DOC The Jews of Bohemia and Moravia: Facing the Holocaust (Comprehensive History of the Holocaust) by Livia Rothkirchen in History

Review

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful. The Jews of Bohemia Moravia: Facing the HolocaustBy Charles Ota HellerI discovered this book while doing research for my soon-to-be-published memoir; "Out of Prague: Survival; Denial and Triumph." Of nearly one hundred references I have cited in my manuscript; "The Jews of Bohemia Moravia" was; by far; the most valuable and relevant. Livia Rothkirchen's meticulous research helped me to understand many of the events and external forces which affected my own life as one of the so-called "hidden children" of Europe. The book is not some dull academic listing of facts and opinions. Rather; it is a fast-paced -- though detailed -- account of the events which led up to World War II; the plight of both Jews and non-Jews in the former Czechoslovakia; as well as the aftermath of the war. Anyone with an interest in the Holocaust; the Second World War; and the Czech and Slovak Republics will find the book fascinating and revealing. It is an extremely important contribution to the history of one of mankind's most horrific periods.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Five StarsBy Krinny Gcomprehensive0 of 11 people found the following review helpful. The Jews of Bohemia MoraviaBy Z. HanzlikLivia Rothkirchen had writen excelent book; no doubt. But what to say ;.. I definetely would recomend that book to read to any one who is concerned with this world affairs. And I do not want to take martyrdom of 20 century from Jewish people who did survived it or from Soviet people who paid it. We all ; in this time are not bearers of personal experience of WWII. Its interpretation is processed by literature and shorthand of film. In last 50 years we got somehow onehanded image of the conflict as choise between bad guys and good guys heroism.And miss what really was that impulse for some one to kill ;to sanction killing; and to accept it ;as. The cultural environment then was perhaps less violent than is today. The political difference has not so broad disenfranchised base as is today . And what was real econo- cultural -antisemitism ?. Intelectual conflict between middle class bearers of indigenous authority and independent intelectuals liberated by surplus and assertion liquidity of yesterday gheto class. I found the blame of non Yewish people or other nations for complicity with holocaust too over simplifying.They- We were not historians. To be brutal or not well informed I would say that in that GAME there was at least 2 bidders with the same set of marked cards. So there was no room for inclussion of other civil alternatives. I look on German solution and cannot comprehend its persistence in finality; I look on Jewish aftermath with hard understanding; I look on current Izraeli policies and rhetoric in Jewish Chronicle with bevilderment and in it all I miss from US all any form of HUMILITY OF HUMAN EXPERIENCE . Perhaps we became misunderstading it; somes blame necrofilia of past to cover up our empty presence.Is it maturation of materialism ? What I would like to stress there was under 50 years of communism no freedom to express in public private rasism and antisemitism ; I think it was positive fact; such things are above strength od individual and should be left such way.