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sewfarsewgood's review against another edition
dark
emotional
fast-paced
4.25
A well written book about an important part of history. Unlike most history books which can slow going due to the sheer amount of information they pack in I found this a quick paced read and my only criticism would be that at some points I wished for more information. On the other hand this encouraged me to look things up and read more into certain things.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Death, and Genocide
questingnotcoasting's review against another edition
challenging
dark
sad
medium-paced
4.0
I found this strangely gripping, despite knowing what was going to happen. I thought the way Harding told the stories of the two men in parallel was really effective and it was interesting to think about the paths lives can take and choices people make. It was naturally a tough read at times given its subject matter but I thought it was very sensitively handled.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Genocide, Slavery, Sexual assault, Racism, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Murder, Police brutality, Child death, Death, Antisemitism, Trafficking, Torture, Hate crime, Physical abuse, War, Xenophobia, Deportation, and Suicide
lizeindisney's review against another edition
5.0
I have read this book, in this month specifically, to commemorate Holocaust Memorial Day on January 27th. I have a few more holocaust-related books on my shelf left to read, which I am hoping to get through before the month is through. Having visited Sachsenhausen concentration camp, one of three camps that Rudolf Höß worked in, I have seen first hand the conditions the prisoners suffered in, and now after reading this book, I know in much greater detail who oversaw it. This book is a wonderful example of a nephew wanting their family history remembered, for when I learnt about the Nazis at school, we were never taught about the determination of people such as Hanns Alexander, the author's uncle, in bringing these war criminals such as Höß to justice. Books such as this shed light on the wonderful human beings who simply wanted justice to be done. The book was indeed heartbreaking, as any account I have read of the Holocaust always is, but I admire Hanns for what he did. His family just barely escaped the Holocaust, with one family member sadly not getting away from it. But in finding Höß, he got justice for his people, those that were killed, tortured or otherwise affected. Thomas Harding must be incredibly proud of what his uncle achieved.
momreaderh's review against another edition
4.0
Review is for the audiobook. Well written and very interesting story.
bryan8063's review against another edition
4.0
This is a hard topic, but worth the read. It traces the life of the Auschwitz commandant and the man who caught him in a dual narrative. Harding's writing is very good and it is an emotional, but brisk read. I think this will make a good primer for people who are first learning about the Holocaust and for folks who have quite knowledgeable. An excellent book.
I received this book free through the History Book Club on Goodreads.
I received this book free through the History Book Club on Goodreads.
teriboop's review against another edition
4.0
In Hanns and Rudolf: The True Story of the German Jew Who Tracked Down and Caught the Kommandant of Auschwitz, Thomas Harding tells the story of his great-uncle Hanns Alexander, the man who investigated and captured Rudolf Höss, the SS Kommandant who was instrumental in building the crematoriums in Auschwitz. Harding alternates chapters that concentrate on each of these two very different men following the timeline from 1901 to 2006, from their childhoods to their deaths.
Thomas Harding never had the chance to talk with Hanns during his life time about this part of his life that forever changed him. Hanns began life in Germany as a Jew, narrowly escaping to England during WWII, joining the British Army. His time in the army led to his assignment tracking Nazi criminals post-war. It was during this assignment that Hanns found the man that was behind over 3 million deaths of Jews and political prisoners. After Hanns death in 2006, Harding researches both men and chronicles their separate lives that became intertwined at the close of the war.
The book was thoroughly engrossing, despite the tough and at times graphic nature of the subject. It is important to know this history, so that it is never repeated. This story helps the reader to understand the mindset of each man and to see how such an atrocity ever happened in the first place. Hanns spent his later years as a humble family man, not wanting to acknowledge the past or the hero that he was.
Disclaimer: I received this book for free through the History Book Club on Goodreads. Thank you, Simon and Schuster.
Thomas Harding never had the chance to talk with Hanns during his life time about this part of his life that forever changed him. Hanns began life in Germany as a Jew, narrowly escaping to England during WWII, joining the British Army. His time in the army led to his assignment tracking Nazi criminals post-war. It was during this assignment that Hanns found the man that was behind over 3 million deaths of Jews and political prisoners. After Hanns death in 2006, Harding researches both men and chronicles their separate lives that became intertwined at the close of the war.
The book was thoroughly engrossing, despite the tough and at times graphic nature of the subject. It is important to know this history, so that it is never repeated. This story helps the reader to understand the mindset of each man and to see how such an atrocity ever happened in the first place. Hanns spent his later years as a humble family man, not wanting to acknowledge the past or the hero that he was.
Disclaimer: I received this book for free through the History Book Club on Goodreads. Thank you, Simon and Schuster.
birdkeeperklink's review against another edition
4.0
I received this book through Goodreads' First Reads program. This is a great book, showing two opposing perspectives on the Holocaust. The structure of this book is easy to follow--one chapter from Rudolf's point of view, then one from Hanns', and then one from Rudolf's, and so on and so forth. The things you already know about will be familiar to you, but the more personal view of the two men is unique to this book.
What I particularly liked about it was how the author takes a very balanced, unbiased view of both men. Hanns was not painted as a saint, nor were his good qualities emphasized over his bad ones or vice versa. He was just a human being who did his best to help see justice done. Rudolf wasn't particularly vilified, either. Harding doesn't paint the child Rudolf, who hadn't yet done anything, as a monster or a sociopath, and he doesn't try to tell you that Rudolf was an abusive husband or father, either. At the same time, he doesn't apologize for any of the many evil things Rudolf did or try to cover them up. The result is a very realistic look at how very human evil is, which is more powerful than trying to paint him as dark and sinister even as a toddler.
The impression I was left with was of two human beings, one of whom chose to do the right thing and the other of whom chose to do many very wrong things, rather than caricatures in the mold of traditional heroes and villains. It's probably one of the most honest biographies or historical accounts I've ever read, and I enjoyed it immensely. Highly recommended!
What I particularly liked about it was how the author takes a very balanced, unbiased view of both men. Hanns was not painted as a saint, nor were his good qualities emphasized over his bad ones or vice versa. He was just a human being who did his best to help see justice done. Rudolf wasn't particularly vilified, either. Harding doesn't paint the child Rudolf, who hadn't yet done anything, as a monster or a sociopath, and he doesn't try to tell you that Rudolf was an abusive husband or father, either. At the same time, he doesn't apologize for any of the many evil things Rudolf did or try to cover them up. The result is a very realistic look at how very human evil is, which is more powerful than trying to paint him as dark and sinister even as a toddler.
The impression I was left with was of two human beings, one of whom chose to do the right thing and the other of whom chose to do many very wrong things, rather than caricatures in the mold of traditional heroes and villains. It's probably one of the most honest biographies or historical accounts I've ever read, and I enjoyed it immensely. Highly recommended!
mjminkowich's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
informative
reflective
tense
medium-paced
3.75
kaddictwithapen's review against another edition
dark
informative
fast-paced
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Genocide, War, and Violence