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Ordinary Men
- Reserve Police Battalion 101 and the Final Solution in Poland
- Narrated by: Kevin Gallagher
- Length: 10 hrs
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Summary
“A remarkable - and singularly chilling - glimpse of human behavior...This meticulously researched book...represents a major contribution to the literature of the Holocaust." (Newsweek)
Now available in audio for the first time, Christopher R. Browning’s shocking account of how a unit of average middle-aged Germans became the cold-blooded murderers of tens of thousands of Jews - now with a new afterword and additional photographs.
Ordinary Men is the true story of Reserve Police Battalion 101 of the German Order Police, which was responsible for mass shootings as well as round-ups of Jewish people for deportation to Nazi death camps in Poland in 1942. Browning argues that most of the men of RPB 101 were not fanatical Nazis but, rather, ordinary middle-aged, working-class men who committed these atrocities out of a mixture of motives, including the group dynamics of conformity, deference to authority, role adaptation, and the altering of moral norms to justify their actions.
Very quickly three groups emerged within the battalion: a core of eager killers, a plurality who carried out their duties reliably but without initiative, and a small minority who evaded participation in the acts of killing without diminishing the murderous efficiency of the battalion whatsoever. While this book discusses a specific Reserve Unit during WWII, the general argument Browning makes is that most people succumb to the pressures of a group setting and commit actions they would never do of their own volition.
Ordinary Men is a powerful, chilling, and important work with themes and arguments that continue to resonate today.
PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.
What listeners say about Ordinary Men
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- Anonymous User
- 16-07-20
an interesting study
the book is memorable and interesting. although some of the insights perhaps could have been gotten to faster and with less repetition of atrocity description.
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- Paul c
- 24-02-22
Chilling read
Very shocking account. Gripping story and one of the most intense holocaust books I have read so far. A must for anyone interested in the plight of the Jewish people in ww2.
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- Andreas Ergatoudes
- 14-08-20
A study on history and human behavior
Listening to this audiobook was a great experience for me. We can all learn from history and humanity's past mistakes.What turned these ordinary men into quite frankly serial killers? What difference do these ordinary men have from me? It seems easy to judge people with hindsight but trying to put myself in their shoes their behaviour seems ...human. Not inexcusable of course. Just human. This is a well written book and a well narrated audiobook and I don't think I would have read this book but in audio form is simply more accessible for me.
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- Gunn
- 14-10-22
Stunning and informative
I am very happy to find books like this on Audible! This books is full of so many interesting and important history lessons from the way it is presented and explained about! I have enjoyed talking with others about this book as I have listened and I am very excited to have the knowledge that was presented from it!
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- Anonymous User
- 06-11-23
Sobering but informative
A must read / listen! A part of the dark history that isn't so well known, great addition to other Nazi/WW2 knowledge sets.
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- P-J
- 10-11-21
Well Written
A well written history of Police Battalion 101 which raises many interesting issues. Not too heavy or difficult to listen to in style, although the subject matter is clearly a different story. That is not to say that this is not an excellent literary addition to this ‘topic’, but to emphasise that it is easy to follow which many similar titles are not. Recommended.
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- James McQuoid
- 23-11-23
very factual
I just love facts no opinions just straight forward and factual information with brilliant cross references.
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- Paul Tullis
- 13-12-23
comprehensive historiography
the afterward provides a stunning refutation of "Hitler's willing executioners" by Daniel Jonah Goldpagen which anyone interested in the Holocaust should read
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- bob taylor
- 29-02-24
a must
shocking and riveting, concise and well read ,a period in history we must never forget,
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- Cato Furum
- 30-09-23
New, shocking insights
Absolute a must-read for those wondering about how minds can be captured in the service of evil.
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