Josef Mengele - Elämä ja teot

by Gerald Posner, John Ware, Pertti Jokinen (Translator)

Mengele tunnetaan yhtenä holokaustin pahimmista rikollisista, mutta teos avaa näkymän myös tämän jo melkeinpä myytiksi muuttuneen hahmon sukutaustaan ja siviilielämään.

Josef Mengelen elämä jakaantui kolmeen jaksoon: sotaa edeltävään valmistautumiseen tieteelliselle uralle, toimimiseen Auschwitzin keskitysleirin lääkärinä ja loppuelämän kestäneeseen pakoon Etelä-Amerikassa.
Loppuun asti Mengele piti itseään tiedemiehenä. Hänen mielestään raa'at tutkimukset olivat lääkärin etiikan mukaista tiedettä, jonka tavoitteena oli ihmisrodun parantaminen. Auschwitzista paetessaan hän keräsi mukaan kaiken aineistonsa ja säilytti sitä, vaikka sen paljastuminen olisi johtanut varmaan kuolemantuomioon.
Auschwitzin kuoleman enkeliä etsittiin kiivaasti koko hänen loppuelämänsä. Mengele kuoli hukkumalla vuonna 1978 Sao Paulossa. Mahdollisuus saattaa hänet oikeuden eteen oli menetetty.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Biography, Holocaust, World War II, True Crime, War

394 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1980

About the author

Gerald Posner is an award winning journalist, bestselling author and attorney. The Los Angeles Times dubs him "a classic-style investigative journalist." "His work is painstakingly honest journalism" concluded The Washington Post. The New York Times lauded his "exhaustive research techniques" and The Boston Globe talked of Posner's "thorough and hard-edge investigation." "A meticulous and serious researcher," said the New York Daily News.

Posner's first book, Mengele, a 1986 biography of the Nazi "Angel of Death” Josef Mengele, was the result of a pro-bono lawsuit Posner brought on behalf of surviving twins from Auschwitz. Since then he has written ten other books from the Pulitzer Prize-finalist Case Closed, to bestsellers on political assassinations, organized crime, national politics, and 9/11 and terrorism. His upcoming God’s Bankers has spanned nine years of research and received early critical praise.

ohn Martin of ABC News says "Gerald Posner is one of the most resourceful investigators I have encountered in thirty years of journalism." Garry Wills calls Posner "a superb investigative reporter. "Posner, a former Wall Street lawyer, demolishes myths through a meticulous re-examination of the facts," reported the Chicago Tribune. "Meticulous research," Newsday.

Anthony Lewis in The New York Times: "With 'Killing the Dream, he has written a superb book: a model of investigation, meticulous in its discovery and presentation of evidence, unbiased in its exploration of every claim. And it is a wonderfully readable book, as gripping as a first-class detective story."

"What we need is a work of painstakingly honest journalism, a la Case Closed, Gerald Posner's landmark re-examination of the assassination of John F. Kennedy," concluded Joe Sharkey in The New York Times.

Gene Lyons, in Entertainment Weekly: "As thorough and incisive a job of reporting and critical thinking as you will ever read, Case Closed does more than buttress the much beleaguered Warren Commission's conclusion ….More than that, Posner's book is written in a penetrating, lucid style that makes it a joy to read. Even the footnotes, often briskly debunking one or another fanciful or imaginary scenario put forth by the conspiracy theorists, rarely fail to enthrall...Case Closed is a work of genuine patriotism and a monument to the astringent power of reason. 'A'"

Jeffrey Toobin in the Chicago Tribune: "Unlike many of the 2,000 other books that have been written about the Kennedy assassination, Posner's Case Closed is a resolutely sane piece of work. More importantly, 'Case Closed' is utterly convincing in its thesis, which seems, in light of all that has transpired over the past 30 years, almost revolutionary....I started Case Closed as a skeptic - and slightly put off by the presumptuous title. To my mind historical truth is always a slippery thing. The chances of knowing for sure what happened in any event - much less one as murky as the Kennedy assassination - seem remote. But this fascinating and important book won me over. Case closed, indeed."

Based in the mixed realms of politics, history, and true crime, his articles - from The New York Times to The New Yorker to Newsweek, Time and The Daily Beast - have prompted Argentina to open its hidden Nazi files to researchers; raised disturbing questions about clues the FBI missed in the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing; sparked a reinvestigation of the Boston Strangler; and exposed Pete Rose's gambling addiction, which led to his ban from baseball.

Posner was one of the youngest attorneys (23) ever hired by Cravath, Swaine & Moore. A Political Science major, Posner was a Phi Beta Kappa and Summa Cum Laude graduate of the University of California at Berkeley (1975), where he was also a national debating champion, winner of the Meiklejohn Award. At Hastings Law School (1978), he was an Honors Graduate and served as the Associate Executive Editor for the Law Review. Of Counsel to Posner & Ferrar

Reviews

[Taury · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mengele by Gerald Posner NF about Dr Josef Mengele the notorious sociopath doctor of the Holocaust. Most notoriously at Auschwitz. He had a sickness for children, especially twins.
Very long book with a lot of information in it. Sadly, he was never found and died in hiding. How he didn’t go on committing his crimes after the war I will never know. There was a special place in hell dedicated to this man and Hitler, Stalin, and Mussolini.

