Holocaust

A powerful and compelling reference book that records the events of the Holocaust and its terrible impact. Published in conjunction with the USC Shoah Foundation Institute, which has collected nearly 52,000 video accounts from survivors, the book draws upon this bank to include a 30 minute DVD. It is hard to comprehend the sheer numbers of victims – over 10 million killed between 1939 and 1945 – but the voices and faces of individual men and women bring home the horror and despair they experienced. There are heart-rending stories of separation and loss, of unbelievable hardship and cruelty, yet there are also recollections of happy childhoods, of strong family and community bonds, and ultimately of lives rebuilt. The book provides a very detailed account of the history of the Jewish people, of the events leading up to the outbreak of war, of conditions inside the concentration camps, and subsequent denials that the Holocaust ever took place. Liberal use of photographs, posters, cartoons and examples of Nazi propaganda helps inform the text, together with maps and timelines. The overwhelming message is that the Holocaust must never be forgotten, that its memory must be kept alive so that such a tragedy might never be repeated. This book plays an important part in helping to ensure that the stories of the victims are not lost.