusing to listen to Adolf Eichmann say the holiest prayer in the Jewish religion, one recited in the morning and at night by the faithful. It was the prayer spoken at the hour of death, and millions of Jews had come to utter it because of Eichmann." (233).
What was curious was how little time he gives for the trial itself. Considering he mentions that it was a significant one on the world stage, it goes a little bit faster than expect. I assume that he wanted to focus on the capture--a mission impossible, especially with the lack of interest at some points.
Overall, I found Hunting Eichmann enjoyable and interesting. Not only in terms of Nazi hunters, but also how it confronted one's memories of the Holocaust, and how the new State of Israel played a role in tracking him down. Especially with the declined knowledge of the Holocaust, it throws it back into the spotlight, and I might want to read it again. (7/10)
This quote embodies the stakes involved in capturing Eichmann for several Israeli agents--the book discusses how some of these had relatives who died in the Holocaust, prompting them to take action after the war was over. Simultaneously, Adolf Eichmann, who worked with the Nazis throughout, tries to hide out with his family, traveling across Europe until he eventually gets to Argentina, which hides him well for a decade.
The more positive reviewers compared this to a spy novel or a detective story, and it clearly shows. We see the Israeli agents try to hunt Eichmann down, but to no avail. There are multiple conversations, plans, and intrigue involved. However, due to the writing style of this book, it may not be as well highlighted as it was supposed to be, making it more dense. Bascomb frequently uses details to add color to his storyline, along with the arcs of the different players in the book. It also provides very good detail on why Argentina became the Nazi haven it was during the 1950s.
However, he does do good research and incorporates quotes quite well. One of my favorites was during an interrogation with Eichmann after he was captured:
"'As soon as you told me to keep quite, there in the car, I knew it was in the hands of the Israelis,' Eichmann continued. 'I know Hebrew. I learned it from Rabbi Leo Baeck. Sh'ma Yisrael, Ha'Shem Elokeinu--'
"Aharoni cut him off, refusing to listen to Adolf Eichmann say the holiest prayer in the Jewish religion, one recited in the morning and at night by the faithful. It was the prayer spoken at the hour of death, and millions of Jews had come to utter it because of Eichmann." (233).
What was curious was how little time he gives for the trial itself. Considering he mentions that it was a significant one on the world stage, it goes a little bit faster than expect. I assume that he wanted to focus on the capture--a mission impossible, especially with the lack of interest at some points.
Overall, I found Hunting Eichmann enjoyable and interesting. Not only in terms of Nazi hunters, but also how it confronted one's memories of the Holocaust, and how the new State of Israel played a role in tracking him down. Especially with the declined knowledge of the Holocaust, it throws it back into the spotlight, and I might want to read it again. (7/10)
Incredible and fascinating book about the search for Adolfo Eichmann after the end of WWII. I knew the name before reading the book, but never knew this particular story. I loved learning about all the espionage and planning that went into his capture and travel out of Argentina. This would make an intense, nail-biter movie as well. Looking into reading more by this author as well.