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A review by adamsw216
Hunting Eichmann: How a Band of Survivors and a Young Spy Agency Chased Down the World's Most Notorious Nazi by Neal Bascomb
5.0
Hunting Eichmann is the story of how Nazi party official and SS officer Adolf Eichmann was found and caught after the end of World War II. Eichmann was one of the men responsible for organizing the logistics of sending millions of Jewish people to Nazi extermination camps. After the war ended, he managed to hide his identity while moving around Germany before finally ending up in Argentina. The beginning of this book is mostly backstory on Eichmann, his role in the Holocaust, and his path to Argentina. We are also introduced to several people who have taken it upon themselves to hunt down former Nazis and bring them to justice.
The bulk of the book is dedicated to the attempts to track Eichmann down, and then the organization and execution of the plan to capture him and bring him back to Israel to stand trial. We are introduced to each and every person that is involved and told a bit of their personal history so we understand their personal and professional investment in this mission. There are many people, so it becomes a lot to keep track of. Thankfully, author Neal Bascomb does a good job of keeping the narrative fairly straight forward so losing track of which person is doing what does not affect the understanding of the story as a whole. Reading this book, one can get a sense of the enormous effort required from everyone involved. There is plenty of intrigue and interesting insights into how espionage work was done at the time.
We are also given glimpses into the minds of the people who had to spend time with Eichmann after his capture. They grapple with a confusing mix of emotions--particularly when they find themselves pitying the man who they blame for the deaths of their family members.
In the end, the trial itself is given a quick summary, but we are told that the effect of the mission on the men and women involved has stuck with them for the rest of their lives. It is not just a story of how Eichmann was brought to justice, but of the incredible effort of those involved who made it happen. Highly recommended.
The bulk of the book is dedicated to the attempts to track Eichmann down, and then the organization and execution of the plan to capture him and bring him back to Israel to stand trial. We are introduced to each and every person that is involved and told a bit of their personal history so we understand their personal and professional investment in this mission. There are many people, so it becomes a lot to keep track of. Thankfully, author Neal Bascomb does a good job of keeping the narrative fairly straight forward so losing track of which person is doing what does not affect the understanding of the story as a whole. Reading this book, one can get a sense of the enormous effort required from everyone involved. There is plenty of intrigue and interesting insights into how espionage work was done at the time.
We are also given glimpses into the minds of the people who had to spend time with Eichmann after his capture. They grapple with a confusing mix of emotions--particularly when they find themselves pitying the man who they blame for the deaths of their family members.
In the end, the trial itself is given a quick summary, but we are told that the effect of the mission on the men and women involved has stuck with them for the rest of their lives. It is not just a story of how Eichmann was brought to justice, but of the incredible effort of those involved who made it happen. Highly recommended.