In 1945; after his capture at the end of the Second World War; Hermann Göring arrived at an American-run detention center in war-torn Luxembourg; accompanied by sixteen suitcases and a red hatbox. The suitcases contained all manner of paraphernalia: medals; gems; two cigar cutters; silk underwear; a hot water bottle; and the equivalent of 1 million in cash. Hidden in a coffee can; a set of brass vials housed glass capsules containing a clear liquid and a white precipitate: potassium cyanide. Joining Göring in the detention center were the elite of the captured Nazi regime—Grand Admiral Dönitz; armed forces commander Wilhelm Keitel and his deputy Alfred Jodl; the mentally unstable Robert Ley; the suicidal Hans Frank; the pornographic propagandist Julius Streicher—fifty-two senior Nazis in all; of whom the dominant figure was Göring.To ensure that the villainous captives were fit for trial at Nuremberg; the US army sent an ambitious army psychiatrist; Captain Douglas M. Kelley; to supervise their mental well-being during their detention. Kelley realized he was being offered the professional opportunity of a lifetime: to discover a distinguishing trait among these arch-criminals that would mark them as psychologically different from the rest of humanity. So began a remarkable relationship between Kelley and his captors; told here for the first time with unique access to Kelley's long-hidden papers and medical records.Kelley's was a hazardous quest; dangerous because against all his expectations he began to appreciate and understand some of the Nazi captives; none more so than the former Reichsmarshall; Hermann Göring. Evil had its charms.
#319691 in Books 2015-10-13 2015-10-13Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 233.17 x 30.10 x 6.18l; 1.00 #File Name: 1608195732448 pages
Review
3 of 4 people found the following review helpful. While the Reconstruction Era lasted only a short time its ...By MaggieWhile the Reconstruction Era lasted only a short time its impact on the nation’s progression was far reaching. Scholar Douglas R. Egerton attempts to encapsulate the trials and tribulations of Reconstruction in his publication; The Wars of Reconstruction: The Brief; Violent History of America’s Most Progressive Era. The slaves might not have freed themselves; but it was up to them; according to Egerton; to build some sort of appreciable meaning into that freedom. For that purpose Egerton sets Reconstruction in the South.Unlike many of his contemporaries; Egerton does not rely on narrative stylings to tell Reconstruction’s story; instead he utilizes an array of local primary sources such as newspaper reports; case law; and various other outlets to impart the story for his audience. Almost immediately he sets a tone in which “Reconstruction did not fail;†as some Historians have long maintained; rather he states it was “violently overthrown by [the same] men who had fought for slavery during the Civil War; [continuing] that battle as guerrilla partisans†throughout the succeeding decades. (p. 19)Arguably; his most successful chapter is the fourth: “The Lord Has Sent Us Books and Teachers;†his focus being “missionaries and community formation.†(p. 134) The shortly lived Freedmen’s Bureau assisted in the transition of slaves becoming ‘settled’ free citizens in the South. It is also in this chapter that Egerton reminds readers “that the Reconstruction era neither reached a precise conclusion nor failed to achieve all of its goals;†an important distinction to make considering segregation would continue for nearly eight more decades; before Brown vs. The Board of Education would be voted on. “Hundreds of new schools [were] sponsored by the federal Freedmen’s Bureau;†and as Egerton kindly notes- it was an uphill battle. (p. 11) Northern teachers traveled south; doing so accompanied by Union troops; the Bureau was never “elevate(d)…into the president’s advisory circle [and so] remained under military auspices.†(p. 147) Blacks had to force legislation that would require their children to maintain “regular attendance†in hopes of remedying the “forced ignorance and degradation†of their past.†(p. 148) The Freedmen Bureau had limited resources; funds; teachers; and facilities with which to indoctrinate the thousands of children; and their parents; who needed (demanded) educating; accordingly; Egerton does not shy away from the dedication and courage Northern teachers showcased. Especially in the face of homegrown terrorists such as the Ku Klux Klan.That the Freedmen’s Bureau had such “spectacular gains in literacy†proves; according to Egerton; it’s success as an organization and the agency of Reconstruction in our nation’s history. (p. 166) The implementation of schools in the South were only one of the functions the Freedmen’s Bureau undertook; being responsible for assisting with housing; providing food; medical assistance; truly reforming “every aspect of society.†(p. 270)At the end of the day (by the end of the his book); I believe one of the most significant take aways from The Wars of Reconstruction is that 150 years after the Civil War; after Reconstruction; we still find it “impossible to separate religion and government†and our schools are still a mess on the grounds of funding; location; and the ethnicity of student body population. (p. 143) It is impossible to do justice to any book in a review of less than one thousand words; however; Egerton puts forth spectacular effort breaking down a largely misunderstood portion of American history. He not only explicates the successes of Reconstruction; but elucidates how failures and setbacks were at the hands of homegrown “terrorists†set on thwarting true nationalism and growth. (p. 240)1 of 2 people found the following review helpful. PURSUING OUR PAINFUL PASTBy Emmett A. CoyneReconstruction has not been adequately examined; especially by the general public. Fortunately; there have been scholars that have opened fresh inquiry into this period which for most of the American public has been viewed through the lens of Gone With The Wind; if at all. New scholarship debunks this romantic version and rightly consigning it to be gone with the wind.Nonetheless; it is difficult to get the general public to read almost anything; especially non fiction.There are scholars who write; it seems; with other scholars in mind. And there are scholars who write with the general public in mind; and Douglas Egerton is among them; without writing down.I appreciated Eric Foner’s work on Reconstruction but wouldn’t recommend it to just anyone. It can easily cause some readers to get bogged down and put it aside. Not Egerton’s work. Top notch scholarship; especially revealed in his notes; and a substantive index. He has a page turning writing style that will enable more persons to keep reading on.His underscoring Reconstruction as America’s first progressive effort is an interesting context in which to view this unresolved period of American history. So much of today is the failure of yesterday.I understand Ken Burn is working on a Reconstruction PBS series. He would do well to read Egerton; and he would find Egerton well; a more interesting read. It is encouraging that more historian are delving into this epochal moment of our history.This is the first of Egerton’s works I’ve read. He provides a list of his previous works. Most are intertwined with the issues of slavery; the Civil War; and key actors in the same stream. If the writing style is similar; then it will be a pleasure to pursue our painful past.2 of 3 people found the following review helpful. The struggle for voting rights after the Civil WarBy patriotsHaving lived in South Carolina for a brief time I found this book very enlightening. Slavery and the freedmen is totally new to me. I did not know of the resentment that the plantation owners had nor the power they wielded. It helped my understanding of the politics of the South.
