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A review by samarakroeger
Nazi Billionaires: The Dark History of Germany's Wealthiest Dynasties by David de Jong
challenging
dark
informative
sad
slow-paced
2.5
De Jong managed to make a fascinating sounding topic incredibly boring. Magda was by FAR the most interesting part of this book, and I would have been interested in more salacious gossip peppered throughout this dry (arid, even) and meandering account of many different business families in Nazi Germany. Because he constantly switched up who he was talking about, it was very confusing and hard to follow at times. All the shady businessmen blurred together, and it might have been more effective to focus on only one such family or company.
Furthermore, this needed more editorial oversight on the big picture side of things. I would have actively advocated for a stronger narrative pull, a more concentrated focus and scope, and a clearer organizational strategy. I would have welcomed more personal intrusions into the narrative from de Jong himself, as he clearly has a vested interest in the subject.
It’s clear that a lot of research went into this book, but I’m pretty sure most readers could have done with less listing off of specific deals and trades that don’t actively build up the primary narrative. It felt like only a person fascinated by ticker tape or something equally banal would have not gotten completely lost in the weeds.
The end of the book, exploring the Nuremberg Trials through today, was more interesting but a little underdeveloped. I kept wanting to hear about the why instead of just the what. Why should we care? What is significant about this legacy? How will this issue continue to manifest itself in the future? These are pretty basic questions I think any nonfiction writer should ask themselves throughout the writing process and absolutely should be addressed in the conclusion.
Furthermore, this needed more editorial oversight on the big picture side of things. I would have actively advocated for a stronger narrative pull, a more concentrated focus and scope, and a clearer organizational strategy. I would have welcomed more personal intrusions into the narrative from de Jong himself, as he clearly has a vested interest in the subject.
It’s clear that a lot of research went into this book, but I’m pretty sure most readers could have done with less listing off of specific deals and trades that don’t actively build up the primary narrative. It felt like only a person fascinated by ticker tape or something equally banal would have not gotten completely lost in the weeds.
The end of the book, exploring the Nuremberg Trials through today, was more interesting but a little underdeveloped. I kept wanting to hear about the why instead of just the what. Why should we care? What is significant about this legacy? How will this issue continue to manifest itself in the future? These are pretty basic questions I think any nonfiction writer should ask themselves throughout the writing process and absolutely should be addressed in the conclusion.