Reinhard Heydrich

Ex-library with typical markings-DJ in Mylar-" Reinhard Heydrich by Gunther Deschner is a disturbing book not based on what was written, but because of the fact that it evidences that bright, intelligent individuals, like the author, can turn a blind eye to the savagery and evil of the Third Reich and seek to excuse the men who made its operation possible. Deschner is not an apologist for the Nazis since he acknowledges the inherent evils of the Party and does not deny the existence of the Holocaust. However, when it comes to Heydrich, Deschner would have the reader believe that Heydrich was a well-meaning individual who was caught up by his desire for power and the demand of his superiors that he carry out the Final Solution. Deschner seeks to dress Heydrich up as a committed sportsman who had a proper sense of sportsmanship. As a musician who was an accomplished violinist. And as a family man, who loved his children. All these things may be true and necessary for a realistic understanding of who Heydrich really was. However, Deschner spends more time discussing Heydrich's fencing than he does Heydrich's role in the Final Solution. Such an allocation of resources can hardly be defended since Heydrich was the chief architect of the plan that led to the death of six million Jews, as well as millions of Slavs and Gypsies. Whatever, the merits of Heydrich's sportsmanship, its historical significance is dwarfed by the millions of individuals who perished partly as a result of Heydrich's activities. Heydrich was obviously a very complex, cultured, and intelligent individual, but one who used his talents to further his own career no matter what the costs to others. One would have desired that instead of Deschner, the biography would have been written by Gita Sereney, who wrote biographies of Stengel (the commandant of Treblinka) or Albert Speer (Hitler's Armament Minister), or Hannah Arendt, who wrote a compelling biography of Heydrich's assistant Eichmann. Each of these authors was able to deal with the complexity without excusing the vicious conduct of their subject. Instead of discussing the complexities without losing sight of the evil deeds of Heydrich, Deschner seeks to portray Heydrich in a false light. This is a shame since Deschner is obviously a talented author who was able to write a well-researched book. Unfortunately, he neglected to take into account that sportsmanship, culture, and love of family could not excuse Heydrich's role in Final Solution."- Fred M. Blum