Rees's landmark work answers two of the most important questions in history: How and why did the Holocaust happen? For twenty-five years, Rees met survivors and perpetrators of the Holocaust. In this book, he combines their testimonies, many of which are published for the first time, with the latest scholarly research and proposes a new narrative of the Holocaust.

Through a gripping narrative, the author examines the decision-making processes of the Nazi regime and reveals the successive escalations that cumulatively created the horror of the Holocaust. Furthermore, Rees explores the map of atrocities across Europe and argues that while hatred of Jews has always held a central place in Nazi thinking, we cannot fully understand the Holocaust without simultaneously examining Nazi policies against other groups, including homosexuals, Roma, the mentally ill, and individuals with physical disabilities.

"Anyone who wants to read a harrowing interpretation of how and why the Holocaust happened, drawing on the latest studies and incorporating unique testimonies, should not miss Laurence Rees's outstanding book." Ian Kershaw

"It is the clearest book ever written about the Holocaust, the book that best illuminates the roots of evil, its grim mentality, and its chaotic implementation." Anthony Beevor

"Rees, like a gifted teacher, has the ability to tell a complex story with empathy and clarity, without sacrificing nuance. This quality is what makes this book one of the best Holocaust narratives. The story comes alive through the voices of the victims, the perpetrators, and the witnesses." Nikolaus Wachsmann, The Guardian