ePub Centuries of Genocide: Essays and Eyewitness Accounts by From Brand: Routledge in History

Review

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful. eye openerBy Danny L. Thoms Jr.Book is an eye opener; by the accounts of those whom were there. Conditions and what was felt is explained in great detail. The authors did an outstanding job putting it all together.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Five StarsBy Richard GarciaGreat Book about the world's Genocides. Breaks down every genocide into easy to use topics and subtopics for research.7 of 7 people found the following review helpful. Confronting the Slaughter Table of HistoryBy Michael Totten"It has been estimated genocide has occurred on average every five years since the WWII Holocaust. One would never know this from attending school and college; or from the media. Yet; Professor Samuel Totten has made it his professional career to not only correct this blatant silence; but has actively pushed for establishing early warning systems to prevent genocides from erupting.Dr. Totten is among the most prolific and prodigious genocide scholars in the world. Singling out one from among scores of his books published over the past several decades does not begin to capture or cover the breadth and depth of scholarly knowledge on the "slaughter bench of history" and emotionally moving oral interviews with genocide survivors from countries on every continent; that he has written and documented. [See; for example; Genocide by Attrition: The Nuba Mountains of Sudan (2012); We Cannot Forget: Interviews with Survivors of the 1994 Genocide in Rwanda (2011); An Oral and Documentary History of the Darfur Genocide 2 Volume Set (2010); Genocide of Indigenous Peoples: Genocide: A Critical Bibliographic Review; Volume 8 (2010); Plight and Fate of Women During and Following Genocide (2008); Genocide in Darfur: Investigating the Atrocities in the Sudan (2006)].Centuries of Genocide published in late 2012; is Sam Totten's most recent book; co-edited with William Parsons; Chief of Staff; U.S. Holocaust Museum. Centuries is the 4th version; with the 3 earlier versions; beginning in 1997; differently titled Century of Genocide - i.e.; 20th century. The 2012 version has new chapters that encompass 3 centuries - 19th to 21st; including up-to-the-moment genocide occurring in Darfur and in the Nuba mountains.From the opening page of the Centuries of Genocide the reader is challenged with provocative questions most of us never consider; or do not care enough; let alone engage in ongoing reflection:"Will the killing ever stop? Will the scourge of genocide ever be eradicated? Will humanity ever be wise enough to prevent the deaths of potential genocidal victims before they become yet another set of statistics in the welter of statistics?"These were the opening words of the 1997 first edition. In the intervening years the government of Sudan and the Janjaweed (Arab militia) slaughtered 400;000 black Africans of Darfur.For Totten; Parsons; and their colleagues; the lack of political will to prevent genocide; and the political casuistry of excuses; compromises and realpolitik speak; is really moral turpitude. It is incumbent upon citizens to inform themselves so that a persuasive; persistent pressure can push timid officials to cast off their addiction to realpolitik.Totten continues publishing the facts and stories of humanity's evil inhumanity in the hopes that; "...individuals can become knowledgeable about these matters and then find a collective voice strong enough to convince leaders in society; along with the public at large; to prevent and/or stanch such crimes early on."Disclaimer: Samuel Totten is my brother.