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Nazi Nexus: America's Corporate Connections to Hitler's Holocaust
Nazi Nexus is the long-awaited wrap-up in a single explosive volume that details the pivotal corporate American connection to the Holocaust. The biggest names and crimes are all there. IBM and its facilitation of the identification and accelerated destruction of the Jews; General Motors and its rapid motorization of the German military enabling the conquest of Europe and the capture of Jews everywhere; Ford Motor Company for its political inspiration; the Rockefeller Foundation for its financing of deadly eugenic science and the program that sent Mengele into Auschwitz; the Carnegie Institution for its proliferation of the concept of race science, racial laws, and the very mathematical formula used to brand the Jews for systematic destruction; and others.
168 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2009
About the author
Edwin Black
53 books133 followersIs an American syndicated columnist and journalist. He specializes in human rights, the historical interplay between economics and politics in the Middle East, petroleum policy, the abuses practiced by corporations, and the financial underpinnings of Nazi Germany.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
November 14, 2015
This book could be a bit tedious at times, but overall a good read for someone who wants a shortcut from Edwin Black's other mighty books. This recounts how American businessmen were big players during the holocaust. This should be a must-read in all high schools across the nation.
January 21, 2012
I was surprised to learn just how involved many of America's top companies were in supporting Hitler and Nazi Germany. I found this book to be insightful and easy to read. It provides a good overview of the connections between companies such as Ford Motors, IBM, and General Motors and the Third Reich.
December 21, 2016
Martin Luther was a nasty anti-Semite, whose goals were right in line with the later Third Reich. Henry Ford was an idiot and rabid anti-Semite who blamed everything on the Jews. The American Carnegie Institution (and America’s prior Genocide of its native population) created the template for Hitler’s Holocaust: Carnegie’s goal was to ethnically cleanse the American population 10% at a time. When that layer was gone then next 10% would be cleansed until all Americans looked like non-gay Rock Hudsons. Then the Rockefeller Foundation also got its feet wet helping Germany with their Eugenics programs to “continue research into America’s racist notions of biology.” Hitler’s writings show a strong understanding of American Eugenics research. To get out of the Depression, General Motors offered Hitler to move his backward people from horses to “volkswagons” and build the Autobahns. GM president Alfred P. Sloan, one of the nastiest men in American business history, offered Hitler a perfect cheap (like the Model T) car for the people if Hitler could move 100,000 units a year, and thus the “volkswagon” was born. German workers finally went back to work, the Depression finally eased and Hitler soared in popularity. GM gave Hitler motorized ability to conquer Europe and cause the Holocaust (aided by IBM). Sloan goes on to successfully destroy American Mass Transit. A very cheery book. A pepper-upper…
July 24, 2011
A bit disappointed as this is just excerpts from his other works save for the section on Henry Ford which pulls heavily from Neil Baldwin's Henry Ford and the Jews which is what I was planning on reading after this. If you aren't familiar with Black's other texts and don't have the time to invest in his lengthy (and brilliant) studies then this is a perfect book to open your eyes to some very deserving subjects. A one night read. Oh, and $20 is far too much for this book.
July 4, 2014
Got a little off track - going into a lot of detail of treatment of Jews and other non-desirables. But, really interesting info and helpful to understand how the world might have allowed this to happen. Profits ruled - no matter where it came from.
March 4, 2009
This was an interesting look at the American corporations who helped make the Holocaust possible. Horrifically disturbing.
May 9, 2018
Kendi ailesi de Nazi zulmünden kaçmış Polonya Yahudisi göçmenler olan Black'in kitabı; Ford, Carnegie, Rockefeller, General Motors ve IBM gibi ABD şirketleri üzerinden, açgözlü para hırsıyla, ideolojik vahşetin kirli işbirliğini ele alıyor. Satır aralarında otoriter-diktatöryel rejimlerin nasıl inşa edildiğini izleyebilmek de mümkün...
January 6, 2017
The short length and tight focus of the book kept my interest. I already knew the broad outlines of US corporate complicity with the Nazis. This added many details that frequently unsettled me.
Rambling thoughts: the chapter on the American eugenics movement and how it inspired and later envied its German equivalent put a few more dents into my image of our ideals about equality. I won't be making any more "sounds better in the original German" jokes, since those were our ideas. The chapter on IBM seemed dry and technical until it settled into my brain that I was reading about human beings. I couldn't help thinking about Facebook, Google, and how tech's obsession with "big data" could be applied by a modern regime.
Anyways I liked this book enough that I put Black's War Against The Weak on hold at the library. No time like the present to familiarize myself with Nazi history.
Rambling thoughts: the chapter on the American eugenics movement and how it inspired and later envied its German equivalent put a few more dents into my image of our ideals about equality. I won't be making any more "sounds better in the original German" jokes, since those were our ideas. The chapter on IBM seemed dry and technical until it settled into my brain that I was reading about human beings. I couldn't help thinking about Facebook, Google, and how tech's obsession with "big data" could be applied by a modern regime.
Anyways I liked this book enough that I put Black's War Against The Weak on hold at the library. No time like the present to familiarize myself with Nazi history.