[Meaghan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This isn't a straight-up biography. The authors spend one chapter on Mengele's life before Auschwitz, and one (albeit very detailed and horrific) chapter on his activities in Auschwitz, and the rest on his life as a fugitive and the decades-long hunt for him. I was deeply distressed by how many near-misses there were, how many times they could have caught him and didn't. It's no consolation that he was lonely and miserable most of his time in South America.

If you want to know the details of Mengele's crimes, you'd be better off reading memoirs and stuff about Auschwitz that talk about him. But the pursuit of him, and the pursuit of other Nazi war criminals as detailed in this book (Eichmann was kidnapped off a Buenos Aires street by Mossad agents, for example), makes for interesting and illuminating reading,

[Tatyana Fisher · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is perhaps the most researched book ever on Josef Mengele. Very thorough, step-by-step description of Mengele's post-war activities and multiple attempts to bring him to justice. I was not entirely suprised that Rolf Mengele decided not to openly denounce his father, unlike several other Nazi leaders' children. The pressure of his family must have been tremendous. Still, it would be interesting to see if his views have changed now in 2012. It would be a pity to see yet another Nazi offspring to continue on the path of Gudrun Burwitz.

[Shauna Croak-Falen · Rating 3 out of 5]

The information was very detailed, which I found a bit dry for the most part. I chose to read this book to get a German perspective, but felt I was reading a textbook at times. Hard to stay engaged. Fascinating to read about the denial the family had and the endless help Mengele received after going into hiding.

[_och_man_ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Kojarzycie taką sytuację, gdy wyjątkowo dobrze opanujecie zagadnienia na sprawdzian czy inne kolokwium, a gdy przyjdzie co do czego MUSICIE pochwalić się swoją wiedzą na 150%, pisząc wszystko jak leci? Tak właśnie odebrałam połowę tej książki. Po paru miesiącach męczenia, z ulgą odkładam ją na półkę (jakoś nie potrafiłam zdobyć się na DNF-a).

[Gijs Limonard · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars; 5 for historical relevance, 3 for substance and style; another iteration of the sordid history of this maniacal nazi; in places the narrative fails to retain my attention, too matter of factly; the South American afterlife of this murdering criminal is told with more gusto than the story of his Birkenau-prime; the reunification of father and son Mengele was perhaps the most compelling part of the book, positioning you eerily close to, almost eavesdropping on, the person Mengele (or non person, as you like). Be sure to check out the classic by Mengele's assistant Auschwitz: A Doctor's Eyewitness Account.

[David Corleto-Bales · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chilling, exhaustive and thorough, Gerald Posner again hits a home run with his disposal of the Mengele mystery, the life and times of the "Angel of Death", the infamous camp doctor of Auschwitz. He give a history of Mengele's brief medical career--a brilliant young doctor becomes enraptured with the Nazis and joins the SS--later becoming a sadistic experimenter on camp inmates, especially twins, etc.; the tales of his actions at Auschwitz are difficult to read or comprehend, but what reads as a fascinating thriller is his flight from the authorities. Escaping justice in 1945 through cunning and sheer dumb luck, (detailed extensively in the book) and shielded by his wealthy Bavarian family, (from Gunzburg--they are still one of Germany's largest producers of farm machinery) Mengele was able to find his way to South America helped by a Nazi underground and sympathizers. After a decade or so in Argentina, Mengele felt secure enough to use his own name, ultimately becoming a Paraguayan citizen. But after Adolf Eichmann was arrested in Buenos Aires Mengele lived the rest of his life in fear and anxiety, boredom, depression and loneliness. Fitting. Fascinating background on several figures who assisted Mengele in South America, the politics of the Mossad and the rivalries of various Nazi-hunters. A very good book.

[Laura Walin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nappasin kirjan lukulistalle Hesarin arviosta, ja yllätyin loppuun päästessäni, että alkuteos olikin jo vuodelta 1986 - suomennos vain ilmestyi kolme vuosikymmentä myöhemmin. Tämä on hyvä huomata taustaksi ennen kirjan lukemista.

Kirja oli puuduttavan yksityiskohtainen kertomus Mengelen elämästä, ja otsikosta huolimatta vähemmän hänen teoistaan. Vuodet keskitysleirilääkärinä ovat saaneet vain osapuilleen aikajaksonsa mittaisen ossuden kirjasta, ja fokus on Mengelen sodanjälkeisessä elämässä Etelä-Amerikassa. Paljon on analysoitu myös yrityksiä Mengelen kiinnisaamiseksi ja miksi ne epäonnistuivat. Kirja näyttäytyy pitkällisen tutkimustyön loppuraporttina, ja ajoittaisesta pitkäpiimäisyydestäänkin huolimatta avaa hyvin Mengelen sodanjälkeisiä vaiheita.

