the book based on Dodd's diary and the ancillary writings of others, is extensively researched
question: Does this book have an educational purpose?, context: In 1933, the newly elected President Franklin D. Roosevelt appointed William Dodd to be the first United States Ambassador to Germany, under Hitler. Dodd, at the age of 64, would have preferred to retire from his job as a professor of the history department at the University of Chicago, and complete his memoir "Old South." Out of respect for the President and duty to his country Dodd reluctantly accepted the appointment.  With his wife, Martha, an adult son and daughter, set sail for Berlin, on July 5, 1933 shortly after Hitler became Chancellor of Germany.Though appalled by Nazi persecution of Jews, Roosevelt refrained from issuing any direct statement of condemnation.  He expected from Dodd to see to it that Germany pays her debts to the American creditors. Some of State Department's most senior officers harbored an outright dislike of Jews. William J Carr, an assistant Secretary of State called the Jews "kikes"; Russian and polish immigrants are filthy, un-American and often dangerous in their habits (P.30). It is very disturbing to read in the book the anti-Semitism that prevailed in 1930's among many Americans. Dodd complained that there were too many Jews on his own staff. The indifference and anti-Semitism in the U.S. obviously couldn't hinder Hitler's ascent and march of conquest with tragic consequences. Dodd was one of the few voices in U.S. government to warn of the true ambitions of Hitler and the dangers of American isolationists' stance. Most Americans wanted to stay out of Europe's squabbles. In June 1938, Dodd talked of Hitler's hatred of Jews and warned that his true intent was "to kill them all." (p.351)As a captive in Nazi concentration camp, I had been wondering; why the United States, a nation founded and populated by many oppressed immigrants, of different faiths, from many lands did not stop Hitler's genocide? Where were the good Samaritans among the American Christians?  They were expected to have compassionate regard for all people, not just some people! Where were the fighters for human rights? How could their humanitarian reputation be maintained when our suffering became unbearable? Why civilized nation did shirk their responsibilities to show pity for us. I doubted if the faithful, of religious denominations, said a prayer for our deliverance! Was it not a betrayal of basic human solidarity? Was it not a failure of the entire moral fabric of society? Even mass demonstrations, in the democratic countries around the world would have forced the German to stop or at least moderate their policy of Ausrottung (the extermination) of European Jewry. If President Roosevelt had been more vociferous in expressing his and the American people's indignation, the nonchalant world would have been awakened and protested the slaughter innocent people.. The indifference enabled the Nazis to victimize every Jew; subsequently not every victim was a Jew. Winston Churchill said: the Holocaust was not just a Jewish tragedy; it was the world's tragedy, because the world did let it happen.THE GARDEN OF BEASTS is compelling and horrifying. Larson is a masterful storyteller. Although much given detail does not pertain to the core story, the book based on Dodd's diary and the ancillary writings of others, is extensively researched, and very well written. The book makes history come alive. 
Does this book have an educational purpose?
Although much given detail does not pertain to the core story, the book based on Dodd's diary and the ancillary writings of others, is extensively researched , and very well written.
In 1933, the newly elected President Franklin D. Roosevelt appointed William Dodd to be the first United States Ambassador to Germany, under Hitler. Dodd, at the age of 64, would have preferred to retire from his job as a professor of the history department at the University of Chicago, and complete his memoir "Old South." Out of respect for the President and duty to his country Dodd reluctantly accepted the appointment.  With his wife, Martha, an adult son and daughter, set sail for Berlin, on July 5, 1933 shortly after Hitler became Chancellor of Germany.Though appalled by Nazi persecution of Jews, Roosevelt refrained from issuing any direct statement of condemnation.  He expected from Dodd to see to it that Germany pays her debts to the American creditors. Some of State Department's most senior officers harbored an outright dislike of Jews. William J Carr, an assistant Secretary of State called the Jews "kikes"; Russian and polish immigrants are filthy, un-American and often dangerous in their habits (P.30). It is very disturbing to read in the book the anti-Semitism that prevailed in 1930's among many Americans. Dodd complained that there were too many Jews on his own staff. The indifference and anti-Semitism in the U.S. obviously couldn't hinder Hitler's ascent and march of conquest with tragic consequences. Dodd was one of the few voices in U.S. government to warn of the true ambitions of Hitler and the dangers of American isolationists' stance. Most Americans wanted to stay out of Europe's squabbles. In June 1938, Dodd talked of Hitler's hatred of Jews and warned that his true intent was "to kill them all." (p.351)As a captive in Nazi concentration camp, I had been wondering; why the United States, a nation founded and populated by many oppressed immigrants, of different faiths, from many lands did not stop Hitler's genocide? Where were the good Samaritans among the American Christians?  They were expected to have compassionate regard for all people, not just some people! Where were the fighters for human rights? How could their humanitarian reputation be maintained when our suffering became unbearable? Why civilized nation did shirk their responsibilities to show pity for us. I doubted if the faithful, of religious denominations, said a prayer for our deliverance! Was it not a betrayal of basic human solidarity? Was it not a failure of the entire moral fabric of society? Even mass demonstrations, in the democratic countries around the world would have forced the German to stop or at least moderate their policy of Ausrottung (the extermination) of European Jewry. If President Roosevelt had been more vociferous in expressing his and the American people's indignation, the nonchalant world would have been awakened and protested the slaughter innocent people.. The indifference enabled the Nazis to victimize every Jew; subsequently not every victim was a Jew. Winston Churchill said: the Holocaust was not just a Jewish tragedy; it was the world's tragedy, because the world did let it happen.THE GARDEN OF BEASTS is compelling and horrifying. Larson is a masterful storyteller. Although much given detail does not pertain to the core story, the book based on Dodd's diary and the ancillary writings of others, is extensively researched, and very well written. The book makes history come alive. 
