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The Eichmann Trial

by Deborah E. Lipstadt
Schocken. Mar. 2011. c.272p. bibliog. ISBN 9780805242607. $24.95. LAW
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Lipstadt (Jewish studies, Emory Univ.; Denying the Holocaust) details the Israeli capture and trial of fugitive Nazi war criminal Adolf Eichmann 15 years after his escape from U.S. custody at the end of World War II. She carefully shows how Israeli attorney general Gideon Hausner repeatedly called witnesses who had directly observed the most brutal and murderous aspects of Eichmann's undertakings. The guilty verdict was a forgone conclusion, but the sentencing was more complicated, and thus followed a contentious debate about the death penalty in a society that preaches love and compassion. Arguments for and against Eichmann's execution are described in detail, and Lipstadt notes the court's referral of the matter to the Israeli prime minister and cabinet for ultimate resolution.
VERDICT Aimed at an academic audience, the book is replete with references to primary-source material and thus constitutes an authoritative analysis of the historical and legal issues involved in a trial of international significance. Highly recommended for students, scholars, and researchers analyzing actions and motives of war crimes perpetrators and their victims as well as for history buffs.
Reviewed by Philip Y. Blue, New York State Supreme Court Criminal Branch Law Lib., First Judicial Dist., New York , Mar 15, 2011
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