[Tim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Josef Mengele was enormously gifted but was also a cruel sociopath. He was a Nazi geneticist, trying to breed the master race. This book spends two chapters on 1) before Auschwitz and 2) the Auschwitz years (1943-45). These two chapters are worth the price entry. Really. The rest of the book, the vast bulk of it, follows Mengele thru Europe, to Argentina, thru Paraguay, and into Brazil. Sometimes narrowly avoiding capture by authorities and Nazi hunters, he finally died in 1979 - evading capture, trial, and human justice. This was an amazing story well-told.

[Martin Krajč · Rating 4 out of 5]

Aj keď Mengele patrí k tým vojnovým zločincom, ktorí sa nikdy nepostavili pred súd, istým spôsobom potrestaný bol, keďže sa skoro polovicu svojho života musel schovávať a obzerať či ho nenašli. Dôsledne napísaná kniha, ktorá čerpá z veľa zdrojov a rozhovorov, a ako hovorí názov ponúka úplný príbeh tohto bezcitného ,,človeka".

[Mika Auramo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Posnerin ja Waren alun perin 1986 kirjoittama ja vuonna 2000 uudistettu painos käännettiin viimein suomeksi 2017. Aiheena on Auschwitzin ”kuolemanenkeliksi” tituleerattu natsiupseeri ja lääketieteen tohtori Josef Mengele, ja teoksen alaotsikko on elämä ja teot.

Kirja oli sikäli pettymys, että varsinainen elämäkerta teos ei ole, vaikka Mengelen kirjeenvaihtoa ja runsaslukuista lähdeaineistoa onkin käytetty. Silti se muistuttaa enemmänkin lukuisiin lähteisiin perustuvaa kertomusta mystisestä saksalaissiirtolaisesta. Nuoruusvuosista on aika vähän informaatiota, eikä keskitysleiriajasta saada kuin yhdessä luvussa ja muutaman uhrin näkökulmaa. Mielenkiintoista on myös huomata, miten kirjoittajat esittelevät Ausschwitzin krematoriot, kaasukammiot ja tuhoamissuunnitelmat. Yhtään kirjallista dokumenttia ei tekijöillä ole esittää, ja syynä on jälleen, että jokainen niihin liittyvä dokumentti on hävitetty. Myös Nürnbergin oikeudenkäyntejä pidetään lähinnä poliittisina ja ihmetellään, miksi tuomittuja oli niin vähän, ja sama koski tuomittuja lääkäreitä. Interpolin haluttomuuteen jahdata natsikollisia syyksi löydetään ideologia, sillä olihan sota-aikana Reinhard Heydrich Interpolin presidentti, ja muuan Dickkopf (entinen natsiupseeri) sen johdossa 1960–1970-luvulla.

Kirjassa todetaan, että Mengele oli filosofian ja lääketieteen tohtori, jälkimmäisen väitöskirjan aiheena oli ”Rotumorfologinen tutkimus neljän roturyhmän alaleuasta”. Hänellä oli haaveena professorin virka ja akateeminen ura, ja pakkasipa vielä kaikki tutkimustuloksensa paettuaan puna-armeijan tieltä. Akateemista uraa ei tullut vaan pakolaisuus Etelä-Amerikkaan, ja 1959 lääkärinoikeudet ja väitöskirja mitätöitiin.

Suurin osa kirjasta keskittyy Etelä-Amerikan vuosiin, vaikka ennen sitä muutamassa luvussa kerrotaan piileskelystä Etelä-Saksassa. Silti vuonna 1949 pako näytti ainoalta vaihtoehdolta mahdollisen hirttotuomion välttämiseksi, ja vaiheikkaiden käänteiden jälkeen matka Argentiinaan toteutuikin.

Kerronta rönsyilee varsin paljon, ja sen aikaista Paraguayta ja Argentiinaa (Perón) kolmannen valtakunnan pakolaisten turvapaikkana kuvataan aika laajasti. Onpa mukaan päässeet Abwehrin sodanjälkeinen toiminta ja verkostot ja sukellusveneiden arvokuljetukset. Klaus Barbie, Adolf Eichmann, Martin Borman, Hans-Ulrich Rudel ja monet muutkin mainitaan toistuvasti. Myös Mossadin Eichmann-kaappaus ja Mengelen jäljitys saa ison huomion. Simon Wiesenthalin organisaatiokaan ei juuri myönteisiä äänenpainoja saa.

Tekijöillä on kova yritys vakuuttaa, että Mengele eli kuin vankilassa, kun hän asui vieraalla mantereella, perusti perheen, harjoitti yritystoimintaa, osasi niin espanjan kuin portugalin kielen ja harjoitti kiinteistöbisneksiä ja oli säännöllisesti yhteydessä sukulaisiinsa Gürzburgiin Baijeriin.

