In August 1945 Great Britain; France; the USSR; and the United States established a tribunal at Nuremberg to try military and civilian leaders of the Nazi regime. G. M. Gilbert; the prison psychologist; had an unrivaled firsthand opportunity to watch and question the Nazi war criminals. With scientific dispassion he encouraged Göering; Speer; Hess; Ribbentrop; Frank; Jodl; Keitel; Streicher; and the others to reveal their innermost thoughts. In the process Gilbert exposed what motivated them to create the distorted Aryan utopia and the nightmarish worlds of Auschwitz; Dachau; and Buchenwald. Here are their day-to-day reactions to the trial proceedings; their off-the-record opinions of Hitler; the Third Reich; and each other; their views on slave labor; death camps; and the Jews; their testimony; feuds; and desperate maneuverings to dissociate themselves from the Third Reich's defeat and Nazi guilt. Dr. Gilbert's thorough knowledge of German; deliberately informal approach; and complete freedom of access at all times to the defendants give his spellbinding; chilling study an intimacy and insight that remains unequaled.
#1997441 in Books 2002-05-28Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 .57 x 7.96 x 9.62l; #File Name: 0304355097128 pages
Review
15 of 16 people found the following review helpful. A step in the right direction.By John NickersonThis is not a large book. There is no color. If you are looking for a book with brilliant color plates and splendid uniforms; this is not it. Mr. Haythornthwait has taken a large amount of contradicting information; from many sources; and boiled it down into a concise report on Napoleonic Infantry as a weapon of war. He addresses the weapons used and their effect; or lack there of. He quotes the authorities of the day; contrary opinions; and the views of the common soldiers; provides the historic outcome and points out modern misconception. I found no national prejudice or hero worship in his decisions.As co-author of a set of musket era wargame rules; to which I have just started to compile a long promised revision; I found that "Napoleonic Infantry" and Mr. Haythornthwait's companion volume;"Napoleonic Cavalry"; reinforced some of my existing opinions and provided insight and answers to some questions that I had been asked to resolve. It did also raise some additional points that I now have to incorporate! A quick read that I would recommend to any student of Napoleonic warefare.
