Member Reviews
Somewhat insightful account into the role of Swiss Banks and Nazi Germany in World War 2.
Starts reasonably well, but does get a bit a dry and repetitive. Worth a read for the insight, but maybe skip some of less interesting sections.
This is an important – and often shocking – book and one that needed to be written. It’s a great piece of investigative journalism and the author is to be congratulated on his thorough and painstaking research. That said, at times I found the exhaustive detail somewhat exhausting and the style pedestrian when it wasn’t being overblown and outraged. Yes, the subject does indeed lead to outrage but a calmer, more objective tone would have been more appropriate. It’s repetitive, especially in the later part of the book, and too long. And most of all I found the novelistic touches irritating and unnecessary. “O took the stage, narrowing his eyes and hunching his shoulders”. Did he? How do we know? And how do we know if someone “screeched” rather than just stated? I can see that the aim is to give immediacy to the narrative but when the intention is primarily to give the facts I could have done without such embellishments. That said, I learnt a lot from the book and found it illuminating and informative.
(Posted March 23 on Amazon and Goodreads)
This was a fairly intense book, for several reasons. First, the subject was the long battle for access to the contents of Swiss bank accounts belonging to European Jews who had died during the Nazi period, a topic which in addition to the horror of the Holocaust, includes families broken apart and having to start from scratch after the war. Second, it's a detailed account of the many exacting and often infuriating negotiations between the Swiss bankers and Swiss government, and the American government and representatives of claimants to the accounts. And finally, the author, Tom Bower, tells the story with passion and dos not hide his contempt for the actions of the Swiss bankers and other Swiss collaborators.
For all the lip service the Swiss paid to being neutral, they were anything but. They were being pressured by both the Nazis and the Allies to cooperate in various ways, but early on, the Swiss mostly decided their sympathies and interests were with the Nazis. This seemed to last well after the war was over. Nazi Gold is not an easy book to read, but it's important and well documented.
(Thanks to NetGalley and Open Road Media for a digital review copy. )
A meticulously researched and written expose! Highly recommend this book to all, a must read.
Being of German heritage, I'm always interested in books delving into WWII historical fact, especially those that touch on aspects not generally covered by the multitude of other books occupying this particular niche. This story explores the relationship between the Third Reich and the Swiss banking industry, and even for a jaded WWII junkie like me, there were some interesting new facts / perspectives I'd not considered before. If you're an enthusiastic student of history, add this fact-filled tome to your collection.
This wasn't a bad read, it wasn't a great read either! It highlighted an area of history that I didn't know anything about! It did however at points become like a sermon, when it should be more evenly balanced! You can have moral outrage at the Swiss but equally if you're unable to keep you're feelings separate, then this area of history is not for you!
Review NAZI GOLD by Tom Bower
The depredations of the Third Reich did not really end with the Allied victory in 1945. In science, in politics, and in fraud, surviving Nazis continued to wreak havoc in the name of greed and ideology. Top UK investigative journalist Tom Bower has researched the ongoing Nazi defrauding of Jews and other ethnicities for art, gold, and other valuables. Here he presents “the real story,” vividly and clearly. Readers will be shocked to discover the facts about “NAZI GOLD” in this book, “The Full Story of the Fifty-Year Swiss-Nazi Conspiracy to Steal Billions from Europe's Jews and Holocaust Survivors.”The Full Story of the Fifty-Year Swiss-Nazi Conspiracy to Steal Billions from Europe's Jews and Holocaust Survivors
The Full Story of the Fifty-Year Swiss-Nazi Conspiracy to Steal Billions from Europe's Jews and Holocaust Survivors
The Full Story of the Fifty-Year Swiss-Nazi Conspiracy to Steal Billions from Europe's Jews and Holocaust Survivors
This book was first published in 1997 and republished as an Ebook by Open Road Media in March 2017. I received an invitation by the publisher to read and review this book via NetGalleys.
Tom Bower, a British journalist, chronicles the 50 years of greed between the Third Reich and the government of Switzerland and the Swiss banking industry. Millions of dollars, gold pilfered from occupied country including gold teeth extracted from the mouth of those murdered were hidden away in Swiss bank accounts. The crimes didn’t end with the end of the war. The Swiss authorities hid the wealth from the rightful owners for the next half a century. Finally when a class action was launched by the Wold Jewish Congress against the Swiss banks a settlement was reached and millions of dollars were released in the late 90’s.”Nazi Gold” tells how it took a huge amount of time and patience to reach a fair conclusion.
Mr. Bower not doubt has put his heart into writing an account in great details. It seemed well-researched with first rate sources to back his statements. I was quite interested for part of the book but after a while the narration became too technical, highly colourful and particularly overwhelming. I found to presentation to be done in a journalistic manner: rather cold and in a sharp tone. Mid way, I thought things were going in circle and I lost interest, the writing was somewhat repetitious so I kept skipping parts to see the outcome in this grizzle chapter of history. Even if I was not totally captivated by this book it nevertheless gave me a better appreciation of the Swiss government involvement with Germany and the perfidies of the Swiss banking system.
These are not so much short stories about but character sketches, almost as if Rowling was showing her character sheets for Umbridge and Slughorn among others. The highlights are also a list of the Minsters of Magic, which includes some funny tidbits. If you are a Harry Potter fan, these are worth a read and nicely add to the universe.