Kirjan mukaan ainakin neljäkymmentä ihmistä tiesi, kuka salanimellä lopulta Brasilian São Paulon liepeillä asusteleva saksalainen oli oikealta nimeltään. Varsinkin Brasilian-vuosissa on turhaa tilkettä enemmän kuin tarpeeksi, ja paljon lienee kuulopuheisiin perustuvaa mielikuvitusta, kuten naispalvelusväen kanssa makaaminen, liikekumppanin hakkailu ja myöhemmin kotiavustan kanssa yhteiset avioliittohaaveet. Pikkutarkasti on kirjattu myös 24 tuumaisen Telefunken-televison hankinta. Ohjelmat eivät miellyttäneet, sen sijaan voiton veivät klassinen musiikki ja saksalaiset kirjallisuusklassikot.

Tehtiinpä vielä Mengelen kuolinvuonna 1979 Gregory Peckin tähdittämä elokuva Brasilian pojat, jonka aiheena oli Mengele-myytti ja miehen elämä Etelä-Amerikassa. Lukemani teos ja joskus katsomani leffa ovat kuin toistensa ääripäät. Kirjan mukaan mitään loistokkuutta pakolaisuudessa ei ollut eikä myöskään mitään henkivartijoita eikä myöskään matkustelua eri puolilla maailmaa vaan oikeudenkäynnin ja tuomion pakoilua slummeissa ja maatiloilla. Mengele itse ja hänen sukulaisensa (omaa poikaa lukuun ottamatta) pitivät loppuun saakka mieheen kohdistuneita syytöksiä liioiteltuna propagandana.

[Jenny Kangasvuo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Puuduttavan yksityiskohtainen kertomus Josef Mengelen elämänmittaisesta pakoilusta ja häntä jahdanneista Mossadin agenteista, Simon Wiesenthalista ja muista julkkisnatsinmetsästäjistä, saksalaisista toimittajista - ja häntä suojelleista sukulaisista, perhetutuista, vakaumuksellisista natseista ja muuten lojaaleista ystävistä.

Kirjoitustyyli on kuivakkaa ja etäännyttävää, journalistista, mikä tavallaan on hyvä asia, tavallaan huono. Kirjassa dissaillaan julkkisnatsinmetsästäjiä, mutta samalla kirjoittajat itse eivät kerro omista motiiveistaan ja omasta työstään mitään. Kunnollinen esipuhe tai loppupuhe, jossa kirjan kirjoitusprosessissa olisi kerrottu tarkemmin, olisi ollut tarpeen. Mengelen kuolema paljastui 1985 ja kirjan ensijulkaisuvuosi on 1986. Vuoden verran tuntuu hyvin lyhyeltä ajalta käydä läpi Mengelen kirjallista jäämistöä. Joka tapauksessa kirjassa käytetty aineisto vaikuttaa uskottavalta.

Itse Auschwitzin hirmuteoista on kirjassa vain luvun verran - mikä on hyvä asia. Opettavaisinta onkin nimenomaan se, kuinka lyhyen aikaa Mengele lopulta Auschwitzissa toimi, mutta kuinka tämän puolentoista vuoden teot määrittivät Auschwitzin uhrien elämää ja kuolemaa, myös sitä mielikuvaa, mitä meillä natsihallinnon pyrkimyksistä ja ihanteista tällä hetkellä on. Mengele ei ollut yksittäinen hullu tohtori, vaan osa hyvin rasvattua kansallissosialistista koneistoa, jossa rotututkimuksella itsessään oli suurempi merkitys kuin tutkimusaineistona käytettyjen ihmisten elämällä.

Kirjoittajilla on ollut käytössään Mengelen kirjeenvaihtoa, päiväkirjamerkintöjä ja tämän itsestään kirjoittama Fiat Lux (sic) -nimellä otsikoitu elämäkerta. Niiden perusteella Mengele koki, että häntä kohdeltiin epäoikeudenmukaisesti, kun hän joutui olemaan pakosalla rakkaasta Saksastaan. Hänhän oli tavattoman älykäs tiedemies, joka halusi pelkästään ihmiskunnan parasta! Kirjan perusteella Mengele suhtautui vähätellen ja yliolkaisesti häntä auttaneisiin ihmisiin Brasiliassa, koska hehän eivät olleet yhtä älykkäitä ja sivistyneitä kuin hän. Poikaansa hän moitti kirjeissään, kun tämä opiskeli asianajajaksi eikä tavoitellut tohtorin arvonimeä tieteellisen tutkimuksen kautta.

Suurimman osan elämästään Mengele eli Argentiinassa, Paraguayssa ja Brasiliassa siellä täällä maatiloilla ja pikkukaupungeissa peläten jatkuvasti kiinni joutumista. Läheisiä ihmisiä hänellä ei ollut - sukulaisten mielestä hän vaikutti olevan ensisijaisesti mainehaitta maatalouskoneita valmistavan Mengele&Söhne-tehtaalle, lojaaleille ystävilleen hän oli hankala ja riitaisa riippakivi, pojalleen määräilevä ja syyllisyyttä aiheuttava etäinen isähahmo.

