Overview
Immediately after World War II, there was little discussion of the Holocaust, but today the word has grown into a potent political and moral symbol, recognized by all. In Holocaust: An American Understanding, renowned historian Deborah E. Lipstadt explores this striking evolution in Holocaust consciousness, revealing how a broad array of Americans-from students in middle schools to presidents of the United States-tried to make sense of this inexplicable disaster, and how they came to use the Holocaust as a lens to interpret their own history. Lipstadt weaves a powerful narrative that touches on events as varied as the civil rights movement, Vietnam, Stonewall, and the women’s movement, as well as controversies over Bitburg, the Rwandan genocide, and the bombing of Kosovo. Drawing upon extensive research on politics, popular culture, student protests, religious debates and various strains of Zionist ideologies, Lipstadt traces how the Holocaust became integral to the fabric of American life. Even popular culture, including such films as Dr. Strangelove and such books as John Hershey’s The Wall, was influenced by and in turn influenced thinking about the Holocaust. Equally important, the book shows how Americans used the Holocaust to make sense of what was happening in the United States. Many Americans saw the civil rights movement in light of Nazi oppression, for example, while others feared that American soldiers in Vietnam were destroying a people identified by the government as the enemy. Lipstadt demonstrates that the Holocaust became not just a tragedy to be understood but also a tool for interpreting America and its place in the world. Ultimately Holocaust: An American Understanding tells us as much about America in the years since the end of World War II as it does about the Holocaust itself.
Full Product Details
Author: Deborah E. Lipstadt
Publisher: Rutgers University Press
Imprint: Rutgers University Press
Dimensions:
Width: 15.20cm
, Height: 1.80cm
, Length: 22.90cm
Weight: 0.286kg
ISBN: 9780813564777
ISBN 10: 0813564778
Pages: 220
Publication Date: 21 July 2016
Recommended Age: From 16 to 99 years
Audience:
College/higher education
,
Undergraduate
,
Postgraduate, Research & Scholarly
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active
Availability: In Print
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Reviews
@An account of an American discource on the Holocaust, and one in which Jewish voices take centre stage. For those on Jewish Studies programmes... it will serve as a helpful introduction to the main trends since 1945. - Neil Gregor, Times Higher Education
"@An account of an American discource on the Holocaust, and one in which Jewish voices take centre stage. For those on Jewish Studies programmes... it will serve as a helpful introduction to the main trends since 1945."" - Neil Gregor, Times Higher Education"
Deborah Lipstadt always writes smoothly and reasons vigorously. This book is lucid, accessible, and courageous - I couldn't put it down. --Peter Hayes Professor of History and German, Theodore Zev Weiss Holocaust Educational Foundation Professor, Nort
Deborah Lipstadt always writes smoothly and reasons vigorously. This book is lucid, accessible, and courageous - I couldn't put it down.--Peter Hayes Professor of History and German, Theodore Zev Weiss Holocaust Educational Foundation Professor, Nort
Author Information
DEBORAH E. LIPSTADT is the Dorot Professor of Modern Jewish History and Holocaust Studies at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. Her many books include Beyond Belief: The American Press and the Coming of the Holocaust, 1933-1945, History on Trial, and The Eichmann Trial.
