Former Newsweek journalist Nagorski, who previously chronicled the Nazis' rise to power in his 2013 work Hitlerland, now turns his attention to the postwar quest to bring Nazi war criminals to justice. In addition to recounting the Nuremberg Trials after World War II, the author provides fascinating insight into those who continued to pursue war criminals after the spotlight had faded. Some of these figures are well known—Serge and Beate Klarsfeld and Simon Wiesenthal—others are more obscure such as Alabama lawyer William Denson, who participated not only in the prosecution of Nazis in Germany but also served as a mentor to government investigators pursuing Nazi criminals living in the United States. Nagorski's analysis of the variations in approach between government and private Nazi hunters is informational. Of particular interest is how the tensions among various individuals and organizations can magnify in the media spotlight, such as the 1980s revelation of Austrian politician Kurt Waldheim being a former member of the Wehrmacht.
VERDICT Recommended for public libraries and specialized collections.
FREDERIC KROME, UNIV. OF CINCINNATI CLERMONT COLL.