Mengele vaikuttaa olleen omasta erinomaisuudestaan varma ihminen, mutta samalla syvästi onneton. Loppua kohden ukkoa kävi sääliksi, ja oikeastaan yksinäiset 30 vuotta elinkautista Saksassa ja Etelä-Amerikassa pakoillen on paljon pahempi rangaistus kuin nopea hirttotuomio, jonka Adolf Eichmann sai.

Kirja ei ole mikään nopealukuinen historiapalanen. Vaatii keskittymistä pysytellä perässä, kenestä Mengelen auttajasta, natsinmetsästäjästä tai satunnaisesta huijarista milloinkin puhutaan. Joka tapauksessa yhden miehen elämän kautta oppi paljon toisesta maailmansodasta, 1950-70-lukujen poliittisista suhteista Etelä-Amerikan valtioiden, Länsi-Saksan ja Israelin välillä, saksalaissiirtolaisuudesta ja kansallissosialismista aatteena yleensä. Huhhuh.

[Pekka Mukkala · Rating 4 out of 5]

Allekirjoittanut luki Gerald L. Posnerin ja John Waren kirjan Josef Mengele Elämä ja teot, joka kertoo Auschwitchin pahamaineisen lääkärin elämän ja pakomatkan Etelä-Amerikassa. Mengele onnistui pysymään piilossa yli 30-vuotta varakkaan yrittäjäperheensä ja vanhojen natsien avulla. Tarinaa lukiessa tulee erittäin surulliseksi, koska se kertoo hyvin kuinka helposti entiset natsit pääsivät pakenemaan kansainvälistä sotarikosoikeutta. Etenkin Länsi-Saksan oikeusviranomaisten lepsu suhtautuminen Mengelen saattamiseen oikeuden eteen pistää lukijan vihaiseksi. KAK törmäsi myös sattumalta internetissä Magneettimedian vuonna 2015 tekemään artikkeleihin, jossa pyrittiin kumoamaan holokausti ja Mengelen tekemät rikokset. KAK päätti edelleen jatkaa Kärkkäisten tavarataloketjuun kohdistuvaa boikottia. Kirja on hieman rosoinen ja se on kirjoitettu jo 1980-luvulla, mikä hieman syö lukunautintoa. Kirja on luettavissa Helsingin Sanomien digitilauksen yhteydessä kuukauden ajan esim. tabletilla. Pisteet 8/10.

[Xanthi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was expecting this to be a biography, and although it is in a way, it concentrates more on Mengele's life in hiding in South America. His background and his wartime atrocities at Auschwitz are covered, though fairly briefly compared to the rest of the book. The rest of the book goes into great detail about his movements after WW2, his life in South America, who harboured him and how, and his death and the aftermath of that. There is also much on Nazi hunters and their efforts, disinformation, leads, dead ends, goose chases, and also his family's actions, financial support and attitudes while he was in hiding. It was a great shame that he was never brought to justice thanks to political, financial, and other constraints of those who did or should have hunted him down. Yet, there is some small consolation to know that he lived a paranoid life, mostly devoid of friends and family, and stripped of his position and power. It was no surprise that he had no remorse and clung onto his racist beliefs. The world moved on without him.
A truly interesting read.

[Laurence · Rating 5 out of 5]

Small wonder that such a character has drawn the imagination of both fiction and non fiction audiences over the last 70 odd years.

Although this is the only book I've read on the man, I'd consider it definitive. Thorough and well written, the macro and micro are well covered. The benefit of reading it so long after the fact is that the whole story is here, the great mystery of 30 years of hiding resolved.
Absolutely incredible that even if the imagined network didn't fully exist, that so many people were complicit and kept quiet allowing his post war survival.

Recently I saw a movie called Wakolda (The German Doctor), it covers a fictional episode of Mengele's existence in a remote Argentinian village - which neatly fits into his real life. There is a scene where he invests in a doll makers business which I am surprised to see has some echoes in reality (Mengele actually invested in a toy company while in hiding). The use of the Aryan dolls to echo his racial purity views is subtly effective. I do plan to read the Wakolda book at some stage.

[Relstuart · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting reading about how Mengele escaped the justice process despite some efforts made to find him after he had been years in hiding. Interesting how many rumors about powerful people and organizations protected him and how when he was finally discovered those rumors were silly and unfounded... which should give people pause about some of the stories about other people escaping to South America and hiding.

Mengele escaped the justice process and died unrepentant feeling he had done his duty helping the evolutionary natural selection process in favor of his race. But he lost his family and lived a lonely scared life in hiding. Not enough punishment for his crimes but it's something.

[Jade · Rating 3 out of 5]

The title doesn't lie when it says the complete story. Having listened to this one as an audiobook I had license to drift in and out of it which I do a lot with this sort of genre, and there was a maaasssive wealth of exploration of Mengele's time hiding out in South America. I will give the authors credit; they've really done their research. But it was just so heavy on that time period post-Auschwitz with potential details that could have been edited down without losing the thread of the narrative that I don't know if I'd have been able to focus or even finish this if I'd read the physical book.

