Rating: 
Summary: Readable, fair look at the Nuremberg Trials
Review: The book is a readable, non-technical walk through the preparation, the trial itself (Prosecution and Defense) and the Aftermath. It is interesting to see the legal problems that had to be solved; such as which legal system to use (Anglo-American v.s. Continental) and the problem of ex post facto law (roughly the problem that the Nazis had done evil acts but there were no laws in place that prohibited genocide etc; they were being accused of breaking laws that did not exist). This was also the first time that such a large simultaneous translation project was launched.Persico's approach is good; he shows you the court, the bickerings of the lawyers, judges and prisoners. One gets a sense of what the participants undertook. One of the most interesting parts of the trial was how Hermann Göring hijacked the court proceedings and proved a formidable opponent to prosecutors. Reading about the resources given to the defense, I think, makes one realize that the Nazis were given every resource to defend themselves; secretaries, translations of all the Prosecution documents, translators, German lawyers (any that the defendants wanted) and salaries (paid by the Allies) for all the staff. One of Persico's most perceptive comments on the significance of the trials was this: "Nuremberg may have been flawed law, but it was satisfying justice." (page 440) The question of the good Nuremberg did for law is still debatable. One of the aims of the trials; outlawing/punishing wars of aggression, has yet to be prosecuted again. However, crimes against humanity are being punished by ICTY (International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia). Justice Jackson (he led the American prosecution team and was the most prominent prosecutor) , this was his Opening Address: The privilege of opening the first trial in history for crimes against the peace of the world imposes a grave responsibility. The wrongs which we seek to condemn and punish have been so calculated, so malignant, and so devastating, that civilization cannot tolerate their being ignored, because it cannot survive their being repeated. That four great nations, flushed with victory and stung with injury stay the hand of vengeance and voluntarily submit their captive enemies to the judgment of the law is one of the most significant tributes that Power has ever paid to Reason.
Rating: 
Summary: Courtroom Drama
Review: The trials of the major Nazi leaders at Nuremberg are a somewhat overlooked incident in World War II history. They get mentioned in the history books, but none of the real story is given. Joseph Persico, recent author of Roosevelt's Secret War, bears the whole story in his exciting book. It details the lives of the Nazi criminals, with particular emphasis on Goering and Speer, as well as their captors. He also tells of the infighting amongst the allies, particularly of the tensions with the Soviet Union. The accounts of the trials themselves are as tense as any courtroom drama. At many times, it seems as though the Nazis would either escape death, or be acquitted, all based on a technicality. This book was later made into a movie starring Alec Baldwin. Both are well worth any reader's time.
Rating:
Summary: Well written historical fiction
Review: This factual/fictional account of the Nuremberg war crimes trial offers a fascinating look at some of the major players in the Third Reich and the legal strategies used by and against them. But to the author's credit, he also examines the motives and objectives of the prosecutors. Persico raises some relevant points along the way, such as the legitimacy of a court having Soviets (who themselves committed atrocities during the war) with ruling authority. Also, the author raises interesting points about the extent to which the German military high command shares guilt with Nazi political leaders for war crimes. Although, at times, too much attention is focused on minor characters and trivial events, the book as a whole succeeds in depicting the controversial aspects of the trial and presenting arguments for and against the legal legitimacy of the court. The author, by the end, raises an interesting point about the distinction between justice and law. Overall, a great piece of historical analysis and a good read.
Rating:
Summary: A easily readable narration of a COMPLEX historical moment!!
Review: This is one of the only nonfiction books I've ever read, and it was well worth the effort. Although nearly everyone will be quick to place Hitler at the top of their 'most evil men in history' list, the rest of the Nazi coterie are not so well known, and what we find is a cast of characters worthy of any fictional account. You have Albert Speer, the sensitive and morally astute architect who nevertheless relied on slave labor to build his masterpieces; Goering, a bombastic wit who destroyed his captors and fellow inmates alike; Von Schirach, the eerily handsome youth leader described by one prosecution attorney as 'the sort of scout master who molests young boys;' Von Schacht, the imposing old financial genius who admits, grudginly, that he has some trouble with basic arithmetic; Julius Streicher, the lunatic propogandist, who swears at children and does nude calisethnics in front of the guard assigned to watch him. The account is, however, very long, and I found the sections about the various other personalities involved in the trial uninteresting (well, it's difficult to compete with some of the most dramtically evil men of the century). If you're willing to skim a few passages (which is would be unacceptable in a novel, but which doesn't do much harm with a work like this), I think you'll find this very interesting, whether as a student of history, an artist, or anyone attempting to expand their knowledge of human nature.
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