Justice Not Vengeance: Recollections

Book excerpt: “The beloved and reviled ‘Nazi hunter’ pens his life story, and a riveting one it is. Born in Galicia, one of the most war-ravaged territories in the world, he miraculously survived World War II, with more than one hair’s-breadth escape. Since that time he has been occupied mainly with tracking down Nazi war criminals who have gone into hiding and in pushing, through publicity, reluctant German and Austrian officials to bring war criminals to justice... the book consists of mainly... a miscellany of cases and questions that have engaged the 81-year-old Mr. Wiesenthal, who has lived in Vienna since the war, through the course of his unique career. Above all, it contains the story of how, after 12 years of tracking him down, he was able to point his finger at Adolf Eichmann, then living pseudonymously in Argentina, so that the Israelis could kidnap him for trial and eventual execution. But, apart from successes such as this one, Mr. Wiesenthal’s book contains histories of Nazi war criminals whose whereabouts have not yet been discovered or who have remained unattainable in spite of his efforts... this book may best be described as a companion volume, or even as a supplement, to Mr. Wiesenthal’s classic 1967 work, The Murderers Among Us... Mr. Wiesenthal’s recollections do not involve evil men alone. There is a chapter on the late Andrei Sakharov, praising him and describing the author’s efforts on his behalf, and there is one on Raoul Wallenberg, who was arrested by the victorious Soviets in February 1945 after his heroic efforts the previous year had succeeded in saving the lives of tens of thousands of Jews in Budapest. Since then, Mr. Wallenberg’s whereabouts have remained a mystery... In all, this book provides a sense of a formidable presence, of a force larger than life that seems equal to an enormous task it has taken on.” — The New York Times “Simon Wiesenthal, who has devoted his life to hunting down Nazis, believes that ‘guilt cannot be forgiven but only paid for by expiation.’ In his memoirs, which created a furor when they were published in Austria (where he now lives) in 1988, Wiesenthal explores the lack of remorse among former Austrian Nazis in the larger context of that country’s approach to its past. This is not an autobiography in the strict sense — those wishing a fuller account of his life should turn to The Murderers Among Us (1967); rather, Wiesenthal shows here how his own pursuit of war criminals came to be entangled in the net of Austrian politics. Appropriately, Justice Not Vengeance reaches its climax in a narrative of his battles with the late Austrian chancellor, Bruno Kreisky... In these absorbing memoirs, Wiesenthal goes some way toward counting up the cost, to Austria itself, of its ongoing destructive attempt to suppress and to deny its past.” — Commentary Magazine “The Nazi hunter’s life and raison d’être are eloquently encapsulated by this autobiography — and its title. The book opens with a biographical sketch by Peter Lingens, an Austrian journalist who provides background on Wiesenthal’s life up until the sleuth’s second escape from death shortly before liberation... the final testament of a major 20th-century figure, seeking vindication from any image of vindictiveness.” — Kirkus “Renowned Nazi-hunter Wiesenthal recalls his escapes from death in concentration camps where his family perished, and his career tracking down war criminals. The shattering account, as riveting as a spy yarn, concerns his ruthless global pursuit of hundreds of murderers and collaborators, including Adolf Eichmann, Joseph Mengele and the SS officer who arrested Anne Frank.” — Publishers Weekly “This is a fascinating book for more reasons than one... The details of the numerous cases in the book read truly like detective stories.” — International Journal on World Peace