Most of us know the basic facts of the Holocaust. That is one of the most comprehensive genocides that the world has ever known.

Most of us know that the Nazi system killed millions of people who did not look like or support the Aryan “mold” of the Third Reich.

Few of us know how comprehensive and detailed the Holocaust really was and how it continued for as long as it did.

Nazi Germany and the Jews Volume 1, by Saul Friedlander, was written as a defense to a historian’s argument that the view of Nazi Germany is biased toward a simplistic “good vs evil” argument. Friedlander argued that the Holocaust was not a historic aberration. The Holocaust was a systematic and comprehensive destruction of non-Aryan (specifically Jews) that preyed upon a country in desperate economic woes and a world filled with lackluster concern for the plight of the victims. Throughout this comprehensive 512 page work, Friedlander documents how the Third Reich was able to complete such horrible deeds with extraordinary detail and insight. He argues that the people inside and outside of Germany knew what was going on, but chose not to act, either by default or on purpose.

I came to read Nazi Germany and the Jews Volume 1 on a Twitter suggestion from Scot Nagasaka, senior partner of Change Lab, a social justice organization. I am glad that he gave me that suggestion because completely changed how I look at the history during this period. The book opened my eyes to the total destruction that was planned out by the Nazi persecutions.  After coming out of horrible losses in World War I, Hitler offered the German people a myth. He wasn’t the first person to offer this myth, but he was one of the strongest supporters of that myth.  The myth: The Germans were a great people who had lost to the influence of Jews and their supporters. By eliminating the Jews, the Germans could once again reclaim their power and usher in a new era of German power.  That myth, simple as it sounds, would lead to the deaths and torture of millions of people from places as diverse as Russia and Greece.

This part I knew, but I never completely understood how Hitler and his party managed to achieve this on such a large scale unchecked. Friedlander’s book gave me part of the answer. In the book, Friedlander argues that several factors) led to the rise and unchecked growth of Nazi-ruled Germany including:

1. Total  Nazi control of every part of societ
2. Passive acceptance of anti-Semitism in the culture at that time & unwillingness of other nations to deal with the “Jewish problem"
3. Lack of coordinated support from the inside & outside community

This is just the tip of the iceberg and Friedlander provides as much as a layperson can comprehend in the 500+ that compromise the book. For those who are interested in learning about this period of history, this is definitely a book to consider. It is not designed to be light read by any means: however it doesn’t veer off into the level of a graduate college thesis (though it comes close at times) either. It’s the kind of book you read when you are ready to fully invest yourself in a comprehensive look at the factors that led to this terrifying piece of human history.

In any case, the implications that come from this book have staggering consequences.

Book Review: Magneto: A Testament  (0785138234)

Publication Year: 2009

Pages: 152

Author: Greg Pak

Illustrator: Carmine Di Giandomenico

Review Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

PROS: Unique origin story, amazing graphics, historical detail

CONS:  Pacing

From the age of 7 until now, I have been a fan of the X-Men, whether it was the old-school Fox Channel version or the modern Hollywood blockbuster.  I loved the characters, the powers, and the struggle for acceptance in society (early seeds of social justice, perhaps?). While searching for another book to read on social justice, I saw Magneto: A Testament listed on GoodReads and thought this would be a unique opportunity to step back into the X-men universe.  

Magento: A Testament is a graphic novel that delves into the origin of Magneto (aka Max Einshardt) as he survives the most comprehensive genocides humanity has ever known, the Holocaust. It begins with Max (as a German Jew) and his family experiencing the initial stirrings of Nazi power and ends with Max’s daring escape as a young man “running the wire”. Along the way there are small  subplots of love, morals, and family as the fate of Jews grows progressively worse. It is a chilling tale with extraordinary historical detail and beautiful illustrations.

I enjoyed reading this tale because it was different from origin stories. Unlike other origin stories, Magneto: A Testament is not about how a mutant came to be. There are only small clues to Magneto’s future status.  Magneto: A Testament was about humanity, both the good and the bad, and how this can shape a person’s character.  Nowhere is this more clearly illustrated than in the main character, Max, who has to choose among truly challenging moral dilemmas that have unpleasant consequences at almost every turn. I rooted for Max several times throughout the book. Was I actually rooting for the future Magneto?  Well, yes.

In either case, I digress……

Another intriguing aspect about Magneto was the attention and respect provided for historical detail. The detail is evident throughout the novel from the dialogue, to the illustrations, and scenes that were chosen for the story. That detail shows itself in details big and small, which provides insight into both the mind of real concentration camp members and the fictional character of Max. Reading this, I can see how Magneto developed out of such cruelty and pain. Quite a feat for a comic book-themed book!

My only complaint about Magneto was the pacing. Because the book tries to be comprehensive, the story skips around a little bit. If you are familiar with Magneto’s history, this would probably be no problem for you. I, however, was not and therefore was confused in some spots. That didn’t detract me from understanding the basic premise of the story, however, but it did leave me feeling like I was missing something. The fast pacing also means readers will need to know a little about the history of the Holocaust beforehand. Although the readers do a good job of explaining some details, readers need to be familiar in order to understand  some of the clues that are in the book.

In summary, this was a unexpectedly good g substance to it. It has substance to it. The book focused on humanity, which was a different approach than I anticipated from a hero/villain origin story, but it makes sense. There are times when you need a powerful hero like a Superman or Batman, but there are other times when you just need one kid to be your hero. In this case, you root for that one kid.