Portland Public Library

Holocaust, an American understanding, Deborah E. Lipstadt

eng

Includes bibliographical references and index

index present

non fiction

Holocaust

bibliography

921821849

Deborah E. Lipstadt

Key words in Jewish studies, VII

an American understanding

"Immediately after World War II, there was little discussion of the Holocaust, but today the word has grown into a potent political and moral symbol, recognized by all. In Holocaust: An American Understanding, renowned historian Deborah E. Lipstadt explores this striking evolution in Holocaust consciousness, revealing how a broad array of Americans--from students in middle schools to presidents of the United States--tried to make sense of this inexplicable disaster, and how they came to use the Holocaust as a lens to interpret their own history. Lipstadt weaves a powerful narrative that touches on events as varied as the civil rights movement, Vietnam, Stonewall, and the women's movement, as well as controversies over Bitburg, the Rwandan genocide, and the bombing of Kosovo. Drawing upon extensive research on politics, popular culture, student protests, religious debates and various strains of Zionist ideologies, Lipstadt traces how the Holocaust became integral to the fabric of American life. Even popular culture, including such films as Dr. Strangelove and such books as John Hershey's The Wall, was influenced by and in turn influenced thinking about the Holocaust. Equally important, the book shows how Americans used the Holocaust to make sense of what was happening in the United States. Many Americans saw the civil rights movement in light of Nazi oppression, for example, while others feared that American soldiers in Vietnam were destroying a people identified by the government as the enemy. Lipstadt demonstrates that the Holocaust became not just a tragedy to be understood but also a tool for interpreting America and its place in the world. Ultimately Holocaust: An American Understanding tells us as much about America in the years since the end of World War II as it does about the Holocaust itself."--Publisher information

1. Terms of debate : Finding a name to define a horror ; Laying the foundation: the visionary role of Philip Friedman ; Creating a field of study: Raul Hilberg ; Survivors in America: an uncomfortable encounter ; "Holocaust" in American popular culture, 1947-1962 -- State of the question : The Eichmann trial and the Arendt debate ; "Holocaust": shedding light on America's shortcomings ; A post-holocaust protest generation creates its memories ; Faith in the wake of Auschwitz: shifting theologies ; The baby boom protesters ; From the Mideast to Moscow: holocaust redux? ; Survivors: from DPs to witnesses ; Severed alliances ; The holocaust and the small screen ; America and the holocaust: playing the blame game ; The White House: whose holocaust? ; The Kremlin versus Wiesel: identifying the victims -- In a new key : Counting the victims, skewing the numbers ; An obsession with the holocaust? ; A Jewish critique ; The Bitburg affair: The "Watergate of symbolism" ; Memory booms as the world forgets ; Assaults on the holocaust: normalization, denial, and trivialization ; The uniqueness battle ; Impassioned attacks ; Competitive genocides? ; The Holocaust versus all others ; Scaring the people: on how not to proceed