Research Catalog

Title

With intent to destroy : reflecting on genocide / Colin Tatz.

Author

Tatz, Colin

Publication

London ; New York : Verso, 2003.

Items in the Library & Off-site

Details

Description

xviii, 222 p.; 22 cm.

Summary

"A South African, Australian Jew, Colin Tatz provides a personal yet analytical and critical account of race politics, and the termini to which related policies and practices have led in Germany, Australia and South Africa. Each case study offers a series of reflections on the subject of genocide: how logical, if monstrous, was the transformation in 1930s' Germany from a cruel and institutionalised antisemitism into the Nazi killing machine; what constituted the colonial genocide practiced for many years in Australia; whether or not the word genocide can be applied to the appalling events that prevailed in apartheid South Africa. Framing these studies are a moving autobiographical chapter which describes the author's South African childhood and an essay which addresses responses (official and otherwise) to genocide: the matter of denialism, the war crimes trials, the Vatican's apology and Australia's National Sorry Day, among others. The book closes with the author's reflections on the teaching of genocide." "In focusing mainly on Westerners' experiences of genocide, Colin Tatz raises uncomfortable questions about the humane, rational people we believe ourselves to be, and exposes this Enlightenment-based self-image as dangerous complacency."--Jacket.

Subject

• Genocide

Bibliography (note)

• Includes bibliographical references (p. [193]-208) and index.

Processing Action (note)

• committed to retain

Contents

Definitions of genocide -- Prologue -- 1. Breaking the membrane : journey towards genocide -- 2. Approaches to genocide -- 3. Germany : the genocidal engine -- 4. Australia: defining and interpreting genocide -- 5. South Africa : genocide or not? -- 6. Reflecting on genocide : denialism, memory and the politics of apology -- Epilogue: Teaching about genocide.

ISBN

1859845509

LCCN

^^2003053516

OCLC

• 52258361
• SCSB-10150442

Owning Institutions

Harvard Library