The Nazi Hunters by Neal Bascomb

Pages: 215
Intended Audience: Teens
Genre: Non-Fiction / Holocaust
Notes for Parents: There is information about the Holocaust, but nothing graphic.

The Back Cover

THE NAZI
He commanded a network that stretched across Europe, targeting and delivering millions of people to the death camps. He followed every order, and he was very good at his job. But when the war ended, he disappeared without a trace. Would Adolf Eichmann ever face justice for his crimes?
THE HUNTERS
A teenage girl. Her blind father. A secret agent. A lawyer. A man who dedicated his life to tracking Nazis. A carefully chosen team of expert spies.
Several had survived the camps. Nearly all of them lost family there. And in work spanning fifteen years, they found Eichmann on the other side of the globe.
THE MISSION
The goal was clear: Capture Eichmann and bring him to trial before the world.

What the cover doesn’t tell you:

The book is illustrated throughout with photographs, maps, and reproductions of documents.

What’s good?

Anticipation is intense in this exhilarating real-life spy thriller. The infamous Nazi Adolph Eichmann fled Germany to live out his days in Argentina, and it’s fascinating to discover how his whereabouts were discovered and how the plot to apprehend him unfolded. The risk is palpable as the story depicts the meticulous plan that was laid out to first confirm Eichmann’s identity, then capture and smuggle him out of the country. Several photographs give faces to the many names associated with the mission, and also include pictures of places and documents important to the cause. The adventure was well-researched and reads like a spy novel, with copious details, lots of tension, and plenty of danger.
Best Part: This is a true story!

What isn’t good?

I can understand why some might find the story boring. There are lots of facts, names, places, planning, and waiting described in the story, with only small bursts of action and sustained moments of tension that often pass without incident. There is no in-depth character development and no real exploration of the history or effects of the Holocaust.
Worst part: Even by the end, I couldn’t keep the names straight.

Recommendation þþþoo

I found it captivating that years after the end of World War II, there was still a group of people—some Holocaust survivors, some government agents—who were determined to bring the worst of the Nazis to justice. While some of the details get a little dry and I never managed to keep everyone’s names straight, I was never tempted to stop reading. Recommended for anyone who likes covert ops, spy thrillers, and seeing justice served.

Bascomb, Neal. The Nazi Hunters: How a team of spies and survivors captured the world’s most notorious Nazi. New York: Arthur A. Levine Books, 2013. (Hardcover)