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otakween's review against another edition
4.0
I'm not going to lie and say this wasn't a rough read but I'm glad I stuck with it because I learned a lot and gained a more nuanced understanding of the Holocaust. I knew that the concentration camps were filled with more than just Jewish people but before reading this I probably wouldn't have been able to name all the different types of inmates and their hierarchy within the camps. I also didn't really know about the psychological tactics, with the SS pitting inmates against inmates leading to some inmates becoming as cruel as the Nazis. Most of all I appreciated the academic integrity of this book. I don't think I've ever read something so dedicated to providing an unbiased view of a historical event. Every other paragraph Langbein is judging the credibility of anecdotes of inmates and justifying which sources he uses and which he omits. The book was also organized in a thoughtful manner, giving ample focus to each group of inmates and their role in the resistance. If anyone out there is doing research on the Holocaust, here's a good place to start.
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