Christopher R. Browning’s shocking account of how a unit of average middle-aged Germans became the cold-blooded murderers of tens of thousands of Jews—now with a new afterword and additional photographs. Ordinary Men is the true story of Reserve Police Battalion 101 of the German Order Police; which was responsible for mass shootings as well as round-ups of Jewish people for deportation to Nazi death camps in Poland in 1942. Browning argues that most of the men of RPB 101 were not fanatical Nazis but; rather; ordinary middle-aged; working-class men who committed these atrocities out of a mixture of motives; including the group dynamics of conformity; deference to authority; role adaptation; and the altering of moral norms to justify their actions. Very quickly three groups emerged within the battalion: a core of eager killers; a plurality who carried out their duties reliably but without initiative; and a small minority who evaded participation in the acts of killing without diminishing the murderous efficiency of the battalion whatsoever.While this book discusses a specific Reserve Unit during WWII; the general argument Browning makes is that most people succumb to the pressures of a group setting and commit actions they would never do of their own volition. Ordinary Men is a powerful; chilling; and important work with themes and arguments that continue to resonate today. “A remarkable—and singularly chilling—glimpse of human behavior...This meticulously researched book...represents a major contribution to the literature of the Holocaust."—Newsweek
#159913 in Books Green Kristen 2016-04-26 2016-04-26Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 8.00 x .83 x 5.31l; .0 #File Name: 0062268686368 pagesSomething Must Be Done about Prince Edward County A Family a Virginia Town a Civil Rights Battle
Review
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful. Excellent historical read; though I could do without much of the author's personal narrative.By jgI have mixed feelings on this one. While I'm giving it 4 stars; this is namely due to the fact that the story of Prince Edward County is riveting. It's absolutely a piece of history I'm glad to have learned about. The characters felt very real... And for the most part; the author captures them the own itself in such a way that as a reader; I can visualize the whole thing.What ultimately detracted from the historical aspect was the author herself. For someone who learned quite late in life about how large a world there is outside her small town; I found her self-reflection judgment on her family; former friends; neighbors; etc. to seem incredibly pompous. Perhaps it's just me; but when she interviews a teacher who discusses the struggles of teaching in buildings never intended for school doing so with with meger resources; the author is quick to brush her off narrating that the 'real' suffering was the 6 year old who didn't get to go to school. In hearing the story; I personally want to hear from all involved. For better or worse; it's history. While there was certainly a great injustice to the black residents of Farmville; it became difficult to listen to the author's so-called 'white guilt' her own steady stream of judgments as she continues on about how different enlightened she is.As she states; 'nice doesn't mean good.' I would argue that given the culture in the south at that time; there are people with good intentions who do things that ultimately cost us dearly. I don't see these people as evil—I see them as tragically uneducated in some cases; simply a reflection of the era in which they grew up a culture they never left.I highly recommend this book as a whole. The author her narrative were too much for mr by the time I was 1/2 way through; but as I said above; this is a piece of history that should have its voice heard.5 of 5 people found the following review helpful. My experience was different from the authors because I was taught from a young age that what had occurred in the county was terrBy CustomerI couldn't approach this book without some preconceived notions as I was born and raised in the town of Farmville; and I could put a face to almost every name in this book. I graduated from Prince Edward Academy 42 years ago; and I never really lived in that town again. My experience was different from the authors because I was taught from a young age that what had occurred in the county was terribly wrong; and I did not have deep family ties to the area. In fact; I was more than ready to flee the hypocrisy that I felt was all around me at age 18. I felt the author has done an excellent job in portraying what happened and in facing the truth that sometimes individuals could be both lovely;nice people and terrible human beings at the very same time. As I was reading the book this weekend; I found an interesting parallel as people are upset that that noble character Atticus Finch could also be portrayed as a racist by Harper Lee in the book coming out this week. There are a lot of people who would like to smooth over the past and put it behind them; but the truth is the past has to be faced if any real progress is going to be realized. This is an important part of history; and this book puts a very human face on it. People who find this interesting might also want to check out the novel "Prince Edward" by Dennis McFarland which covers some of the same territory.22 of 24 people found the following review helpful. The best book I've read in a long timeBy Mom of ThreeFor most of us; it’s a staggering truth that there exists somewhere in the United States a county that closed its schools for five years rather than integrate them. Kristen Green introduces us to Prince Edward County; Virginia—just an hour from Richmond—in her haunting book; “Something Must Be Done About Prince Edward County.â€A reviewer wrote that Kristen Green was born to write this book; and I’m inclined to agree. She grew up in the county seat of Farmville and her own grandfather was one of the founding members of the segregationist academy that whites in the community scurried to establish during the same summer they closed the public schools. Green’s parents attended the segregationist academy and the author and her siblings did as well. Growing up; Green had no clue about her town’s history or that Elsie; her grandparents’ beloved housekeeper; was one of many; many black county residents forced to send her child away from home to receive an education.The book is jaw-dropping in that it exposes a history most of us have never learned. But it’s the way Green deftly weaves her own family memoir with the stories of Prince Edward County’s black residents—shut out of school and still making up for lost time—that makes the book so extraordinarily compelling. The interviews Green conducts would be beautiful to read; even if the content was half as profound.
