Product Description

In 1942 it was announced in Britain that the Germans were carrying out exterminations of the Jewish people, yet the British government continued to reject all proposals for saving the Jews. Based on archival sources, this book examines British policy towards the Jewish problem during World War II. It explores the reasons for the near-total ban on Jewish refugee immigration into Britain, the restrictive immigration policy in Palestine, the failure to aid Jewish resistance in Europe, and the rejection of the scheme for the Allied bombing of Auschwitz. What emerges is a story of bureaucratic complacency, inhumanity and blindness to the Jewish catastrophe in Europe.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2024940 in Books
• Published on: 1999-01-07
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 352 pages

Customer Reviews

An impartial treatment of Britain's darker past
Prof Wasserstein presents a clear, impartial and tremendously well researched account of the British political and social attitudes towards the Jews of Europe during WW2. Although this is mainly an accademic work, the style and content make it quite readable for the general public. Wasserstein maintains a balance between highlighting apparent and real anti-Semitic attitudes, sometimes in senior government office - The Struma story being a case in point - and an insightful analysis of the political pressures underlying them. I recommend this work to historians and to anyone who would like their rose tinted view of Britain replaced with a clarity rarely made so accessible.