This well-illustrated; highly accessible book at last gives general readers and students a compact; yet comprehensive and authoritative history of the twelve years of the Third Reich—from political takeover of January 30; 1933 to the German capitulation of May 1945. Originally published to rave reviews in Germany; A Concise History of the Third Reich describes the establishment of the totalitarian dictatorship; the domestic and foreign politics of the regime; everyday life and terror in National Socialist Germany; the events leading to World War II and the war itself; various forms of resistance against Hitler; and the Holocaust. The book’s extensive illustrations are thoroughly treated as documents that illuminate the visual power of Nazi ideology.
#817926 in Books 2005-05-23Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.00 x .70 x 6.00l; .86 #File Name: 0520244486269 pages
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Enlightening book... enables understanding of current events ...By H. M. MinamiEnlightening book... enables understanding of current events and motivations of the Islamic State...41 of 44 people found the following review helpful. What does Jihad mean?By César González RoucoIt is difficult nowadays to get an objective; nuanced opinion on Islam; neither flattering nor biased against it. If I were to recommend a way to try and achieve that; I would suggest reading several good books on the matter; including this among them; for in my opinion it is quite complete and fairly assessed.This work aims to answer the following question: Which is the meaning of jihad? Holy war or spiritual striving to improve oneself?Pursuant to the author; during the first several centuries of Islam the interpretation of jihad was unabashedly aggressive and expansive; and the conquest achieved by Islam in the VII and VIII centuries C.A. have been seen by Muslims as one of the incontrovertible proofs of Islam; so that nowadays they are unwilling to confront the fact that such conquest were basically as unjustified as European colonial conquests. The so-called "greater jihad" (i.e.; the one with an ascetic and pacific meaning) seems a patently apologetic device not well attested in the hadith literature; which was adduced in order to overcome a resistance to the acceptance and legitimacy of jihad.Cook also points out a reasonable outsider must conclude that radical Islam is indeed a legitimate expression of Islam; yet the fact that the majority of contemporary Muslims do not actively participate in militant jihad demonstrates a decisive rejection of which the radical Muslims are keenly aware. The reality is that jihad during the past two centuries has been a dismal failure; with the possible exception of the expulsion of the Soviet Union from Afghanistan. Besides; it also represents a danger to Muslims; for it is all too easy to turn it against them.All that (and much more that I do not mention in this summary) is developed in 235 pages (footnotes included); the book being divided in the following chapters: 1. Qur'an and Conquest; 2. The "Greater Jihad" and the "Lesser Jihad"; 3 The Crystallization of Jihad Theory: Crusade and Counter-crusade; 4 Jihad during the Nineteenth Century: Renewal and Resistance; 5. Radical Islam and Contemporary Jihad Theory; 6. Globalist Radical Islam and Martyrdom Operations; Afterword; Appendix: Some Translated Documents (e.g. A Communiqu' from Qa'Idat Al-Jihad concerning the Testaments of the Heroes and the Legality of the Washington and New York Operations; April 24; 2002).Nevertheless; although the content is very interesting; the book often happens to be a tough reading; therefore I have rated the book as a 4 start book (content: 5 starts; pleasure of reading: 3 to 1).Other books that I would recommend to read would be the following:ASSESSMENTS OF ISLAM:1) The best; impartial; wise: "Islam. History; present; future" by Hans Küng (written in German; already available in Spanish; English translation coming in 2007).2) Harsh but well argued: "Muslims in the West: Redefining the Separation of Church State" by Sami Awad Aldeeb Abu-Sahlieh.3) Moderate Islam at its best: "The Great Theft : Wrestling Islam from the Extremists" by Khaled M. Abou El Fadl4) Autobiography of a courageous woman: "Infidel" by Ayaan Hirsi Ali. She is a controversial thinker with a very interesting life.HISTORY:1) General: "The Venture of Islam"; by Marshall G. S. Hodgson (nowadays a classic included in any bibliography on Islam).2) Turks: "The Turks in World History" by Carter Vaughn Findley.3) Political theory: "God's Rule : Government and Islam" by Patricia Crone.4) Jihad: it also seems interesting although I have not read it yet: "Jihad in Islamic History: Doctrines and Practice" by Michael Bonner4 of 4 people found the following review helpful. The Recent Standard on Islamic War Theory(ies)By Geoffrey W. DennisI once bought Ephraim Karsh's "Islamic Imperialism;" hoping to learn about Islamic political theory of war; but it turned out to be yet another history of Muslim conquests. "Understanding Jihad" is the book I wanted. A comprehensive; exhaustively footnoted history of ideas; rather than events. In the absence of English translations of seminal Islamic works; such as the 8th century "Katib al Jihad" by Al Mubarak; this gives the western reader the widest access to Islamic thought on warfare published to date. The author is coolly analytical and carefully parses the sources; from the Quran; through the many Hadith; following the Sunna right through to modern times. He shows the evolution of the term Jihad and its variant meaning to different Muslim theorists; jurists; and activists. Most startling is his historical mapping of the popular modern distinction between "Lesser jihad" (religious militarism) and "Greater jihad" (struggle for self-mastery); showing it to having emerged only in the 10th-11th centuries in a Sufi context; and that the two have largely been seen as complimentary projects; rather than one negating the other. On rare occasions; the author drops into an emphatic tone that makes one want to test that particular claim; but all-in-all; this is a learned brief on the subject; majesterial in its citation; and largely compelling in its arguments.
