Nuremberg: 2infamy on Trial

by Joseph E. Persico

Book Overview

In an extraordinary re-creation of the Third Reich's day of reckoning, Persico recaptures the trial in bold strokes and minute detail. He enters the minds of all the key actors via groundbreaking research that includes the private papers of the Nuremburg prison psychiatrist and commandant, the letters and journals of the prisoners, and the accounts of the day-to-day struggles, compromises, and convictions among the prosecutors and judges.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0670842761
• ISBN13: 9780670842766
• Release Date: May 1994
• Publisher: Viking Books
• Length: 52 Pages
• Weight: 1.85 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.7" x 6.4" x 9.3"

Customer Reviews

Well-written history of an important legal precedent...

I got started reading about the atrocities committed during WWII when I was in medical school and came across Henry Friedlander's book about The Medical Holocaust. I read several books on that, and then started reading military history of WWII. When I became more involved in a bioethics/disability group and started writing concerning this problem that persists today, I felt compelled to read more history about the original Nuremberg Trial, that set the legal precedent both for putting on trial war criminals and using the ideas of `crimes against humanity' as a means to prosecute these people.Persico's book is probably one of the best in the historical genre. His writing is such that the book reads as quickly as a novel, but he doesn't speculate. He didn't have to, as there was so much information in writing, in photography, in video...that he could use the actual words of both the prosecution and the defendants. It not only flabbergasted the prosecution, but me as a reader to find that the Germans documented everything. It boggles the mind that these men and women who carried out such unbelievably horrible crimes, felt compelled to write about them. They were proud of what they did, and expected the world to actually laud them for their efforts to rid the world of the Jews and other minority groups. It is so necessary that our children who are now three generations removed from The Holocaust be taught about the reality of what happened in Germany and the countries that Germany conquered (or tried to). What is so terrifying is the fact that many of these men were not charismatic, were not charming or handsome, had no great abilities of any kind, but in `normal' situations would have been merely cruel and lowly workers that no one would ever pay attention. The fact that one madman could pull into power a group of men like this (Goring among them), and threaten not only the world but their own people continues to be frightening. I see some politicians in power currently whose grasp for more power and seeks the destruction of many of the basic rights in our own democracy that parallel what happened in Germany. And unfortunately, too many of these people hold sway over other more intelligent men such as Albert Speer. I read about Speer's impact before, but still find it incredible that he could have ever listened to a raving madman and feel that his words held any credibility.Persico writes well...I am forcing my husband to read this book because he was in Germany for two years, and I think he will find this fascinating, as I did. Persico brings up the fact that without the collaboration of industry, banks, and other corporate groups Hitler would never have retained power. These groups actively participated in the development of the Nazi killing machine, and Justice Jackson and the others involved in the criminal proceedings were right not only to bring the heads of these groups to task for their participation in the atrocities, but also to hold the e

If there is such an event?

"Trial Of The Century", who decides which courtroom event merits this type of hyperbole? In the 20th Century there was the kidnapping and subsequent death of a child, and at the close of the same time period, a second case rose to occupy this level of infamy. This latter crime was a multiple murder. These crimes were horrible, both for their victims and all who cared for them. I respectfully suggest neither case by any measure reached the level of importance of the War Crime Trials of Nuremberg. Because the child's father was the first to fly the Atlantic, or that a professional athlete of one color is the defendant accused of killing 2 victims of another, makes for lurid tabloid garbage. It does not make them important. The color of victims and their assailants should not be news, or the celebrity status of a father, but that is to speak of utopia.Nuremberg was the place, its defendants so devoid of humanity, and their crimes so heinous that there were no charges to define what they had done. This was the trial where "Man" was the defendant, the prosecution, the judge, jury, instrument of sentencing, and in many cases executioner. Humanity was put on trial. This event transcended the law, the values, the morality, the customs, and the mores of any one Country. It was a test, it was unprecedented, and the Author Mr. Joseph E. Persico places this in front of the reader, and it is nearly unbearable to conceive of what took place.Nuremberg was where the bacilli of genocide were confined, the location the engineers of Crimes Against Humanity, the Nazis, Herman Goering, and fellow demented followers of the Corporal were caged and then mostly hung. This event, this judgment handed down by the Allies was a pivotal moment in Human History. This event that created the legal basis for an International Tribunal to call before the bar those alleged to have committed war crimes, to charge them, to hold them responsible and finally to punish, this was history. This trial where the guilty were actually found to be so and were sentenced and then had their sentences carried out with dispatch, this was the trial of any time period one can name. There is no other, there is not another that can pretend to come close. The Author Mr. Joseph E. Persico demonstrates this and many other precedents that were incredibly complex and that brought about the trial and lead to its outcome. So the next time "the bubble headed bleach blonde comes on at 5" (with a nod to Don Henley) and reads "Trial Of The Century" off the teleprompter, hit the off switch, why listen to the ignorant?The Nuremberg trials were a singular event. Virtually every aspect of the proceedings were inaugural. Whether one speaks of the "charges" that the defendants were to be tried for, whether there was even a legal basis for trying them, and even the real time translation equipment that was used, all were firsts. Judges and attorneys from Russia, The United States, and

Good and Interesting Account

This account of the Nuremberg Trials is truely a gift. Presico give a detailed account of the trial and a background to the major players that participated in this historic event. This trial forever changed the outlook of international law and directly outlined the concenquences of future of wars -- if you commit crimes, you will be punished. This book is a prime example of critical, but reader friendly analysis. This book is a good introduction to the Nuremberg Trials that gives you the reader a close, inside view of the men who ran the Nazi war effort.

Nuremberg: A Little Known Drama

As someone who has studied the Second World War and knew the basics behind the men on trial I still found Persico's account very illuminating. In addition to mearly reporting the facts of the trial, Persico gets inside the defendant's minds and attempts to convey the emotions that these men went through. From the conflicts between Goring and his jailers to the cunning defence strategy of Albert Speer, this is a story that all students of World War II should know.

Perscico's might be the best of the Nuremberg books

I've always been facinated by the Nuremberg trials, and last year I actually took a college course solely on Nuremberg, so I've read many Nremberg historicals in my life. I think that this one might be the best simply because it is written in the most interesting way. Persico takes you through the trial as if it were a novel with twists and climaxes in its plot. He also interjects a fair amount of subjective criticism into the book ( much of which I disagree with ). I would recommend this book even above those written by trial participants such as Taylor's and Tusa's books for readers interested in learning about the shape and scope of the trials. This is especially true for readers new to the Nuremberg trial since this book is more likely than most to keep your attention throughout the book. The only book about Nuremberg that I have read that is better than Persico's is psychologist G.M. Gilbert's "Nuremberg Diary." Although this one is better for readers interested in learning about the trial itself.