Eichmann in Jerusalem: A Report on the Banality of Evil MP3 CD – Unabridged, 28 Mar. 2011

I first read this book over 30 years ago and found it heavy going even then. But a book discussing the Eichmann trial, with all it's complexities, was never going to be a light read. Unlike other reviewers I did not view Arendt as a "self hating Jew", but an incisive thinker who was not afraid to weigh up the evidence (all from public record) and openly and honestly discuss them in this book. That's not to say that I agreed with everything she stated, but she certainly made me think about the notions of guilt and innocence and personal, as apposed to state, responsibilty.If you want a book that only describes the monstrous deeds of the Holocaust, as well as Eichmann's role in it, this is not the book for you. Arendt discusses not just Eichmann's role, but the role other people and organisations had in this "catastrophe". A discussion some people, even to this day, find unpalatable.I am glad that I have read this book again, as with age (and I hope maturity), I got much more from it than I did all those years ago. In the political climate of 2021 there are parallels with 1920's and 1930's Europe and the rise of populist politicians who don't allow the facts to 'get in the way of a good story'. Let's hope the lessons learned all those years ago are not forgotten and history does not repeat itself!

Arendt's perceptive take on the Adolf Eichmann trial in Jerusalem is not the definitive study of the Holocaust, but it is an essential text for anyone studying or interested in this period of history. In seeking to blur the distinction insisted upon by the Israeli court between good and evil you can see why Arendt's perspective was, and still is, so controversial: the portrayal of Eichmann as a dull and at times ludicrous administrator turns the finger of blame back towards his accusers, with the questions of complicity in the actions of the Nazi state astounding and thought-provoking. Moreover, Arendt tackles even the most contentious issues with an engaging style and a wry humour which highlights the absurdity of so many facets of human nature.Given the importance of this book, it is a shame that Penguin seem to have entrusted the transcription of the Kindle version to a 16 year-old exchange student on a work-experience placement. The typos are frequent, glaring, at times jarring, and on several occasions involve the omission of whole lines of text or quotation marks, altering the meanings of sentences. You can tell no one has bothered to check the text through because Hitler's title is written as "Fiirher" more or less throughout. I would therefore advise any prospective customers to definitely buy this book, but to get it in paperback unless these issues are resolved.

Learned more about the holocaust reading this than I did from a year of school history lessons with a totally WW2 obsessed teacher

One of those books that develops one understanding of the world. Thoughtfully and fairly written, it reveals much that was new to me despite much previous reading in this subject area. Arendt's journalistic skill is much in evidence with a compact readable informal prose style making the most opaque aspects accessible.Many questions are raised by this book, many deeper studies are suggested; that is inherent in the subject matter and that a further tribute to the author that unknown areas were neither glossed over nor closed down, but rather the reader completes the book and is left with a desire for more studyGiven the date, the book also seems very modern, the scholarship having stood up well to the passing years. A few sentences might be revised in light of what is now known, but these do not detract from the work to any significant degree.An essential work for all lovers of peace, all who seek to find love for their fellow men but realise the need to understand the realities of the world in which we live

This was a very famous trial and it sits cheek by jowl with the events in Nuremberg.The story behind the kidnapping of the ex Nazi is fascinating which sets out to position the trial with equal fascination.Again an interesting read for scholars of the holocaust and the legal apparatus that attempted to deal with the perpetrators.

This is a summary of the Eichmann trial. The banal everyday face of evil. Eichmann was an automaton dancing to a pre-programmed tune without care and without humanity. He came in, did a 9 to 5, and murdered thousands of people whose sole crime was their birth. The book is a very, very short synopsis and I was expecting a lot more into the nitty gritty of the "trial" (it was a show trial, yes, but he got what he deserved). This is more like a very brief introduction but as a summary it contains a lot of information. I was hoping to find a lot more into the psychology of the automaton of Eichmann; he wasn't a man but he wasn't a robot. He was an unthinking beuarocratic cog. A piece of machinery more than a human. Maybe he was the first man-machine who did as he was programmed without thinking and without intelligence, artificial or otherwise.The lack of serious detail has resulted in the low 3 star sore. This is just an abstract, a synopsis, of a very very complex issue that I feel is relevant today. Eichmann was a flesh and blood man-machine that danced to a pre-composed tune with deadly results for hundreds of thousands of innocent people. The lack of in-depth exploration of his psychology and indeed psychiatry is a huge letdown in this otherwise great book - hence the 3 stars (which I feel bad about giving :/ )

masterpiece on 20th century evil

History, philosophy, moral, and laws converging but still unable to explain and properly judge. This is a masterpiece forever. Strongly reccomended in difficult times!

Un despliegue de erudición sobre un hecho histórico redactado independientemente. Buena prosa, tintes irónicos en la descripción de la tragedia de la solución final. La ironía le fue criticada mucho a la autora, pero la misma no es falta de respeto con las víctimas de la barbarie ni condescendencia con los asesinos. Por el contrario, el tinte irónico de algunos pasajes nace de poner de manifiesto los absurdos que acompañaron la gestación de todo este proceso por parte de los nazis y su posterior enjuiciamiento por las potencias vencedoras y el estado de Israel.

Arendt shows how we do, when we shouln't. It was the case of the Germans during the Hollocaust, it was legal. The book is also History, it is a report on the Eichmann jugement.

Hannah Arendt does a good job painting a picture for her controversial theory of the 'banality of evil'. She does an excellent job of this by balancing out Eichmann's story and the perception of the court and the law. Despite the focus on the 'career' of Eichmann (whose testimony consists at least partially of lies, boasting and inconsistencies), a broader perspective is applicable today.The 'monster' Eichmann appears as an ordinary man operating in an extraordinary system with devastating results. Whether you believe Eichmann was a replaceable cog or truly an evil mastermind, the implication is that his statements, actions and dilemmas hit closer to home than we may be comfortable to admit.Highly recommended for the content. The writing style is quite off-putting at times.