  | Book Details Title: Mengele: Unmasking the “Angel of Death” |
Book DescriptionReview “Gripping….sober and meticulous.” – David Margolick, Wall Street Journal“Compelling….At once a compact biography of the notorious war criminal, a detailed account of Mengele’s flight to South America, and an absorbing narrative of the quest to bring him to justice.” – Patricia Heberer Rice, Science“Authoritative….Marwell’s account is an adventure in pathology and criminology.” – Robert Siegel, Moment“In Mengele, David Marwell has written the final and fascinating history of the ‘Angel of Death.’ His prodigious research results in many new insights into one of the most notorious Nazis. Marwell is convincing in unlocking the long-standing mystery of what motivated Mengele to undertake his gruesome medical experiments on twin children. He also manages to fill in important gaps in Mengele’s postwar life on the run and conclusively settles any lingering questions about whether the bones unearthed in 1985 in another man’s grave in Brazil were those of the fugitive war criminal. Marwell, who played a personal role in some of the events he recounts, displays not only the refined eye of a historian but emerges as a talented storyteller. The often infuriating tale he sets forth moves along effortlessly. At long last, in this important book, Mengele has been captured.” – Gerald Posner, author of Mengele: The Complete Story“This is a book that only David Marwell could write after half a lifetime of studying and pursuing Josef Mengele. Marwell does more than portray the man, he details his multiple escapes, identities, and careers, the thirty-four-year search for his capture, the political intrigues and rivalries between countries, Nazi hunters, and intelligence agencies that led to Mengele’s grave. A fascinating story of great importance.” – Michael Berenbaum, former director of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum’s Holocaust Research Institute“Marwell’s lucid and legend-busting account of Josef Mengele’s life and deeds―and of the intricate and elaborate detective work required to find and conclusively identify him―is both absorbing and authoritative.” – Peter Hayes, author of Why? Explaining the Holocaust“A fresh perspective on the notorious Auschwitz doctor, from his infamous experiments to the decades-long postwar search for him. Never losing sight of Mengele’s monstrous activities, Marwell tackles common myths (Why was Mengele really interested in twins? And why his fascination with eye color?) and, chillingly, traces the underlying links between his ‘research’ and respected scientific institutions. Further: as an Office of Special Investigations historian committed to tracking down this elusive mass murderer, Marwell brings special insight and a wealth of detail to his riveting discovery tale.” – Debórah Dwork, author of Flight from the Reich: Refugee Jews, 1933-1946“Sharply written. Part-biography, part-memoir, Mengele is an outstanding achievement that conveys a sense of the man behind the myths and the difficulties of bringing closure for his victims.” – Richard Breitman, author of The Berlin Mission and Distinguished Professor Emeritus, American University“David Marwell’s Mengele is a fascinating historical work. How did Dr. Mengele come to epitomize the many medical atrocities committed by trained doctors at Auschwitz? How did he escape? How was he (almost) found? But it is far more than just exceptionally solid scholarship. It is also a thriller and a first-rate detective story written by someone who was part of the team that had to unravel this mystery.” – Deborah E. Lipstadt, author of Antisemitism Here and Now and Dorot Professor of Modern Jewish History and Holocaust Studies, Emory University“David Marwell is a credible and authoritative voice on Josef Mengele and his role in the Holocaust. Marwell’s biography of Mengele offers a compelling depiction of Mengele as a man, as a monster, and as a symbol of the Nazi experiment of remaking the world. Anyone wanting to understand the perverse mentality of hate that lay at the center of Nazism needs to read this book.” – Abraham F. Foxman, director of the Center for the Study of Anti-Semitism at the Museum of Jewish Heritage and national director emeritus of the Anti-Defamation League Read more About the Author David G. Marwell, former director of the Museum of Jewish Heritage in New York City, worked on the Mengele case at the Justice Department’s Office of Special Investigations in the 1980s. A historian who has served and led a number of government and nonprofit institutions, he lives in University Park, Maryland, with his wife, Judith. Read more Customers Review: Apparently there is some concern about an inadequate treatment of Mengele and his behavior in Auschwitz. It is true, but Marwell chose to devote a lot of space to the confirmation of the death of Mengele, an area in which he was personally involved. If the reader is interested in more detail about Mengele’s medical experiments, there are several books that deal at length with that aspect of his life. It is unfair to criticize an author for writing about what he or she is interested in, not what the reader is interested in. That said, I found the book informative and well-written. | |
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