Description
Book SynopsisSince the publication of his monumental Destruction of the European Jews forty years ago, Raul Hilberg has been the acknowledged master of Holocaust historians. In Sources of Holocaust Research he distills a lifetime of scholarly investigation into an indispensable primer on the use of sources in the writing of Holocaust history. "It is not a manual or epistemological treatise," Mr. Hilberg advises, "but an analysis of the types of materials, their composition, style, content, and usability." He goes on to describe, first, the "exterior" examination and classification of sources; next the "interior" view—the configuration, characteristic style, and highly selective content of the sources; and, finally, what may be extracted from them, considering the intrinsic problems of the material itself and the "external conditions." Throughout Mr. Hilberg makes use of a rich fund of examples and anecdotes to illustrate his principles. The result is a book that anyone seriously interested in Holocaust research must have.
Trade ReviewIt is a valuable guide for the scholars who wander through the maze of formulas and administrative procedures reworked or invented by Nazi agencies and the state bureaucracy of the Third Reich. * Times Literary Supplement *
Excellent. * Midwest Book Review *
"Exemplary...gives readers insight into not only the potential value and challenges to the researcher, but into the Holocaust itself." -- Kimberlee Roth * Foreword Reviews *
A worthy study...Hilberg practically invented the field of Holocaust studies. * Publishers Weekly *
Laced throughout with revealing illustrations, this book is a tour de force, and serves as a model of serious historical investigation for scholar and layman alike. -- B. Kraut, CUNY Queens College * Book Review Digest *
If there were a Nobel Prize offered in the field [Holocaust studies], Hilberg would have been its most worthy recipient. -- Michael Berenbaum, director, Sigi Ziering Institute, American Jewish University * Foreword Reviews *
