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Eichmann in Jerusalem: A Report on the Banality of Evil Audiobook
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Sparking a flurry of heated debate, Hannah Arendt's authoritative and stunning report on the trial of German Nazi leader Adolf Eichmann first appeared as a series of articles in the New Yorker in 1963. This revised edition includes material that came to light after the trial, as well as Arendt's postscript directly addressing the controversy that arose over her account. A major journalistic triumph by an intellectual of singular influence, Eichmann in Jerusalem is as shocking as it is informative—an unflinching look at one of the most unsettling (and unsettled) issues of the twentieth century.
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"Arendt, Hannah. EICHMANN IN JERUSALEM: A Report on the Banality of Evil. (1963). ****. This is really a five-star book, but the tortuous porse of Arendt makes many of the sections almost impossible to read with any comfort. This account of the Eichmann trial in Jerusalem in 1961 and 1962 first appeared serially in The New Yorker magazine in a shorter form. The book appeared right after those articles were published. After the war, Eichmann escaped to Italy, where he was helped by a Franciscan priest and the ODESSA organization to flee to Argentina. He lived in a poor suburb of Buenos Aires for several years under an assumed name, but ultimately sent for his wife and children, who joined him there. In May of 1960, he was kidnapped by agents of the Israeli government and flown by a special El Al flight back to Israel. Prime Minister Ben-Gurian was the prime mover in this process. His trial began in April of 1961. His defense counsel was the same used by many of the defendants at Nuremburg, a Dr. Silvestri. Final judgement was reached in December of that year. Eichmann was convicted on all fifteen counts of the indictment. Articles 1 – 4 covered crimes against the Jewish people. Articles 5 – 12 covered crimes against humanity. Articles 13 – 15 covered his membership in “criminal†organizations, including the S.S. and the Gestapo. Eichmann had a brief appeal, but the appeal was denied. He was hanged on May 31, 1962. Arendt’s account of the trial is preceded by a history of Eichmann’s life up to his achieving his high position in the Nazi Party. She does a little psychological pseudo-analysis throughout on Eichmann and the minds of the Jewish people. She tries to maintain a high moral tone throughout the chronicle, and she does so by emulating the three Israeli judges, who were paragons of moral neutrality. There were obviously several agendas here at the trial, and Arendt tries to explain all of them. She ends up her account with her famous conclusion: “...just as you supported and carried out a policy of not wanting to share the earth with Jewish people and people of a number of other nations – as though you and your superiors had any right to determine who should and who should not inhabit the world – we find that no one, that is, no member of the human race, can be expected to share the earth with you. This is the reason, and the only reason, you must hang.†This book is a penetrating report and analysis of Eichmann’s trial and should be read by anyone interested in the events of the period. Highly recommended."
— Tony (4 out of 5 stars)
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“Narrator Wanda McCaddon brings a cultured British slant to the narrative, sometimes gently delivering various European accents while moving forward calmly and rationally.”
— AudioFile -
Narrator Wanda McCaddon brings a cultured British slant to the narrative, sometimes gently delivering various European accents while moving forward calmly and rationally.
