The Nazi Hunters

If you are a reader who continues to be fascinated yet revolted by the Nazi Germany era, then do yourself a favor and pick up (or download) this book by Andrew Nagorski. It’s the logical sequel to his “Hitlerland,” which I have also read, thoroughly enjoyed and very strongly recommend! (It’s particularly timely during the current election campaign!)Over the last 50 years I have read many, many books about Hitler and the Nazis, so, to be honest about it, I pretty much know all the “stories,” as well as how they end. Maybe you do too. But I want to emphasize the term “pretty much know all” here. In both of Mr. Nagorski’s books I was continually discovering heretofore unknown (at least by me) anecdotes that added immeasurably to the human interest elements of the stories. Let me give you just ONE example (of many) from “The Nazi Hunters” (and “Hitlerland”).Most of the TOP Nazis found guilty at the Nuremberg trials were hanged (a few, such as Eichmann, escaped early capture; a few, such as Goering and Himmler, committed suicide before they could face the hangman). But have you ever read or heard much, if anything, about the soldier who served as the actual hangman? Me neither. He was Army Master Sergeant John C. Woods.A young Jewish GI who assisted Woods in his gruesome duties, Herman Obermayer, described him this way: “(He) defied all the rules, didn’t shine his shoes and didn’t get shaved . . . His dress was always sloppy . . . his pants were always unpressed . . . his M/Sgt. Stripes . . . attached . . . by a single stitch of yellow thread. . . .”Crucial information to the story of the Nuremberg trials? Of course not, but still mighty interesting and illuminating, particularly when contrasted with the typical cut-and-dried, quite often very boring accounts of the trials.If you are like most people, and not especially well read on the subject, you probably also just assume that the hunting of Nazis, once the war ended, began in earnest and aggressively continued on many fronts for many, many years thereafter. Well, as Mr. Nagorski (and other, of course) points out in some detail, you would be very, very wrong in that assumption. To be sure, the hunt did begin soon after the war, and in some cases it was a very aggressive hunt indeed. But as exigencies of the “cold war” era soon replaced World War II concerns, genuine, widespread interest in and the aggressive nature of the hunt waned rather quickly, particularly among the Allies and especially among officials of the “new” Germany.I would best describe “The Nazi Hunters” as being a condensed, yet quite thorough, very readable version of several key stories about the era: The actual hunt for the Nazis; the key figures involved in the hunt (both the hunters and the hunted); the Nuremberg Trials; and the lingering aftermath of the entire era and experience.Here’s your choice: You can read many, many books to get information about and knowledge of these historical events (a formidable challenge!) OR, you can pick up the EXCELLENT condensed version written by Mr. Nagorski.Oh, and one other thing: Hey, this guy can write!

The Nuremberg Trials after World War II condemned twelve top Nazis to the gallows and sent many others to prison for long sentences. For many people that seemed to solve the problem, and their attention turned to other issues like the Cold War. But there were many men and women in Europe and America for whom Nuremberg settled only a small part of the price that needed to be paid for the Holocaust and other war crimes. The Nazi Hunters were keenly aware that many thousands of SS officers, concentration camp guards, and Nazi civilian and military leaders who had helped send millions of innocents to their deaths were still free, sometimes living under their own names in towns and cities across Europe, the United States, and South America. The goal of the Nazi Hunters was to identify and bring to justice these overlooked murderers, even if it took decades. Andrew Nagorski has written a superlative history that chronicles the Hunters' war against the Nazi murderers.I was already familiar with the names Simon Wiesenthal, Serge and Beate Klarsfeld, and William Denson before I read The Nazi Hunters, but I had little idea of the full scope of their campaigns to bring the Nazis to justice. Others like Eli Rosenbaum, Isser Harel, and Allan Ryan were unknown to me before I read Nagorski's book, but they were just as dedicated as their more famous collaborators (and sometimes rivals). Likewise, I had heard of Adolf Eichmann, Rudolf Hoss, Josef Mengele, and Ilse Koch, but Nagorski revealed much about their criminal activities that was new to me. Nagorski's book also details the histories of some Nazis with whom I was not familar, like Hermine Braunsteiner and Herbert Cukurs. It was amazing to read about the stratagems which the Hunters used to track down, confront, and bring to justice some of these people, and it was just as amazing, if sometimes disgusting, to learn of the pathetic excuses they made for their actions.Nagorski's book reveals the Hunters to have been dedicated, highly principled human beings who were not immune to self-glorification and aggrandizement. At times they disagreed as to whether some former Nazis, particularly those like Kurt Waldheim whose roles were not clearly documented, should be pursued. At times The Nazi Hunters is as gripping as any spy thriller, with the added spice of being about real world people and events. At a time when the voices of the last Holocaust survivors and the last of their Nazi tormentors will be soon stilled forever, it is even more important to document the terrible deeds committed by otherwise ordinary seeming men and women and hold them accountable.

It would be easy to bog down the reader with too much detail. This book reads like an awesome novel of history. A page turner.

Excellent book! Concise, informative yet tightly written. I found that each chapter was like a book in itself, finding myself disappointed when each chapter had to end. Great character depth. When Isser Harel first met Eichmann he was quoted as saying, "If I met the man in the street, I would find no difference between him and thousands of other men passing by". "What makes such a creature, created in the likeness of man, into such a monster?"

We liked the book until we got about ¾ through it. It's a bit much. The history is fascinating, but it seemed repetitive after awhile . . .

Well researched and well written, this book engages in the reader in a fascinating historical review of the efforts, small and large, successful and arguably not, to bring Nazi war criminals to justice. It covers well known and lesser well known trials shortly following the war, and the efforts of private and public citizens to track the Nazis who fled Europe after the war. The book engages the reader from the beginning and provides thoughtful discussion on an important post-war struggle -- how can justice best be served in light of the fact that the Nazi war machine wouldn't have functioned so smoothly without the help (and thus culpability) of millions of Europeans.

I went into this expecting more than I got. Nagorski's The Greatest Battle is a gem though.

Fascinating, well-researched story that should be required reading in high school or college history classes.The Hunters came from across the spectrum of nationalities, all with the same goal: the service of justice.Mr. Nagorski captured the essence of each of the hunters and their 'quarry'.Excellent book.

not what i thought ,a very dissapointing read.not so much about the hunters or the hunted,more like courts and lawyers and legality.

A very interesting insight into the politics of hunting for war criminals. Andrew Nagorski illustrates that post Nuremberg and until the capture of Eichmann Nazi hunting was really funded and carried out by dedicated individuals.

Fascinating

Interesting book; nicely and effectively written. Not particularly novel in content, especially for readers who are familiar with the topic.

an informative book.