Holocaust Representations in History

Reviews / Votes

In a crowded field, Lisa Silverman and Daniel Magilow have made an extraordinary contribution that distinguishes itself as a beacon for critical pedagogy. Nuanced philosophical provocation meets historical context and bibliographic substance in this book; instructors may use it with confidence as they introduce the intricacies of the history of representing the Holocaust. Exemplary for its clarity, the book sacrifices none of the necessary complexity with which students must engage in order to begin to articulate their own questions. Holocaust Representations in History sets a new standard for those of us committed to challenging our students to think deeply. * Darcy Buerkle, Associate Professor of History, Smith College, USA * Magilow and Silverman perceptively analyze how iconic and controversial Holocaust accounts, documentaries, films, memoirs, monuments, museums, novels, and trials were influenced by the historical context in which they originated and the perspectives of their creators. They trace how the meanings initially conveyed by these representations have evolved over time and place. Each chapter focuses on the genesis and continuing impact of diverse "texts" like Elie Wiesel's Night, the television miniseries Holocaust, Claude Lanzmann's Shoah, the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, the Berlin Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, and even the discredited memoir Fragments by Binjamin Wilkomirski. Their jargon-free case studies will enable students to apply the same critical approach to other key works that attempt to depict or document the Nazi genocide of the Jews. * Lawrence Baron, Professor Emeritus of History, San Diego State University, USA, author of Projecting the Holocaust into the Present: The Changing Focus of Contemporary Holocaust Cinema * Magilow and Silverman aim to guide educators in understanding how the Holocaust is represented in such venues as photographs, plays, art, memoirs, comics, and museums. The authors argue that by placing a sample of each representation into its proper historical context, students of history will be able to more accurately interpret its significance. Each chapter focuses on a Holocaust representation, such as the iconic photograph of the little boy with his hands up at the end of the Warsaw Ghetto uprising (1943) ... and how it can be utilized-or, in the case of this photograph, over interpreted. The authors argue that the little boy in the photograph cannot serve as a metaphor for the entire Holocaust experience. In another chapter, Magilow and Silverman examine how stage and screen versions of The Diary of Anne Frank stripped the story of its Jewish content, thus providing a good introduction to the controversies surrounding the Americanization of the Holocaust ... Especially recommended for teachers. Summing Up: Recommended. All academic levels/libraries. -- F. Krome, University of Cincinnati--Clermont College * CHOICE * An accessible and nuanced overview of its topic ... Its wide net of examples provides fascinating and informative insights into debates which will prove useful for students and scholars alike, creating a crucial jumping-off point for discussions of Holocaust representation as a phenomenon for study in and of itself rather than as the final chapter of a different book. * European History Quarterly *