— AudioFile
Eichmann in Jerusalem Listener Reviews
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Margarita Orlova, 6/28/2023
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" Arendt's brilliant insights into human nature and political processes, her wit and her slightly dark humor make this book definitely worth reading. And a lot of praise is due to the narrator who managed to embody all of these in her reading. "
— Margarita Orlova, 6/27/2023 -
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Michael J Hennig, 2/8/2023
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" A look into Eichmann and 'The Banality of Evil' from the eyes of the writer of "The Origins of Totalitarians". Would recommend the book, however I did not particularly enjoy the voice of the narrator. "
— E, 4/27/2020 -
" Perfect sentences with a ridiculous amount of insight. It's like she can take an extra large step back the rest of us can't, allowing her to see a bigger picture. Her logic is almost completely undeniable, making her thesis that much more devastating. "
— Aaron, 2/13/2014 -
" The notion of bureaucracy isolating and dehumanizing the individual coupled with the inability to adjust (philosophically) conventional conceptions of morality with what can be deemed the negative "potentiality" of action . . . holy god. to turn it inward and suspect your own cowardice is an important exercise in a time when we are getting further and further removed from responsibility and community. This will stay timely. It's a direction we've already moved towards. "
— Noel, 2/13/2014 -
" This reminds us that we us human beings must be responsable of our action and the think of oneself and of the other when we decide to act. "
— Yelidaza, 2/5/2014 -
" Very intense and well written. Gives an insight into the mind of a mass murderer as much as anyone may give such an insight. A thorough document of the Eichmann trial. "
— Francisco, 1/27/2014 -
" I read this in the 1980s, so my memory is dim. I remember admiring Arendt for being one smart cookie. I also remember Eichmann as a tiny cog in a big machine and recognized the truism that all evil needs to prevail is for average (the quote is good) people to do nothing. "Just following orders." "
— Karen, 1/17/2014 -
" This is an amazing book. It was widely condemned in the US when it came out because she pointed out, in some ways that were often too crass and dismissive, that the Judenratten facilitated the efficiency with which the Nazis murdered the Jews. However, the issue is not a major part of the book, and it shouldn't keep anyone from hearing her very clear demand that people be courageous in the face of horrible, murderous injustice and the concurrent demand that we require our legal institutions to seek clarity as they execute their mission. "
— Jim, 1/13/2014 -
" The 5 stars are for analysis, not style. "
— Kimberly, 1/13/2014 -
" A book for all time. "
— Raghu, 12/25/2013 -
" I reread the series in the New Yorker recently. A classic piece of non fiction. "
— Radioanngal, 12/18/2013 -
" A cheerful read spanning the holiday season. "
— J, 11/27/2013 -
" I'm a bit surprised that this was attacked so fiercely when it came out. "
— Bernard, 11/25/2013 -
" The book that invented the term "the banality of evil." Brilliant and chilling. "
— Paul, 11/12/2013 -
" Most of the more important insights and facts in this book I have read else (this work probably being the source more times than not). A fairly objective work known to offend certain Zionists. "
— Matthew, 9/14/2013 -
" I read this every year and learn something new all the time - given the 'crimes of Bush/Cheney' and American's reluctance to look hard at the policies of torture make the less on Eichmann more compelling. "
— Timothy, 7/3/2013 -
" Arendt's clarity of voice and thought would have marked this book out as one of the best things I've read all year any which way. That it is a book about history, character, government and above all, justice, pertaining to what must have been the defining events of her life, is just extrordinary. "
— Supriya, 3/23/2013 -
" Arendt was probably to hard on herself and the world. "
— Philip, 6/1/2012 -
" a gripping view into the trial of Eichmann leaves its reader thinking, how far would I go to follow orders? Who's to blame? "
— Ranya, 5/26/2012 -
" Incredible. Certainly not as controversial as I expected, but must be taken with a grain of salt. A good book to read to understand morals and the world we're in better! "
— (a)lyss(a), 1/16/2012 -
" A classic on the psychology of evil personality, but there are much better books on the Eichmann trial if the reader is interested in the history of the events. "
— Ronald, 5/26/2011 -
" Arendt arrives at an incredible conclusion. A must read for anyone who has ever wondered how men could commit such terrible acts. "
— John, 5/12/2011 -
" Deeply moving work of nonfiction that investigates the banality of evil. "
— Nicole, 2/19/2011 -
" fondamentale testimonianza del processo del secolo (ventesimo), la Arendt si perde un po' troppo sulle divagazioni della "logistica della morte" della macchina nazista. Probabilmente inserendo meno dati e indagando più il lato umano, che non quello filosifico, il saggio ne avrebbe giovato "
— Zeruhur, 2/9/2011
About Hannah Arendt
Hannah Arendt (1906–1975) was born in Hanover, Germany, fled to Paris in 1933, and came to the United States after the outbreak of World War II. She was editorial director of Schocken Books from 1946 to 1948. She taught at Berkeley, Princeton, the University of Chicago, and the New School for Social Research.
About Wanda McCaddon
Wanda McCaddon (d. 2023) narrated well over six hundred titles for major audiobook publishers, sometimes with the pseudonym Nadia May or Donada Peters. She earned the prestigious Audio Award for best narration and numerous Earphones Awards. She was named a Golden Voice by AudioFile magazine.