Nazi Germany and the Jews, 1933-1945: Abridged Edition

By Saul Friedlander

Nazi Germany and the Jews, 1933-1945 is an abridged edition of Saul Friedländer's definitive Pulitzer Prize-winning two-volume history of the Holocaust: Nazi Germany and the Jews: The Years of Persecution, 1933-1939 and The Years of Extermination: Nazi Germany and the Jews, 1939-1945.

The book's first part, dealing with the National Socialist campaign of oppression, restores the voices of Jews who were engulfed in an increasingly horrifying reality following the Nazi accession to power. Friedländer also provides the accounts of the persecutors themselves—and, perhaps most telling of all, the testimonies of ordinary German citizens who, in general, stood silent and unmoved by the increasing waves of segregation, humiliation, impoverishment, and violence.

The second part covers the German extermination policies that resulted in the murder of six million European Jews—an official program that depended upon the cooperation of local authorities and police departments, the passivity of the populations, and the willingness of the victims to submit in desperate hope of surviving long enough to escape the German vise.

A monumental, multifaceted study now contained in a single volume, Saul Friedländer's Nazi Germany and the Jews, 1933-1945 is an essential study of a dark and complex history.

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Release date: Oct 6, 2009
• ISBN: 9780061971402

Saul Friedlander

Born in Prague, Saul Friedländer spent his boyhood in Nazi-occupied France. He is a professor of history at UCLA, and has written numerous books on Nazi Germany and World War II.

Reviews for Nazi Germany and the Jews, 1933-1945

[mellowowl · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

One of the deepest most probing accounts of the Holocaust I have ever read. Friedlander is a gifted historian who manages to present a fairly neutral account of the extermination years of the Holocaust. Friendlander manages to inject a personal element into a horrific period in history accelerating the pace of the book. The writing is clear and the research is impeccably done. I would highly recommend this to anyone interested in the history of World War II or the Holocaust.

[meggo_2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I read this book while Israel invaded Gaza in 2009, and have to say that the book was very polarizing. People would approach me on the subway and in restaurants and challenge the book because they disagreed with Israel's actions - frankly, that has nothing to do with the actions of the Nazis in World War II. People seem to forget that "Israel" does not equal "Jews", just as Islamic Jihaadists do not equal all Muslims.As for this book, it is exhaustively researched and very well written. For a 600+ page book, it was very easy to read, because it was so organized and quite simply, fascinating. Worth reading for anyone who is interested in World War II history.

[santhony_35 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is the kind of work whose rating depends exclusively on what kind of reading experience you're looking for. If you are a scholar of the Holocaust and German policies during World War II as it relates to the "Jewish problem", this will perhaps be the gold standard. If, on the other hand, you're merely in search of an educational and captivating read, you'd best look elsewhere. At its core, this book is a compilation of hundreds of sources that chronicle the evolution of Nazi policies from 1939-1945. Sadly, while the author quotes from numerous diaries and journals, the individual experiences of many of the victims comprise but a small part of the narrative; far too small in my opinion. Instead, the text is loaded with literally hundreds of excerpts from Nazi speeches and policy papers, all variations on the underlying theme of, "We're going to kill all the Jews". As a result, the writing is dry to say the least. This book has perhaps two hundred pages of end notes and source material, an indication of its scholarly weight. Again, if you're doing research or enjoy such writing, this is the book for you. I think it says something that the writer, on a topic as emotionally laden as the Holocaust, left this reader feeling nothing, whereas other books on the topic have left me in tears.

[Globocnik · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

Same old jew bs. None of it is true. Just one giant holohoax.

Hitler did the right thing.