If Auschwitz is Nothing: Against Denialism

by Donatella Di Cesare, David Broder (Translator)

Ever since the end of World War II, when the sheer enormity of the Nazi crime against the Jews became apparent, there have been repeated attempts to deny that the Holocaust really happened. The existence of gas chambers was questioned and the testimony of survivors was thrown into doubt; the more witnesses spoke out, the more they were intimidated and attacked by a denialism that sought to present itself as a search for historical truth.  The accusation of trickery and deception – so central to the centuries-old anti-Jewish hatred – continues to thrive in the present. Today, denialism takes a new and more insidious form: Jews are accused of exploiting the ‘cult of the Holocaust’ to justify the state of Israel and to take the reins of political power. Holocaust denial has merged with conspiracy theories, alleging the existence of a Jewish-controlled New World Order. Concisely and authoritatively, acclaimed philosopher Donatella Di Cesare reconstructs the evolution of denialism and sheds new light on one of the most troubling phenomena of our time.

Genres: Holocaust, Philosophy, History, Nonfiction

128 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2012

About the author

Donatella Di Cesare (Rome, April 29, 1956) is an Italian philosopher, essayist and columnist who teaches Theoretical Philosophy at the "La Sapienza" University of Rome. She is one of the most present philosophers in the Italian and international public debate, both academic and media, collaborates with several newspapers and magazines including "L’Espresso" and "il Manifesto". Her books and essays are translated into English, French, German, Spanish, Danish, Croatian, Polish, Finnish, Norwegian, Turkish, Chinese.

Reviews

[Salvatore · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ho letto in realtà l'edizione aggiornata del 2022. Un testo ancora molto utile e aggiornato, nell'impostazione metodologica e nella chiarezza con la quale rammenta il quadro storiografico.

[Il Mondo di SimiS - BookBlog - (Simona) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Recensione completa sul blog "Il Mondo di SimiS"

Blog | Instagram | Facebook

[Only_ioana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Letto nell’edizione aggiornata

[Armin · Rating 3 out of 5]

There's some great information here but the presentation is often disjointed and almost random.