The Holocaust

February 1, 2018

Bartrop (history, Florida Gulf Coast Univ. Resisting the Holocaust Genocide) and Dickerman (Holocaust & genocide studies, Stockton Univ., NJ), guiding 100 other contributors, present a concise historical overview and six compact essays on causes, perpetrators, victims, bystanders, reactions, and consequences (extending to the present) of the Holocaust, followed by 600 entries. Volume 3 is devoted to 110 survivor testimonies, most published post-2000 (with a topical guide), and Volume 4 to thematically organized documents (speeches, affidavits, correspondence, etc.). Two of the 15 maps include statistics (populations, deaths); all are thoroughly labeled, conveying the genocide's geophysical extent. Informative captions accompany the many black-and-white photos. See-also lists provide cross-references. Several entries may be new to general readers (e.g., Roddie Edmonds; Osako Tatsuo Helga's Diary), and some assess scholarly controversies (Channel Islands; Historikerstreit). Objectivity distinguishes even the entry on Hitler, which confines itself to facts and eschews speculation. Inevitably there are omissions, but overall the coverage is impressive. There are already many Holocaust resources: this one stands out with its numerous recent survivor accounts and ease of use and because it is so up to date (the last comparable work being Robert Rozett and Shmuel Spector's Encyclopedia of the Holocaust). VERDICT Not for academics only, but an invaluable source for anyone interested in human history and potential for good and evil.--Patricia D. Lothrop, formerly of St. George's Sch., Newport, RI

Copyright 2018 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

December 1, 2017
Much has been written about the Holocaust, but there is still a great deal to discover. Editors Bartrop (Director of the Center for Judaic, Holocaust, and Genocide Studies at Florida Gulf Coast University) and Dickerman (Stockton University) combine historical information with primary-source documents into four volumes organized by introduction (including overview essays and maps); significant people, places, events, and doctrines; testimonies of survivors and resistors; and documents about Nazi policies, genocide, and the wider world's response. Signed articles include resource lists, and there is a chronology, glossary, and bibliography of English-language resources. Testimonies included here have not appeared elsewhere.This is a good starting point for any academic or public library patrons interested in learning about the Holocaust.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)