What will you learn from this book
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Nazi Exploitation of Science: The book likely discusses how the Nazi regime strategically exploited scientific advancements for military and ideological purposes during World War II.
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Scientists' Collaboration with the Nazi Regime: Explore the extent to which scientists in Nazi Germany collaborated with the regime, examining their motivations, moral choices, and the ethical implications of their work.
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Wartime Technological Innovations: The book may detail the scientific innovations and technological advancements that emerged from German laboratories during the war, contributing to military capabilities.
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Role of Eugenics and Racial Science: Examine the role of eugenics and racial science in Nazi Germany, including how pseudoscientific ideas were used to support Nazi racial policies.
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V-2 Rocket Program: Explore the development of the V-2 rocket program, one of the significant technological achievements of Nazi Germany during the war.
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Ethical Dilemmas of Scientists: Consider the ethical dilemmas faced by scientists in Nazi Germany, including their involvement in projects that had destructive and harmful consequences.
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Impact on Post-War Scientific Community: Assess the impact of the war on the post-war scientific community, particularly the fate of scientists involved in Nazi programs and the ethical reckoning that followed.
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International Scientific Collaboration: Examine how the scientific community responded to the revelations about Nazi scientific experiments and the implications for international scientific collaboration.
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The Devil's Pact: Understand the metaphorical concept of the "Devil's Pact" and how it reflects the compromises and moral compromises made by scientists in Nazi Germany.
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Legacy and Lessons: Reflect on the book's exploration of the legacy of Nazi science, the lessons learned, and the ongoing ethical considerations in scientific research.
| Language | English |
|---|---|
| ISBN-10 | 0670030759 |
| ISBN-13 | 9780670030750 |
| No of pages | 535 |
| Font Size | Medium |
| Book Publisher | Viking Adult |
| Published Date | 13 Oct 2003 |
About Author
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Cornwell's devastating bestseller Hitler's Pope is a tough act to follow. Here, the author again claims the moral high ground to critique the ethical and political choices of scientists in Hitler's Germany and to caution that science under the Western democracies in the Cold War and the war on terrorism also wielded and continues to wield the "Janus-faced power for good and evil." Today's best writers on the Hitler era have outgrown the kind of marginalizing polemic Cornwell employs here. His analysis of Nazi science, while built on sound research and often thoughtful critique, sinks to the sensationalism of "Faustian bargains," "scientific prostitutions" and Arendt's "banality of evil." Unsavory concepts are qualified as "pseudo-science," "half-baked," or simply "science" in quotation marks so that the undiscerning reader won't mistake them for the real thing. All the hot-button issues are on display here: racial hygiene; eugenics; the Nazi purge of academia and Germany's forfeiture of its greatest physicists to the Allies because they were Jewish; and human experimentation on concentration camp inmates.
The author also details the science of war in Germany, from rockets and secret codes to radar and the atomic bomb, and how the Allies plundered the country's military technology and expertise after the fall of the Third Reich. Cornwell is a gifted writer with a fascinating story to tell, which he ably and engagingly accomplishes despite the hyperbole.
But in his pursuit of comfort in right over wrong, the author forfeits objectivity and perhaps a greater understanding of the sources and the whys of the Nazi phenomenon. Despite this,, the author's articulate though subtly lurid repackaging of Nazi-era crimes and curiosities should guarantee much attention and brisk sales with general readers. Illus. not seen by PW. Agent, Bob Lescher.