June 30, 2022
A really shocking read. The most powerful Americans explicitly sneaking around government laws to help out Hitler before and during WWII. I had no idea that IBM were using custom made punch card technology to tabulate, round up, expropriate and exterminate the Jews of Europe, or that GM were selecretly maintaining ties with their German subsidiary so they could profit from producing vehicles and components for both sides. And not just from a profiteering angle, but also through ideological support. Nazi ideas about racial hygiene and eugenics were explicitly lifted from American scientists and lobby groups funded by rich men with ridiculous world views about genetic origins of poverty; Henry Ford using his wealth to spread anti Semitic vitriol not just in the US but also in Germany. As Hitler himself said, he considered "Heinrich [Henry] Ford as the leader of the growing fascist movement in America". This book lays out its case tying these American capitalists directly to the worst crimes of Nazi Germany with mountains of evidence, meticulously sourced.
September 9, 2020
Why Black writes compelling arguments, there is an underlying bias based on the fact that Black's mother is a holocaust survivor. I do believe that there was complicity by both governments and corporations alike, and that this does need to be brought to light. However the writing reminds me of some of the cartoons that have huge neon arrows pointing to a doorway of a trap - it is TOO laid out, too slick in presenting the argument, and in both books I have read of his (IBM and the holocaust), the discussion favours too heavily on the Jews and not equally on all of the other groups of people that were considered "undesirables" to the Third Reich. This book does include more references to them, however the bulk focuses too much on the Jews and the hatred of people within the Management and ownership of some of the biggest corporations
within The United States of America.
The facts of the holocaust and the complicity of the corporations would be more compelling if the information was presented more unbiased towards ALL of the victims and included other companies from around the world, not just those of the United States.
within The United States of America.
The facts of the holocaust and the complicity of the corporations would be more compelling if the information was presented more unbiased towards ALL of the victims and included other companies from around the world, not just those of the United States.
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July 30, 2019I read "IBM and the Holocaust" before I read this the 1st time. I decided to re-read this book when I heard the news about GM's attempt to close a number of it's factories and relocate to Mexico. (I'm NOT implying the Mexico is anything like Nazi Germany.)
I main interest in re-reading it was that I remembered that GM behaves in such a horrible manner and seems to be continuing to.
Well the chapter on GM did clarify their current behaviour.
All that being said, it's a excellent book. Easy to read, I found. After re-reading it I realized that I should have recommended it to a person I met some time ago rather "IBM and the Holocaust" because it is short enough that the person would read it and then could choose to read "IBM and the Holocaust" if she wished.
Highly recommend it, if only as a cautionary tell of how badly corporations could potentially behave.
I main interest in re-reading it was that I remembered that GM behaves in such a horrible manner and seems to be continuing to.
Well the chapter on GM did clarify their current behaviour.
All that being said, it's a excellent book. Easy to read, I found. After re-reading it I realized that I should have recommended it to a person I met some time ago rather "IBM and the Holocaust" because it is short enough that the person would read it and then could choose to read "IBM and the Holocaust" if she wished.
Highly recommend it, if only as a cautionary tell of how badly corporations could potentially behave.
October 30, 2021
Corporate America's Nazi connection
I could not put this book down. In clear and straightforward language, Mr. Black tells the story of American corporations, such as IBM, Ford Motor Company, General Motors complicity with Nazi Germany. Too many Americans are not aware of IBM's assistance with the "final solution", or General Motors providing trucks and cars to help the Nazi's mobilise for war. I reccommend this book. Thank you Mr. Black for writing this book.
I could not put this book down. In clear and straightforward language, Mr. Black tells the story of American corporations, such as IBM, Ford Motor Company, General Motors complicity with Nazi Germany. Too many Americans are not aware of IBM's assistance with the "final solution", or General Motors providing trucks and cars to help the Nazi's mobilise for war. I reccommend this book. Thank you Mr. Black for writing this book.
February 7, 2021
Disturbing details about American businesses like GM, Ford, Standard Oil, and IBM, that knowingly colluded with the Nazis in pursuit of the almighty dollar. It’s deeply troubling how little of this history is accessible.
July 9, 2019
That was really interesting to see the connections between US enterprises and Hitler. I liked it!
October 20, 2019
Apart from Ford, Mengele, IBM, the biggest surprise from this book is :
(((the Protocols of the Learned Elders of Zion.)))
I cant imagine such a thing existed in that age...
and I think that protocols explains lots and lots of hatred and turbulence today..
go read it.
Besides that, its a decent book which records so many details that will give you an idea of what the hell was going on in the nazi years.
Anyway, it is a book that you wont regret reading. it might change your perceptions about the world.
(((the Protocols of the Learned Elders of Zion.)))
I cant imagine such a thing existed in that age...
and I think that protocols explains lots and lots of hatred and turbulence today..
go read it.
Besides that, its a decent book which records so many details that will give you an idea of what the hell was going on in the nazi years.
Anyway, it is a book that you wont regret reading. it might change your perceptions about the world.
April 17, 2023
Knowledge is power. Knowing who and what entities were involved in the Nazi machine gives a lot of insight. Companies and people who were sympathizers should be known to the World. This book will open your eyes to many. It is a brief read but gives the essential information to back the claims.
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August 18, 2009Click here to find it in the catalogue.
November 11, 2012
A Must Read
April 25, 2013
Edwin Black goes beyond the IBM and the Holocasut to bring the reader solid facts regarding how major American corporations participated in Hitler's 3rd Riech and the Holocuast.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews