Rating: 
Summary: Vladimir
Review: A fascinating look at the first International Military Tribunal held in Nuremberg after the allied victory. Although an accurate, historical rendering of the trials, the book reads like a suspenseful thriller. Even if one knows the outcome and the verdicts of the trial, you will find yourself burning the midnight oil as the personalities of the Tribunal loom larger than life. Supreme Court Justice and Chief Prosecutor Robert Jackson shoudering the enormous burden of putting together a fair and just trial that he hopes will serve as a deterrent to future wars of agression. Machivellian Judge Francis Biddle, working behind the scenes to influence the British after being denied the role of chief justice of the IMT. The jailer, Col. Burton Andrus, an honorable soldier, he will be cheated by one of the most fascianting, intriguing yet downright despicable Nazis on trial... Gustav Gilbert, the prison psychologist trying to uncover how one of the most advanced, educated and cultured nations in Europe could conceive and attempt to carry out the "final solution". An excellent book, especially for those not familiar with the trial or those indicted!...
Rating: 
Summary: Engaging book, and an easy read
Review: Although based on historical fact, Persico¡¯s day-by-day account of the Nuremberg Trials reads more like a novel. In fact, because of the way he focuses on the points of view of nearly every individual who was involved, it almost seems as though the book were written so as to be easily adapted to a screenplay, which of course it eventually was. Essentially, Persico tells the story of the Nuremberg trials, from before the start to after the finish. In so doing, he presents not just a narrative of the trial itself, but he also discusses and analyzes many of the subplots that were going on during the trial. Thus, at times he focuses on personal and professional struggles between characters, such as two American psychiatrists who, although theoretically working together, found themselves at odds over who could profit from the experience first. Likewise, he gives some attention to Justice Jackson¡¯s courtroom struggles, and how he tended to be overshadowed by the courtroom performances of fellow prosecutor Thomas Dodd. Nevertheless, this attention to subplots does not come at the cost of examining the psychological issues or legal intricacies of the trials. Despite Persico¡¯s focus on the players involved, he spends a large part of the book examining the issues that readers would tend to find most historically important. He gives in-depth analysis of each individual Nazi defendant, discussing how each spent his time in prison, how some seemed to grasp and express contrition for what they had done while others felt no remorse. Likewise, he also spends a good deal of time looking at some of the important legal issues surrounding the trial, and the incredible efforts that the allies (except, generally, for the Russians) put forth to ensure that the defendants had as fair a trial as possible. Overall, it is an insightful and engaging book, and an easy read.
Rating:
Summary: Further evidence of the banality of evil
Review: For me this volume functioned as a sequel to William L. Shirer's THE RISE AND FALL OF THE THIRD REICH. As much as I learned from that volume, in the end I found myself wondering about what happened next. I had already known, even before Shirer (where I learned this I cannot say-it was one of those things that I just managed to know somehow) that near the end of the Third Reich Göbbels and Himmler had both committed suicide, that Göring had been hung by the Allies, that Speer escaped with a prison term, and that Hess had been incarcerated for life. But I found that I wanted to know more, not just about the details of the more prominent Nazis, but of the whole Nuremberg trial process. At the very least Persico's NUREMBERG did that. I am not sufficiently versed in the history of the period to make any valid judgment on this book as a work of history. I can, however, say that it is enormously interesting and quite enjoyable. It contains a wealth of fascinating material, and presents it clearly. Persico neither attempts to overpraise or criticize unnecessarily those who conducted the trial. All the major participants on all sides of the trial are presented in a completely fleshed out manner. Although the work is one of history, the key figures appear as well developed as characters in the novel. This is as true of the defendants as the prosecutors, so that by the end, when the sentences are passed out, I as a reader found that I had developed a measure of compassion for the Nazis that was completely out of keeping with the crimes they had committed. In a couple of cases this was because some of the Nazis had clearly become aware of the enormity of their crimes (like Hans Frank), or because I came to see that for these individuals, they were merely functioning within a society in which unquestioned obedience was a given (such as the military figures such as Keitel and Jodl). Even Göring becomes an object of some compassion. Not that I would have commuted his sentence of those of most who were hung. Unlike Shirer's book, this volume did a marvelous job of clothing the Nazis in the garb of humanity, which makes their crimes seem all that more horrible. It would be much easier to think of most of the Nazis as bizarre monsters, but studies such as this give the lie to that picture. These men were recognizably human. Yet they performed acts of unspeakable evil. They were not aliens. They are examples of what human beings are capable of when their thought becomes diseased and their ability to conceive of the extent of the human family becomes corrupted.
Still, despite the horrible things they managed to achieve, both the Shirer and Persico volumes drive home a point that neither elaborates but which is latent in each, namely, the Nazis were almost to a man horrible bores. Hitler might be interesting inasmuch as he is an example of just how degraded a human being can become in moral character, or one might find the events in which he was the prime shaper interesting, but this does not obscure the fact that he was a person with whom you would not really want to spend ten minutes talking. He does not seem to have been especially intelligent (apart from a practical ability in power politics), or an interesting conversationalist, or at all well rounded. I mean, what would you talk to Hitler about? The same holds true of most of the other Nazis, with only a couple of exceptions. Albert Speer does not seem to have been a complete dunderhead. And then, of course, there was Göring. Easily the most interesting individual in Persico's account is Hermann Göring. I in fact felt a bit guilty in finding him to be such an interesting individual. I mean, after all, he was one of the worst of the Nazis. Possibly not quite the embodiment of evil that you find in Hitler, Himmler, Heydrich, or Eichmann, but still not a very nice guy. I felt better about this when I realized that he reminded me of nothing so much as one of the villains in a James Bond movie. Granted, his crimes were real and not restricted to celluloid, but like a James Bond villain, you have to acknowledge his very real charms along with his evil. I can qualifiedly recommend this book. If you have any degree of interest in the World War II and its major participants, then one could do worse than reading this book.
Rating:
Summary: A easily readable narration of a COMPLEX historical moment!!
Review: Great book for those that want a quick glance on the happenings of the Nuremberg trials. Four main sections: Preparation of the court, Prosecution statements, Defense and Counterinterrogation of the Nazi warlords, Sentencing and beyond. Narration keeps the reader interested in the book. The only problem is the fragmentation of the situations; chapters are really short and have little continuity. This is a curse for the Nuremberg lovers...but a blessing for the normal reader...you can delay reading and not lose the whole objective of the book. There are TOO MANY NAMES...it is more difficult when half of the names are German. Still...I would highly recommend the book.
Rating:
Summary: An Unusually Readable Account of a Highly Charged Topic
Review: I got started reading about the atrocities committed during WWII when I was in medical school and came across Henry Friedlander's book about The Medical Holocaust. I read several books on that, and then started reading military history of WWII. When I became more involved in a bioethics/disability group and started writing concerning this problem that persists today, I felt compelled to read more history about the original Nuremberg Trial, that set the legal precedent both for putting on trial war criminals and using the ideas of `crimes against humanity' as a means to prosecute these people. Persico's book is probably one of the best in the historical genre. His writing is such that the book reads as quickly as a novel, but he doesn't speculate. He didn't have to, as there was so much information in writing, in photography, in video...that he could use the actual words of both the prosecution and the defendants. It not only flabbergasted the prosecution, but me as a reader to find that the Germans documented everything. It boggles the mind that these men and women who carried out such unbelievably horrible crimes, felt compelled to write about them. They were proud of what they did, and expected the world to actually laud them for their efforts to rid the world of the Jews and other minority groups. It is so necessary that our children who are now three generations removed from The Holocaust be taught about the reality of what happened in Germany and the countries that Germany conquered (or tried to). What is so terrifying is the fact that many of these men were not charismatic, were not charming or handsome, had no great abilities of any kind, but in `normal' situations would have been merely cruel and lowly workers that no one would ever pay attention. The fact that one madman could pull into power a group of men like this (Goring among them), and threaten not only the world but their own people continues to be frightening. I see some politicians in power currently whose grasp for more power and seeks the destruction of many of the basic rights in our own democracy that parallel what happened in Germany. And unfortunately, too many of these people hold sway over other more intelligent men such as Albert Speer. I read about Speer's impact before, but still find it incredible that he could have ever listened to a raving madman and feel that his words held any credibility. Persico writes well...I am forcing my husband to read this book because he was in Germany for two years, and I think he will find this fascinating, as I did. Persico brings up the fact that without the collaboration of industry, banks, and other corporate groups Hitler would never have retained power. These groups actively participated in the development of the Nazi killing machine, and Justice Jackson and the others involved in the criminal proceedings were right not only to bring the heads of these groups to task for their participation in the atrocities, but also to hold the entire proceeding within Germany itself, so as to allow it's people to see and have a say within the proceedings. This helped many Germans to come to an understanding of why and how this was allowed to happen in their country, and set the stage for the building of a democratic Germany. Unfortunately, Justice Jackson's hope that the criminal proceedings would have an impact on future wars and other atrocities/genocides was misguided. I don't know if anyone ever stopped to think prior to committing crimes like these, that they could end up in court. Milosovec and other Serbs obviously didn't bother to consider this. However, Jackson's efforts did provide a precedent with which other war criminals have been tried, and with which the Serbs are now being tried. An incredible book, an incredible story, an incredible writer. Karen Sadler,
Science Education,
University of Pittsburgh
Rating:
Summary: Fascinating to read! No question!
Review: J. Persico wrote a very well-written, fluid piece of historical book from the eyes and thoughts of many who were involved in the Nuremberg Trials. It's a human drama casted in words and it can give the readers a start-to-end true story all in one book, without resorting to needless, in-depth analysis pieces founded in other books on the Nuremberg Trials. This book is about human beings who did the terrible deeds and being prosecuted by fellow human beings who seek justice for the world still reeling from World War II. Must-read book!
Rating:
Summary: History Belongs to the Victors!
Review: Man kind presented itself with a problem by addressing the topic of this book, how to bring to justice Nazi war crimminals after the war was over. Witch hunt or justice, what was to be the course? The course of human events in the last part of the 20th Century were built in Nuremburg, and we all saw what became of it. Mr. Persico tells his tale with a depth of research that should be commended. I cannot imagine all that awaited him in preparing this book. I feel that he presents all the sides fairly and without bias. He deals well with the Russians, the Brits, and the Germans, giving their sides, feelings and legal points of view. One can't help but wonder if the Germans were right (as well as George Patton) that the Russians were the ultimate enemy?? I particulary enjoyed the way that Mr. Persico told the story of Dr. Gilbert and his diaries, a read that is near the top of my "read next" list. He also re-opens the door about Henry Ford (see the book by Neil Baldwin). The read is good, but not compeling as "Black Hawk Down" or "John Adams", thus the 4 star rating, but it's still very good. I'd recommend it in a heart beat. Then move to Gilbert's "Nuremburg Diaries" and/or the Baldwin book. It will make you wonder what REALLY went one earlier the last century.
Rating:
Summary: Quite Well Written Look At Nuremberg Trials!
Review: Nothing so defines the differences separating the Third Reich from the Allies as the way in which the defendants of the trials at Nuremberg were handled. With painstaking precision and at extraordinary cost in terms of international arm-twisting and back-door deals, the proponents of a judicial proceeding designed to illustrate the manifest individual guilt of the various Nazi officials forged a result that still stands today as a model of a non-retributive effort in the face of extraordinary pressure. In this book author Joseph Persico offers a ground-level introduction to the motley cast of characters on trial as well as the collection of interested others who gathered to oversee the proceedings. Achieving the result of fair trials that would literally change the perspective of the world toward participants in war was anything but easy, and moving toward that deliberate goal is a theme providing an interesting theme punctuating the pace of the book. Churchill wanted revenge by way of summary trials and quick retribution, while the Russians just wanted to string up the whole group in a mass hanging. Yet American Supreme Court Justice Robert Jackson was able to resolve the differences well enough to proceed, although at times the reader wonders if the trials will be anything like the fair-minded judicial event he has in mind. Indeed, the back-stabbing, personal ambitions, and petty jealousies of the various factions, trial officials, and individual defendants becomes a kind of political circus that sometimes resembles nothing so much as vaudevillian showboating. Still, the efforts at conducting a fair and open forum for the world to watch as the prosecution and defense teams clashed before the international tribunal prevailed, and the trials concluded with mixed results in terms of the results. Most of the defendants were found guilty, and many were hanged. Yet few observers doubted that the defendants had had their day in court along with and adequate opportunity to defend their actions to a watching world. Given how little justice and liberty they collectively allowed for their tens of millions of victims, it is remarkable just how civilized and dignified a proceeding the Nuremberg trials were, with all their theatrics and subterranean undercurrents. One marvels at the fact that after fifty years the world still stands in awe at the deliberate, careful, and methodical way in which the Allies achieved the result of a rational and fair trial of the defendants in history's most horrific modern nightmare, the terror of the Third Reich. This is an interesting and absorbing book, and a fascinating and entertaining book to read. It was also particularly interesting to me since I had recently viewed the telecast by TNT based on this book which covered the trials, and the book served to fill out a lot of the remaining questions I had regarding the nature of the individual personalities from Truman to Churchill to Jackson to Biddle and the others. This is a worthwhile book, and I recommend it to anyone interested in learning more about these singular trials and their impact on history.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent introduction to a complicated subject
Review: Nuremberg, a city in Germany, has a past intertwined indelibly with the Nazi era. It was here that Hitler staged his magnificent rallies to inspire his ardent followers and convince everybody else to become ardent followers. It was in the city of Nuremberg that the first of many laws directed against Jews we issued. It is most famous today as the city where the last drama of the third Reich was played out. The triumphant allied powers chose this city for their trials of those nazi leaders who survived. It was also the site of the executions for eleven of those leaders. Joe Persico has crafted an excellent overview of this historic event. From soup to nuts almost no facet of the trial is left uncovered. He begins with the decisions made by the allied leaders early in the war to hold try the leaders of the third Reich as opposed to summary executions (the method endorsed by Winston Churchill). This was no easy decision considering that the whole world had already learned to scoff at the showpiece justice meted out to victims of Stalin in the USSR. The wisdom of having a trial and declaring that justice would triumph was a debate begun while the war still raged in Europe. Whether the trial was fair and just or simply a case of victor's vengeance wrapped up in judicial robes is still debated. The book covers those early steps and the political debates that raged across three continents about how to try and convict such obviously evil men as Goring and Ribbentrop. Laws were drafted, trial procedures were written locations for the trial and accommodations for all the support personnel had to be found in a country decimated by six years of war. Documents and witness were in a myriad of languages; oral testimony was only possible with the intervention of IBM's new simultaneous translation equipment (never before used). From the large battles of the proceedings (Goring Vs Jackson, Speer vs. Goring, Allies vs. the Russians) to some of the more mundane and unexpected. The American prosecutor and his battles with the American justices. The Jailer at the prison fighting a losing battle to keep his prized prisoners alive and silent. The prison psychologist and his fight with the prison physiatrist. The list of internal squabbles goes on for so long that it is a wonder ANYTHING got done at the trial. On top of that there was significant debate of who was even to be charged. Was the Amy or Navy to be held responsible for carrying out the orders of their government? Were the high ranking officials of a ministry culpable for carrying out the directives issued by their superiors? In a dictatorship run by one man was anybody responsible for anything? This was the starting point on which history was to be made. However it is less than an in-depth look at the politics behind the last battle of WW2 and perhaps the first one of the Cold War. Often the coverage of a given topic or area lapses into brief vignettes of people and events. Sometimes it can be hard to see the conclusion the author makes about an incident with only the briefest background provided. While this can be a little annoying at first I chose to look at the book as a splendid introduction to an area of history that I can explore more about on my own.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent; Highly Readable
Review: Persico's book, Nuremberg: Infamy on Trial, is an excellent read, written in the style of a great, hard-to-put-down novel. He gives the casual WWII reader a good insight into the Nuremberg trials of the Nazi leaders and the other minor players of the Reich. Persico brings to light some interesting questions such as ex-post-facto law and the morality of the sitting Russian judges (who were just as vicious as the Nazis in their crimes against humanity). Overall, the book is exceptional. The only minor flaw is that Persico glosses over the trials/explanations of the lessor known players, such as Von Papen and Fritsche, for example, with only one page at the most.
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