The Nazi Hunters by Neal Bascomb Book Review

The Nazi Hunters by Neal Bascomb

Goodreads Summary:

A thrilling spy mission, a moving Holocaust story, and a first-class work of narrative nonfiction.

In 1945, at the end of World War II, Adolf Eichmann, the head of operations for the Nazis’ Final Solution, walked into the mountains of Germany and vanished from view. Sixteen years later, an elite team of spies captured him at a bus stop in Argentina and smuggled him to Israel, resulting in one of the century’s most important trials — one that cemented the Holocaust in the public imagination.

THE NAZI HUNTERS is the thrilling and fascinating story of what happened between these two events. Survivor Simon Wiesenthal opened Eichmann’s case; a blind Argentinean and his teenage daughter provided crucial information. Finally, the Israeli spies — many of whom lost family in the Holocaust — embarked on their daring mission, recounted here in full. Based on the adult bestseller HUNTING EICHMANN, which is now in development as a major film, and illustrated with powerful photos throughout, THE NAZI HUNTERS is a can’t-miss work of narrative nonfiction for middle-grade and YA readers.

My Thoughts:

I’m sort of divided on this book. While the premise of the story is a GOOD one (especially since I’ve become fascinated with anything Holocaust), this one was told in a FACTUAL way that got me bogged down in names and so much information. Of course, it is a work of non-fiction so that really doesn’t seem fair of me to take away from all of the hard work that the author must have put into writing this book. 

They say it’s for middle grade/high school, but 6th grade is considered middle grade, and I don’t think I have ANY 6th graders that would stick with this one. It was difficult for me to stick with it. 🙂 At times it felt like it just dragged on. Then again, that’s probably what this chase felt like to the ones who were hunting him down. That it would never end.

So, with all that being said, I did enjoy the story line-just wish it could have been told in less pages and details. Maybe what I’m saying is that I probably would have enjoyed this story told on a 4th grade level????

I gave it 4 out of 5 stars because the author accomplished what he set out to do: relay the hunting down of Adolf Eichmann.