Although much given detail does not pertain to the core story, <hl> the book based on Dodd's diary and the ancillary writings of others, is extensively researched <hl> , and very well written.
In 1933, the newly elected President Franklin D. Roosevelt appointed William Dodd to be the first United States Ambassador to Germany, under Hitler. Dodd, at the age of 64, would have preferred to retire from his job as a professor of the history department at the University of Chicago, and complete his memoir "Old South." Out of respect for the President and duty to his country Dodd reluctantly accepted the appointment. With his wife, Martha, an adult son and daughter, set sail for Berlin, on July 5, 1933 shortly after Hitler became Chancellor of Germany.Though appalled by Nazi persecution of Jews, Roosevelt refrained from issuing any direct statement of condemnation. He expected from Dodd to see to it that Germany pays her debts to the American creditors. Some of State Department's most senior officers harbored an outright dislike of Jews. William J Carr, an assistant Secretary of State called the Jews "kikes"; Russian and polish immigrants are filthy, un-American and often dangerous in their habits (P.30). It is very disturbing to read in the book the anti-Semitism that prevailed in 1930's among many Americans. Dodd complained that there were too many Jews on his own staff. The indifference and anti-Semitism in the U.S. obviously couldn't hinder Hitler's ascent and march of conquest with tragic consequences. Dodd was one of the few voices in U.S. government to warn of the true ambitions of Hitler and the dangers of American isolationists' stance. Most Americans wanted to stay out of Europe's squabbles. In June 1938, Dodd talked of Hitler's hatred of Jews and warned that his true intent was "to kill them all." (p.351)As a captive in Nazi concentration camp, I had been wondering; why the United States, a nation founded and populated by many oppressed immigrants, of different faiths, from many lands did not stop Hitler's genocide? Where were the good Samaritans among the American Christians? They were expected to have compassionate regard for all people, not just some people! Where were the fighters for human rights? How could their humanitarian reputation be maintained when our suffering became unbearable? Why civilized nation did shirk their responsibilities to show pity for us. I doubted if the faithful, of religious denominations, said a prayer for our deliverance! Was it not a betrayal of basic human solidarity? Was it not a failure of the entire moral fabric of society? Even mass demonstrations, in the democratic countries around the world would have forced the German to stop or at least moderate their policy of Ausrottung (the extermination) of European Jewry. If President Roosevelt had been more vociferous in expressing his and the American people's indignation, the nonchalant world would have been awakened and protested the slaughter innocent people.. The indifference enabled the Nazis to victimize every Jew; subsequently not every victim was a Jew. Winston Churchill said: the Holocaust was not just a Jewish tragedy; it was the world's tragedy, because the world did let it happen.THE GARDEN OF BEASTS is compelling and horrifying. Larson is a masterful storyteller. Although much given detail does not pertain to the core story, <hl> the book based on Dodd's diary and the ancillary writings of others, is extensively researched <hl>, and very well written. The book makes history come alive. 
In 1933, the newly elected President Franklin D. Roosevelt appointed William Dodd to be the first United States Ambassador to Germany, under Hitler. Dodd, at the age of 64, would have preferred to retire from his job as a professor of the history department at the University of Chicago, and complete his memoir "Old South." Out of respect for the President and duty to his country Dodd reluctantly accepted the appointment. With his wife, Martha, an adult son and daughter, set sail for Berlin, on July 5, 1933 shortly after Hitler became Chancellor of Germany. Though appalled by Nazi persecution of Jews, Roosevelt refrained from issuing any direct statement of condemnation. He expected from Dodd to see to it that Germany pays her debts to the American creditors. Some of State Department's most senior officers harbored an outright dislike of Jews. William J Carr, an assistant Secretary of State called the Jews "kikes"; Russian and polish immigrants are filthy, un-American and often dangerous in their habits (P.30). It is very disturbing to read in the book the anti-Semitism that prevailed in 1930's among many Americans. Dodd complained that there were too many Jews on his own staff. The indifference and anti-Semitism in the U.S. obviously couldn't hinder Hitler's ascent and march of conquest with tragic consequences. Dodd was one of the few voices in U.S. government to warn of the true ambitions of Hitler and the dangers of American isolationists' stance. Most Americans wanted to stay out of Europe's squabbles. In June 1938, Dodd talked of Hitler's hatred of Jews and warned that his true intent was "to kill them all." (p.351)As a captive in Nazi concentration camp, I had been wondering; why the United States, a nation founded and populated by many oppressed immigrants, of different faiths, from many lands did not stop Hitler's genocide? Where were the good Samaritans among the American Christians? They were expected to have compassionate regard for all people, not just some people! Where were the fighters for human rights? How could their humanitarian reputation be maintained when our suffering became unbearable? Why civilized nation did shirk their responsibilities to show pity for us. I doubted if the faithful, of religious denominations, said a prayer for our deliverance! Was it not a betrayal of basic human solidarity? Was it not a failure of the entire moral fabric of society? Even mass demonstrations, in the democratic countries around the world would have forced the German to stop or at least moderate their policy of Ausrottung (the extermination) of European Jewry. If President Roosevelt had been more vociferous in expressing his and the American people's indignation, the nonchalant world would have been awakened and protested the slaughter innocent people.. The indifference enabled the Nazis to victimize every Jew; subsequently not every victim was a Jew. Winston Churchill said: the Holocaust was not just a Jewish tragedy; it was the world's tragedy, because the world did let it happen. THE GARDEN OF BEASTS is compelling and horrifying. Larson is a masterful storyteller. <hl> Although much given detail does not pertain to the core story, the book based on Dodd's diary and the ancillary writings of others, is extensively researched , and very well written. <hl> The book makes history come alive.