The Nazi Hunters

August 1, 2013
Adolf Eichmann was among the Gestapo war criminals who managed to escape from Europe and establish new lives in Argentina. The search for him involved an international group of Nazi hunters who left no stone unturned to determine where and how he had fled, find him and bring him to justice. The trail of the man, an exacting scheduler who oversaw the transportation of Jews to the concentration camps, went cold until one small clue led to another. He was finally traced to Argentina, captured and secretly removed to Israel for a public trial. Meticulously detailed plans with timing down to the minute involving several Israeli secret services, intelligence networks, other civilian and governmental agencies, and dedicated individuals brought him to justice. Drawing on a wealth of sources that include original interviews, Bascomb swiftly establishes background, introduces readers to the key players and takes them through the search. At any moment in the hunt something might have gone wrong, with those involved being captured as spies and allowing Eichmann to escape. Tension rises from the pages, thanks to Bascomb's command of pacing, judicious use of quoted material, inclusion of archival photographs and strong descriptions. It's nonfiction as thriller in its recounting of the actions of a midlevel, monstrous clerk and the work of a few dedicated people in delivering him to justice. (author's note, bibliography, notes, index [not seen]) (Nonfiction. 12 & up)

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August 1, 2013

Gr 8 Up-The author of the adult book Hunting Eichmann (Houghton, 2009) tells the harrowing story of the Israeli agents responsible for tracking down Adolf Eichmann, a Nazi leader who orchestrated the extermination of six million Jews. In the years following World War II, many Jews were involved in attempts to find Nazi war criminals who had gone into hiding all over the globe and bring them to trial. Eichmann was a prime target, but no one had heard anything about him for years until an offhand comment in a letter led to a seven-year saga that involved a diverse cast including Mossad agents, regular citizens, and politicians, all with the single purpose of capturing this man. From cafes in Buenos Aires to the halls of the fledgling Israeli government, from false identities to secret drops, this story has all the hallmarks of a spy novel. Bascomb has a knack for turning complex detail into a suspenseful, heart-pounding narrative. Every face is catalogued, every procedure thoroughly outlined, every moment accounted for in this tale that requires patience and perseverance; at times it unfolds at a breakneck pace and at others, it is tantalizingly slow. The author depicts Eichmann as more than just a soulless Nazi monster and target; he is also seen as a father and husband, giving this account some balance. The depth of research in this fine work is evident in the level of information provided and in the extensive bibliography and source notes. An excellent choice for libraries looking to extend their World War II and Jewish history collections.-Jody Kopple, Shady Hill School, Cambridge, MA

Copyright 2013 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

October 15, 2013
Grades 7-10 This true story of a group of Jewish men brought together to capture and bring to justice a notorious Nazi war criminal takes place 15 years after the end of WWII. Adolf Eichmann, who had been in charge of eradicating the 725,000 Jews from Hungary and was discovered living in Argentina, became the target of the Mossad, a new Israeli secret service intelligence agency. Eichmann's capture proved to be a hair-raising maneuver, as the Argentinians were not sympathetic to the cause, and any slight misstep could result in irreparable damage to both this endeavor and to the Israeli government. Bascomb has shortened and changed much of the language of his successful 2009 adult title Hunting Eichmann, but kept every bit of the suspense. This version includes a list of participants at the beginning to assist readers in keeping straight the many individuals involved in the scheme. This is a splendid example of fascinating storytelling blended with significant historical events. Periodic black-and-white photos expand the account.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2013, American Library Association.)

January 1, 2014
The first chapter outlines Adolph Eichmann's wartime activities and 1945 escape from the Allies; the last sees him in 1961 on trial for his crimes. Thriller fans will find all their favorite plot points here, from disguises and coded messages to abduction and interrogation; Bascomb keeps on the right side of the fine line that distinguishes suspense from sensationalism. Photographs appear throughout. Bib., ind.

(Copyright 2014 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

September 1, 2013
Dismissing Hannah Arendt via footnote, Bascomb concisely establishes Adolf Eichmann as an enthusiastic and painstaking enforcer of Hitler's Final Solution, even when told, late in the war, to cease and desist: "[not] even Hitler himself was going to divert him from completing his masterpiece: the destruction of Hungarian Jewry." The first chapter outlines Eichmann's wartime activities and escape from the victorious Allies in 1945; the last sees him in 1961 in the bulletproof glass booth in Israel's Beit Ha'am, on trial for his crimes. It's the in-between time that most interests Bascomb: Eichmann's settlement in Argentina under an alias and the secret, careful work done by Israel to locate and bring him to justice. Thriller fans will find all their favorite plot points here, from disguises and coded messages to abduction and interrogation, and Bascomb keeps on the right side of the fine line that distinguishes suspense from sensationalism. Photographs are included throughout the text, adding not just to the evidence of Eichmann's guilt but to the reader's sense of being along on the mission, with surveillance photos of Eichmann and his (shabby) house in Argentina, the logbook of the El Al plane used to transport him to Israel, and even a picture of the needle used to sedate the prisoner. A "list of participants" precedes the text, and it's useful in keeping track of the many Mossad and Shin Bet agents who undertook the tracking and retrieval; a thorough bibliography, notes, and an index (unseen) are appended. roger sutton

(Copyright 2013 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)