“[A] deep and sweeping account of a relentless search for justice.†—The Washington Post More than seven decades after the end of the Second World War; the era of the Nazi Hunters is drawing to a close as they and the hunted die off. Their saga can now be told almost in its entirety.After the Nuremberg trials and the start of the Cold War; most of the victors in World War II lost interest in prosecuting Nazi war criminals. Many of the lower-ranking perpetrators quickly blended in with the millions who were seeking to rebuild their lives in a new Europe; while those who felt most at risk fled the continent. The Nazi Hunters focuses on the small band of men and women who refused to allow their crimes to be forgotten—and who were determined to track them down to the furthest corners of the earth. The Nazi Hunters reveals the experiences of the young American prosecutors in the Nuremberg and Dachau trials; Benjamin Ferencz and William Denson; the Polish investigating judge Jan Sehn; who handled the case of Auschwitz commandant Rudolf Höss; Germany’s judge and prosecutor Fritz Bauer; who repeatedly forced his countrymen to confront their country’s record of mass murder; the Mossad agent Rafi Eitan; who was in charge of the Israeli team that nabbed Eichmann; and Eli Rosenbaum; who rose to head the US Justice Department’s Office of Special Investigations that belatedly sought to expel war criminals who were living quietly in the United States. But some of the Nazi hunters’ most controversial actions involved the more ambiguous cases; such as former UN Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim’s attempt to cover up his wartime history. Or the fate of concentration camp guards who have lived into their nineties; long past the time when reliable eyewitnesses could be found to pinpoint their exact roles. The story of the Nazi hunters is coming to a natural end. It was unprecedented in so many ways; especially the degree to which the initial impulse of revenge was transformed into a struggle for justice. The Nazi hunters have transformed our fundamental notions of right and wrong. Andrew Nagorski’s book is a richly reconstructed odyssey and an unforgettable tale of gritty determination; at times reckless behavior; and relentless pursuit.
#718854 in Books NAVAL INSTITUTE 2017-06-15Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.30 x 1.40 x 6.10l; #File Name: 1473882397336 pagesNAVAL INSTITUTE
Review
6 of 7 people found the following review helpful. Fills a Large Gap in English Language Accounts of the Kriegsmarine in WW2By Writing HistorianWhy minus a star? Well; in part because of a combination of factors; first; Patterson relies far too heavily on secondary sources - which he does not do a particularly good job of footnoting - second; the author does not provide sorely needed context at times when discussing related key events and finally because the publisher made some avoidable editing/proofing gaffes. That said; Hitler's Forgotten Flotillas is definitely worthy of a solid four star (above average) rating in testament to the fact that author Patterson has done a credible job tackling an oft neglected topic.The book is divided into ten chapters divided along thematic/chronological lines. Chapter 1 examines the development of naval mine warfare and auxiliary ships in the Kaisers Navy - these ships and WW1 experience provided the foundation for WW2 KM naval security operations. Chapter 2 looks at 1939 - 1940 operations prior to the Fall of France. Chapter 3 examines operations in Norway and off the French coast after the latter's surrender. Chapter 4 expounds on the previous chapter by detailing how the Security Flotilla mission evolved after 1940. Chapter 5 takes the reader to other theaters by looking at Security Flotilla operations in the early days of the Russian and African campaigns. The author attempts to expand the narrative's scope in Chapter 6 by looking simultaneously at the Baltic; Norway and the West in 1942 - 1943 while Chapter 7 zooms in once again on Russia by detailing how the Security Forces operated in the Black Sea during that same period. Chapter 8 returns the reader to the Mediterranean and Aegean from June 1942 to December 1943; I found this section particularly useful in that Patterson examines how the Kriegsmarine assumed the Regia Marina's responsibilities following the Italian surrender in September 1943. Mediterranean coverage continues in Chapter 9; which takes southern based security flotillas through the remainder of the conflict to the end of the war. The book's final chapter thus covers Security Flotilla operations in NW Europe from D-Day through V-E day.Maps - the author provides readers with a few large scale maps suitable only for geographical reference. These are all located in the front of the book. Photographs are sprinkled throughout the text as appropriate; but very few are action shots conveying what happened during combat operations.Several very useful appendices are included listing tables of organization; Knights Cross winners; and flotilla activations/inactivations/deployments.One belated note - Patterson's definition of security forces seems to be much broader than the German navy definition with the result that readers get more than they bargained for. Not only does he discuss harbor protection and escort flotillas; but he also goes into some detail on minesweeping; Marine naval ferries; artillery carriers; and dedicated AA vessels.3 of 3 people found the following review helpful. A must for anyone interested in WWII Naval History.By CustomerThis book is about the most unknown and the most used naval units in Hitler's Kreigsmarine in World War 2 The Security Forces which ran the Minesweeping; Escort; Coastal Patrol and River Patrol Forces. These forces were involved in all theaters of operation and combat. These units used Allied Boats and developed new types of vessels. Still they are mostly unknown as history has lumped them in this the Torpedo Boats and the main fleet. The Book is well researched and presented if I have one complaint it would be that the books lacks any line drawings for the unusual types of ships used by the security forces or maps of the combat areas.3 of 4 people found the following review helpful. I really enjoyed it.By Avid ReaderI thoroughly enjoyed this. It was an excellent look into obscure aspects of World War II; and I was surprised at the extent of action involving the smaller auxiliary ships.So different than the usual items covered.
