Beamis12

I loved the beginning of this book, found it very informative, appalling but informative. The author asserts that over half a million women were either involved or consciously looked way, during the Holocaust. I must be extremely naive because I had no idea the figures were that high. Than I think, how would I have reacted during this situation, when not going along could get one killed. One thing I know for sure is that I would not have picnicked on the site of a mass burial. 

The beginning explains the different roles women played under Hitler. Nurses, teachers, wives and yes guards. the following chapters, detailing the lives of particular women were not as fascinating. The author was often repetitive, information was related in a very academic fashion, or like a cut and paste job from a biography. Yes, the information was there but not presented in a way to draw in the reader.

So one does get a very clear understanding of this subject and in the last chapter the court cases and trials left most of the women free to go on with their lives. Yes, some of the women were hunted down and punished, but most were not. I am not sure if the author proved her claims on the extensiveness of women's roles but this could be due to the choppiness of the author's writing. A fascinating subject but the style of writing was a disappointment. Do not regret reading this as I did gain more knowledge of this subject and learned a few new items as well.

With all the different programs that the Third Reich was involved with, all these different components running effectively and efficiently at the same time, I often wonder what could have been accomplished if Hitler's motives had been for the good of his people, all his people.