The Holocaust by Bullets: A Priest's Journey to Uncover the Truth Behind the Murder of 1.5 Million Jews

by Father Patrick Desbois

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In this heart-wrenching book, Father Patrick Desbois documents the daunting task of identifying and examining all the sites where Jews were exterminated by Nazi mobile units in the Ukraine in WWII. Using innovative methodology, interviews, and ballistic evidence, he has determined the location of many mass gravesites with the goal of providing proper burials for the victims of the forgotten Ukrainian Holocaust. Compiling new archival material and many eye-witness accounts, Desbois has put show more together the first definitive account of one of history's bloodiest chapters.--From publisher description. show less

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7 reviews
Haunted by the fact that his grandfather was a French prisoner held at the Rawa-Ruska forced labor camp was the impetus for Father Desbois to learn more and chronicle the stories of those who witnessed the barbaric shootings that occurred day and night throughout small Ukrainian towns during WWII.

This is not for the feint of heart. At times, I simply had to put this book down to take a break from the violence and to wrestle with the fact that so many live with the fact that they witnesses, and at the risk of being slaughtered, they too had to participate unwillingly as mass large holes were dug, Nazi trucks drove through the forests, one by one by one by one shot Jews, watched them fall in the pit, and then lined up more and more and show more more.

Uncovering the truth behind the 1.5 deaths, Father Desbois researched and chronicled the stories of those still living who either hid and saw what happened, or were forced to participate. Many of those interviewed had never spoken of what they witnessed as children. He and his kind team felt compelled to bring to light the stories of the mass graves throughout the Ukraine.
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Although the Holocaust has been written about for many years, I am still shocked when I read about new atrocities that have been uncovered. How do seemingly ordinary people get caught up in these kinds of actions? I continue to read Holocaust stories to try to find the answer. The only answer that is forthcoming is in the documentary Shoah, in which a Holocaust scholar said : For thousands of years, the Jews were told "you can not live here." Nazi Germany took it one step farther and said "you can not live."
Father Desbois' presentation is moving and informative. He justly deserves the awards he has received.
Fa luce su un capitolo "scurissimo" della nostra recente storia europea e fa capire come il male attecchisca in quanto, dal principio, banale. Quanta la responsabilità comunque dei popoli e della gente comune, aizzata - in quanto ignorante e poco scolarizzata- contro i loro vicini, amici, etc (fonte: Amazon)

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ThingScore 100
Father Patrick Desbois has written a worthy new addition to the scant library of literature on the Einsatzgruppen.
Mar 16, 2009
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Author Information

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3+ Works 353 Members
Father Patrick Desbois is president of Yahad-In Unum, founded with Cardinal Lustiger, archbishop of Paris, and Israel Singer, chairman of the World Jewish Congress, and holds an endowed professorship at Georgetown University. He is the author of The Holocaust by Bullets, winner of the 2008 National Jewish Book Award, and has received numerous show more honors for his groundbreaking work on the Holocaust, including the Humanitarian Award from the US Holocaust Museum and the Tom Lantos Human Rights Prize. He travels extensively for speaking engagements and has appeared twice on 60 Minutes, He resides in Washington, DC, and Paris, France. show less

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Common Knowledge

Canonical title*
Porteur de mémoires. Sur les traces de la Shoah par balles
Original title
Porteur de mémoires : Sur les traces de la Shoah par balles
Alternate titles
The Holocaust by Bullets: A Priest's Journey to Uncover the Truth Behind the Murder of 1.5 Million Jews
Original publication date
2007-10-25 (1e édition originale française, Michel Lafon) (1e édition originale française, Michel Lafon); 2009-03-18 (Réédition française, Champs histoire, Flammarion) (Réédition française, Champs histoire, Flammarion)
Important places*
Ukraine
Important events
Holocaust; Shoah
Original language*
Français
*Some information comes from Common Knowledge in other languages. Click "Edit" for more information.

Classifications

Genres
History, Nonfiction, General Nonfiction, Biography & Memoir
DDC/MDS
940.53History & geographyHistory of EuropeHistory of Europe1918-World War II, 1939-1945
LCC
DS135 .U4 .D4813History of Europe, Asia, Africa and OceaniaAsiaHistory of AsiaIsrael (Palestine). The JewsJews outside of Palestine
BISAC

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242
Popularity
134,845
Reviews
5
Rating
½ (4.29)
Languages
5 — Dutch, English, French, German, Italian
Media
Paper, Ebook
ISBNs
10
ASINs
1