Oradour-The Final Verdict: Worst Nazi War Crime in France, the Controversial Trial and Recent Discoveries

My wife and I toured Oradour recently and though the museum that helped explain things was nice: it pointed out some problems which were not answered and a few facts I had no idea about (being an American and not French that could explain some of it?) And that point was the re-integration of Lorraine and Alsace into France after being forcibly annexed by Nazi Germany in 1940. The thousands of Frenchmen who were conscripted into the German armies and workforce. More than half of the soldiers at the massacre in Oradour were from Alsace. The first section of the book goes into the massacre and the events both leading up to it and after when the Das Reich division was chewed up in Normandy. The second part goes into the long trail nine years later where some of the survivors of the SS division were on trail and the court heard the testimony from the survivors of the massacre.It was a nice addition to help explain some of the finer points of June 10th, 1944 and how a sleepy French village was singled out to be destroyed by the SS.

This book involves an atrocity at a small village in France during World War II. I admit that I ordered it because I knew the author and wanted to honor him by purchasing his book. I didn't know anything about the facts, and had never heard of the place at which the atrocity happened. And this did happen a long time ago, after all.Well, I got the book, I started reading it, and I couldn't put the thing down! It is riveting, especially the vivid descriptions of what happened in the village, the witnesses, the survivors, the perpetrators. In addition, there are serious moral questions asked about the guilt or innocence of the French perpetrators who had been pressed into service. Finally, there is tremendously patient and thorough scholarship evidenced by the review and distillation of the record and an orderly presentation of the trial of certain individuals alleged to have been involved in the atrocity.There is something valuable in this book for every person who would take the step in faith to purchase this compelling work.

I was familiar with this story. The book filled in some of the blank spots. I really enjoyed the account.

a very emotional read with all the happenings

The depth of research and investigation is impressive but it's not a well written book in terms of structure and language. There is regular repetition which can be annoying and makes the book at times hard to read. Nonetheless, I read this ahead of a visit to Oradour and it really helped contextualize what I was to experience.

I read this as well researched and empathique. The author's US distance with strong local links maybe casts light. The role of the Red Maquis and the US/ Guallist role in subverting the post war election result is, I should argue, underplayed. I have jjust returned from Oradour and this book was excellent prperation. The first cafe on the left in new Oradour is very good by the way and owned by a cheeky black man from Malmo.

The out come of the trial was very disappointing

Hard reading emotionally, the horrors of mans inhumanity to man is beyond belief. To think that no one stood trial for this atrocity is unjust.

Extremely moving account that brought back memories of my visit to Oradour over ten years ago. Interesting to note murder suspects have only to fade into the background long enough to potentially be deemed as unfit for prosecution. Let's hope the man that guards the entrance to heaven is not so forgiving.