There are countless texts available for students of the history of Nazi Germany and the Holocaust. However of all the books on the market the series edited by J. Noakes and G. Pridham have been my most regular source of primary material for A level classes over the last ten years. The documents and commentaries are first class. Always on the lookout for alternative materials I was pleased recently to come across a similarly formatted and, in my opinion, equally impressive book devoted entirely to the Jewish Holocaust (1939-1945). Sources of the Holocaust edited by Steve Hochstadt is rapidly becoming my first stop when looking for documents that provide a clear insight into the chilling events of the 30s and 40s. Particularly interesting are the sections on ‘The Context of Christian Antisemitism’ and ‘The Creation of Monsters in Germany: Jews and Others’. In twenty eight pages of fascinating documents the reader is guided through the development of antisemitism from the writing of the Gospel According to St. Matthew to the murder of a Polish labourer named Konrad Pietzuch in August 1932. A gripping introduction to an excellent study that should be on the shelves of every history department.
Hochstadt, Steve. Sources of the Holocaust. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, 2004. Print. (£19.99)
ISBN 978-0-333-96345-6
Richard A Miller 
2 replies on “Sources of the Holocaust”
Dear Mr. Miller,
I appreciate your recommendation of my book. My intention was to create something useful, not necessarily exhaustive, for teachers and students. The structure of the book follows my course on the Holocaust, in which I go far back and far forward, rather than focus exclusively on the Nazi period itself.
My own special interest is in the German-speaking refugees who went to Shanghai, among whom were my grandparents. I have a manuscript based on interviews I did, which is also being considered by Palgrave.
best wishes,
Steve Hochstadt
shochsta@ic.edu
Dear Mr Hochstadt,
Thank you for taking the time to comment on my post. Your course sounds fascinating. Although I mention the Nazi years particularly in the blog, the units we offer students do address the origins of the Holocaust. This is why I found your treatment of Christian Antisemitism so interesting. I look forward to hearing the good news that Palgrave have taken up your manuscript.
Yours sincerely,
Richard Miller