Belzec, Sobibor, Treblinka: The Operation Reinhard Death Camps

"... Mr. Arad reports as a controlled and effective witness for the prosecution.... Mr. Arad’s book, with its abundance of horrifying detail, reminds us of how far we have to go."—New York Times Book Review

"... some of the most gripping chapters I have ever read.... the authentic, exhaustive, definitive account of the least known death camps of the Nazi era." —Raul Hilberg

Arad, historian and principal prosecution witness at the Israeli trial of John Demjanjuk (accused of being Treblinka’s infamous "Ivan the Terrible"), uses primary materials to reveal the complete story of these Nazi death camps.

With meticulous scholarship and precise exposition Tel Aviv historian and Yad Vashem director Arad recounts all facets of Operation Reinhard, the destruction of 1.5 million Jews in occupied Poland from 1941 to 1943. Arad describes the founding, organization, personnel, prisoners, and victims of the three death camps and provides detailed chapters on the uprisings and escapes from Treblinka and Sobibor. He effectively employs extensive excerpts from Jewish, Polish, and German contemporary documents and later testimony by witnesses and participants. Arad is scrupulously careful to point out the limits of the available evidence. This comprehensive, judicious, and moving history is a remarkable contribution to Holocaust studies and is strongly recommended for academic and public libraries. James B. Street, Santa Cruz P.L., Cal.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc.

"Drawing on a wealth of evidence ... [Arad] lets the terrible record speak for itself... Mr. Arad reports as a controlled and effective witness for the prosecution... Mr. Arad's book, with its abundance of horrifying detail, reminds us of how far we have to go." New York Times Book Review " ... some of the most gripping chapters I have ever read... the authentic, exhaustive, definitive account of the least known death camps of the Nazi era." Raul Hilberg