[Mikey James · Rating 4 out of 5]

The most in-depth book I've read about Mengele. With so much information, it got a little overwhelming at times. This book doesn't give you the nitty gritty about what happened in the concentration camps, but focuses more on what his life was like on the run. A brilliant book if you're interested in WW2

[Edwina Book Anaconda · Rating 2 out of 5]

A very tedious book to get through.
Very educational but the writing style was so dry that it was hard to stay awake and keep focused on it.

[Fernando Paladini · Rating 4 out of 5]

Uma história completa da caçada ao nazista mais procurado de todos os tempos. O livro não é propriamente uma biografia da figura execrável do Josef Mengele, focando principalmente nos seus experimentos de Auschwitz e mais ainda nas caçadas e no pós-2ª Guerra Mundial.

Em diversos aspectos, é uma história pesada e o foco no meio pro final da vida do Anjo da Morte de Auschwitz (que era um médico, cuja atuação no campo "definia" quem iria morrer e quem não iria), acaba sendo uma boa forma de entender os pensamentos de Mengele quando cometeu tantas atrocidades.

Disfarçado de um viés científico, aparentemente Josef Mengele nunca se arrependeu dos seus pensamentos e embora não tenha sido alcançado por uma justiça dos homens (e eu julgo que dificilmente uma justiça divina, pois não creio na sua existência), agora sei que em vários aspectos ele viveu uma vida de fugitivo miserável durante boa parte da sua vida, com muita solidão e depressão.

Diante de dezenas de cortinas de fumaça midiáticas promovidas pela "figura mitológica" do fugitivo incansável, Mengele acabou morrendo miserável e sozinho, afogado numa praia de Bertioga no estado de São Paulo, sem o respeito do próprio filho biológico e amargurado em pensamentos da decadência da Alemanha nazista e do mundo que ele acreditava embasado em suas pseudo-ciências biológicas.

Um retrato um tanto quanto preciso da vida e pensamento desse que talvez tenha sido um dos seres humanos mais cruéis que já passaram pelo nosso planeta.

[Grecia Ochoa · Rating 4 out of 5]

“La vida, la época y la muerte de Josef Mengele fueron miserables, desde el principio hasta el final. Y qué final más ignominioso”.

La historia no perdona, y tampoco debería de hacerlo.

[Coral · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can't say this is the most compelling piece of nonfiction I've ever read, it was pretty dry. Even so, it was interesting. I've learned a lot about WWII over the years, but this had information new to me, and I really liked that the focus wasn't necessarily on what Mengele did during his time at Auschwitz, but what he did after fleeing Europe. I'm very glad to learn that even though he spent the remainder of his life as a free man, he had a pretty miserable life. A miserable life for a horribly miserable man.

[Johanna Kalja · Rating 4 out of 5]

Aika trilleri. Kirja keskittyy pääosin Mengelen Etelä-Amerikan vuosiin ja pakoiluun. Miten ihmeessä Kuoleman enkeli ei jäänyt kiinni?

[Victoria Hercolini · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wish I could give half stars and make this a 2.5 rating. I thought it had a lot of well researched information but it was presented in a manner that made it hard to follow. The conversations were confusing to listen to and there were so many names that it was hard to keep track. I also didn't like that there was one little chapter on his life in Auschwitz and the crimes he committed there. The bulk of the story was about him living in South America, which is also interesting but not what I was interested in learning about.
This man was a monster and the book could have done a better job with portraying that.

[Jyrki Parviainen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mengelen elämää on vaikeaa olla käsittelemättä tunnepitoisesti, mutta tämä kirja onnistuu siinä. Lähtökohta on hyvin tutkimuksellinen. Lähdeviittaukset tukevat luotettavuutta, vaikkakin tekevät lukemisesta raskaampaa.

Mielenkiintoisin ja vähiten tunnettu osuus Mengelen elämässä on sodan jälkeinen aika. Kirja keskittyy voimakkaasti siihen. Ongelmana on ollut luotettavan tiedon puute. Mengele piti pitkiä aikoja päiväkirjaa, joka helpotti urakkaa. Pääosin hänen elämänsä oli kurjaa Argentiinassa, Paraguayssa ja Brasiliassa. Fiktiiviset elokuvat, kuten "Brasilian pojat", antavat väärän käsityksen. Mengele oli pelokas karkuri, jonka vaikea luonne piti ystävien määrän minimaalisena.

Pidin kirjan asiapitoisesta lähestymistavasta. Natsin metsästyksen kansainvälinen tausta selvitettiin perinpohjaisesti. Ongelmana oli ns. turhan tiedon määrä. Myös kuvitteelliset ja valheelliset "ilmiannot" Mengelen olinpaikasta käytiin kirjassa läpi yksityiskohtaisesti, mikä ei ole järin kiinnostavaa. Hänen perheensä tuki selvitettiin hyvin, samoin Länsi-Saksan, Yhdysvaltojen ja osittain Israelinkin kaksinaamainen suhtautuminen hänen metsästykseensä.

