Prize-winning historian Peter Novick illuminates the reasons Americans ignored the Holocaust for so long -- how dwelling on German crimes interfered with Cold War mobilization; how American Jews; not wanting to be thought of as victims; avoided the subject. He explores in absorbing detail the decisions that later moved the Holocaust to the center of American life: Jewish leaders invoking its memory to muster support for Israel and to come out on top in a sordid competition over what group had suffered most; politicians using it to score points with Jewish voters. With insight and sensitivity; Novick raises searching questions about these developments. Have American Jews; by making the Holocaust the emblematic Jewish experience; given Hitler a posthumous victory; tacitly endorsing his definition of Jews as despised pariahs? Does the Holocaust really teach useful lessons and sensitize us to atrocities; or; by making the Holocaust the measure; does it make lesser crimes seem "not so bad"? What are we to make of the fact that while Americans spend hundreds of millions of dollars for museums recording a European crime; there is no museum of American slavery?
#20858 in Books Arthur Herman 2002-09-24 2002-09-24Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 8.00 x 1.10 x 5.20l; 1.08 #File Name: 0609809997480 pagesHow the Scots Invented the Modern World The True Story of How Western Europe s Poorest Nation Created Our World and Everything in It
Review
51 of 52 people found the following review helpful. Deeply researched and packed with surprisesBy Alan GI grew up in Scotland; so the title had a certain irresistible appeal(!); but this book provided context that was missing entirely in my history classes in school. It's certainly no puff-piece for Scotland; because the author minces no words describing the darker side of 17th and 18th Century Scottish culture; but it is a scholarly and well-rounded view of the birthplace of the Enlightenment and its profound effect on Western thought; politics and education. The USA is my adopted country; as it has been for so many Scots; and although I knew much of the Scottish influence on the founding of this country; I had no idea it ran so deep or wide.I wouldn't dream of spoiling the surprises for anyone who has not read this yet; other than to say that no-one who is a student of American history can afford not to read this book. The depth of research and the unvarnished; warts-and-all approach Mr. Herman takes to his subject matter make it a must read.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. All the "Greats" were...SCOTS???By PrintprofThis is a very interesting book. It is well written; and presented me with facts and some historical figures of whom I had not previously been aware (and I have usually considered myself fairly well-educated!). Many of us in this country--including myself; have Scots or Scots-Irish ancestry; so it was quite fun to read that practically every great idea or invention in Western history from; say; 1600 is due to SCOTS!!!Entertaining idea aside; I'm afraid that this book falls into what I call the "Every Great Man..." category. I'm sure you know what I mean! We have all come across books whose authors "identify" with a certain group; and who put forth the theory that unbeknownst to the rest of us; "Every Great Man" in history belongs to that group; or was; at least; put on the road to greatness through mentors from that group!Despite this rather narrow focus; though; the book presents an interesting viewpoint and helps make fairly "dry" areas of history more colorful and accessible!0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. A must read for American history students.By Steven CunninghamTruly a revelation as this book takes us the readers thru the history of the Scottish Enlightenment debunking and explaining the impact of presbyters and scholars had on the rise of the modern world. As a student of history; I found the narrative crisp and refreshing; the researched facts enlightening and the persons discussed alive and vibrant.