Kaikkiaan lukukokemus on jossain määrin puuduttava, mutta tyydyttävä. Moni asia oli tehty kirjassa oikein ja perusteellisesti, mutta liiallinen yksityiskohtiin pureutuminen ei aina toimi. Silti suosittelen kirjaa kaikille vakavasti otettavana historiallisena teoksena. Se vastaa kysymykseen kuinka on mahdollista, että Mengelen kaltainen sairas ihminen eli elämänsä surkeaan loppuun jäämättä kiinni.

[Savannah Renken · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mengele: The Complete Story is a fascinating biography of Mengele's life on the run and the multiple efforts to arrest him.
The author's purpose of writing this book was to inform. This book was a well-researched study. The authors provided the most complete portrait of Josef Mengele that I have ever read.
The theme of Mengele: The Complete Story was never blankly stated. From my standpoint I believe it was for us to be thankful for our lives and realize how truly lucky we are, that we were not Jews during the time of the Holocaust.
The style the book was written was in narration. It was told by telling the story of Josef Mengle and the series of events that he partook.
I really enjoyed Mengele: The Complete Story. The only thing I didn't like was that it was mostly about finding him and not exactly about the experiments he did to his selection of Jews. I've never read anything like this book before so it was very interesting. I would recommend this biography to anyone who enjoys an exciting book about the Holocaust.

[Joyce · Rating 4 out of 5]

The complaint I have read in other reviews of this book was that there was only one chapter devoted to his time in Auschwitz. However, I found that one chapter very horrific and detailed and difficult to get through. Most of the book focuses on his life as a fugitive and the years of hunting for him. It was shocking how many times he was almost discovered. I must agree though that it is no consolation that he was lonely and miserable most of his time in South America. I would definitely recommend this book if you are into this genre.

[Dario Andrade · Rating 4 out of 5]

A edição original do livro é de 1986, um ano depois que se tornou pública a morte de Mengele. Talvez por isso, a maior parte da obra seja dedicada à vida do médico após Auschwitz e a sua rotina de fuga que terminou quando ele se afogou em Bertioga, no litoral brasileiro. Na verdade, a maior parte de sua vida como fugitivo foi bastante abjeta e deprimente. Ao contrário da mitologia criada nos anos 1960 e 1970, vivia escondido, sem muitos recursos além dos enviados pela família, isolado e em permanente estado de medo. De algum modo, esse estado de terror permanente em que viveu, magnificado após a captura de Eichmann, em 1960, foi uma espécie de punição. É claro que não foi aquela que ele merecia.
Há muitas coisas interessantes no livro e que chamam a atenção. A primeira delas é lembrar o quão jovem ele era quando cometeu centenas de crimes contra a humanidade. Chegou em Auschwitz com 32 anos e saiu de lá dois anos depois. Vários de seus colegas também o eram. O seu chefe, o médico-geral do campo de concentração, Eduard Wirths, ao se suicidar – quando esperava ser julgado por crimes de guerra – era só um pouco mais velho. Tinha 36 anos.
Também impressiona que alguns de seus colegas médicos acabaram se safando. Foi o caso de seu mentor, que não chegou a trabalhar nos campos, mas que, antes de ser capturado pelos americanos, queimou centenas de quilos de documentos incriminadores.
Além disso, muito do fato de não ter sido capturado se deu em razão de acaso ou mesmo de incompetência de seus perseguidores. Chegou a ser preso e ficou alguns meses em campos de prisioneiros. Não despertou muita atenção porque era vaidoso e não deixou que lhe tatuassem no braço o grupo sanguíneo, como era a praxe da SS.
Por outro lado, vários de seus colegas médicos foram tão sanguinários quanto ele. Ele assassinou gente com as próprias mãos. O capítulo sobre Auschwitz, mesmo que não seja extenso, é de revirar o estômago.
Sua notoriedade, em parte ao menos, se deu em razão de sua personalidade vaidosa e ambiciosa. Insistia em participar das seleções de prisioneiros mesmo fora do seu turno e o fazia sóbrio.
Outro motivo que não levou a sua captura foi que a então Alemanha Ocidental foi bastante leniente em julgar crimes de guerra. Segundo o livro, 70% julgados pelo país foram iniciados ainda durante a ocupação americana. O interesse, principalmente dos americanos por ele, se intensificou só nos anos 1980, quando ele já estava morto. Mesmo os israelenses dedicaram menos atenção à sua captura do que se imagina. Havia muitas demandas para os serviços secretos do país e recursos limitados para investigação.
Outro fato interessante é que havia um número razoavelmente grande de pessoas que sabia da sua localização. Entre familiares e pessoas próximas, os autores contabilizam umas 40 pessoas que sabiam onde ele se encontrava. Fiquei impressionado com a quantidade de pessoas que mantiveram o segredo. Além disso, essas pessoas, gente comum da sua pequena cidade, acreditavam que as histórias a respeito de Auschwitz eram invenção dos americanos. Em tempos de fake news, isso talvez não soe nada absurdo.
Mesmo que a maior parte do livro seja dedicado à vida dele pós-1945, ainda assim há muita informação relevante no livro. Faltou, talvez até pelo momento em que foi escrito, mais informações a respeito da formação dele e da sua jornada rumo ao abismo.

[Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

The horrific deeds of Joseph Mengele, Angel of Death in Auschwitz, are well known. I read this book really more as a story of escape, of assuming a different identity and disappearing off the grid, because Mengele escaped detection/detention for about 35 years. From the day until he left Auschwitz, in the winter of 1944, until his death by drowning in 1979, he had really spent little time in captivity, and that mainly in the immediate aftermath of the war. After a couple of years working on a farm in Germany, he managed to book a passage to Buenos Aires. Subsequently he lived in Paraguay and in Brazil, under a series of assumed names (borrowed, stolen or invented). Somehow he managed to find powerful friends/protectors in South America, usually emigrated Nazis or homegrown fascists with nostalgia for the Third Reich. And, incredibly, through these decades he stayed in touch with his family back in Germany, not just by letter, but by visits of his family's trusted go-between, his second wife, and eventually, his estranged son.

There is no way that an escaped SS officer could ever be described as sympathetic. But Mengele comes across as unrelentingly arrogant, superior, convinced of his own infallibility etc. This man was not only evil, he was insufferable as well! During his years in South America, he spent several years with various hosts, all of whom seemed happy to have him move on and be rid of his condescending lectures. And yet - and this is the most incomprehensible part of it all - there was always some unrepentant Nazi sympathizer to procure for him another name, another home, another job. I had never before appreciated just how efficient and extensive the Nazi networks in South America were, and continued to be, for decades after WWII.

The search for Mengele is also one of the topics of the book. And what I liked is that although hindsight is 20/20, missed opportunities for catching Mengele are described soberly, but without too much blaming. Yes, Mengele was in American captivity for a while in the chaotic aftermath of WWII and released. Yes, various officials failed to see (or were bribed to ignore?) alterations on his papers or irregularities with his application for Paraguayan citizenship. Yes, the extradition demand from Germany proceeded at a glacial pace. And yes, experienced Nazi hunters like Simon Wiesenthal and the Klarsfelds kept on dashing off after false traces, usually provided by unreliable informants. And all this time Mengele was living his life - first in the cosmopolitan city of Buenos Aires, but then in an isolated farms in Paraguay and Brazil. There were undoubtedly many missed opportunities to apprehend him - but I think that most of these were the result of confusion, bureaucratic infighting, or simply different priorities.

The book is meticulously researched and much of it makes good sense. I think a timeline, with the various aliases and addresses that Mengele used, might have been helpful. Either way, I was fascinated and read the book in a single weekend.

[Shadira · Rating 5 out of 5]

The fullest account yet published.... Posner and Ware examine the efforts to bring the doctor to trial, separate fact from legend, account for the false trails that enticed Israeli agents and self-appointed Nazi hunters, and explain why he was never caught. ... Mengele is filled with startling touches. The book is an exciting chronicle of escape, evasion, and close calls.

He had earned his infamous nickname, the Angel of Death, for his brutally efficient “selections” among incoming prisoners at Auschwitz, routinely sending the vast majority to immediate death in the gas chambers and singling out a small minority to live for at least a bit longer as slave laborers who could be discarded at whim. His chief whim was his passion for human torture — conducted, or rationalized, as genetic and medical experimentation designed to further the Nazi cause of racial purity.

He did so with what some would call the zeal of a mad scientist or others would describe more clinically as pathological amorality, by systematically seeking out twins, pregnant women, blue-eyed individuals and those with any sort of physical abnormality to be used as human laboratory specimens, and subjecting them to all manner of “injecting, measuring, bleeding; cutting, killing, performing autopsies


Mengele was sane and easily grasped the reality that people and institutions adhering to the values of Western Civilization would severely take him to task if they ever got their hands on him. Often those who primarily advocate a therapeutic way of looking at the world prefer to believe that someone who commits the horrifying crimes of a Josef Mengele are mentally unbalanced. How does someone torture and murder children and not even require copious amounts of alcohol and drugs to get through the day? The vast majority of us, thankfully, would not inflict such cruel suffering on animals much less our fellow human beings. Yet, other than Mengele's proclivity of losing his temper at any given moment, the man would have probably pass a series of tests dealing with his sanity with flying colors. Many people, especially Mengele's own family, protected him. The only thing one can say in their defense is that they perhaps deluded themselves into believing that someone so dear could not actually commit such horrifying deeds. Mengele, the convinced Nazi, evaded justice on this side of the grave. The only real price he paid during his last years was that of extreme loneliness and severely restricted finances. "Mengele: The Complete Story" reads like a fictional thriller. The book, needless to add, is not escapist entertainment. It may, however, be a moral obligation to read in order to more completely understand how such monstrous incidents occurred in the not so distant past. We might even learn how to limit such crimes against humanity in our own century.