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Children of the Flames

Dr. Josef Mengele and the Untold Story of the Twins of Auschwitz
May 20, 2020maipenrai rated this title 1.5 out of 5 stars
First of all the intentions of this book are good. It is not, however, a scholarly book. There are pages of numbered notes at the back with no reference numbers in the text. The sources about Mengele are very poorly documented. Many come from magazine interviews with individuals who helped hide Mengele in South America - self-serving you think??? Much of the "history" of Mengele comes from his own "autobiographical novel". I do not think accurate introspection was ever a feature of the personality of this paranoid, obsessive-compulsive, narcissistic psychopath. ( I know the last is redundant - has there ever been an altruistic psychopath??? ) One author is a journalist and the other is the wife of a survivor.... I repeat intentions are good, execution not so much. If you want to know the history read Mengele: Unmasking the "Angel of Death" by David G. Marwell. There is far too much Mengele mythology and self-creation compared to the stories of the survivors. I have and do read a great deal of WWII and Holocaust history. I did not read "Children of the Flames" as a ghoul, but there is very little detail about the experiences of Auschwitz. This is supposed to be the "untold story". Much of the twin studies and experiments conducted is still untold after this book. Only about 1/3 of the book covers the concentration camp time. There are heartrending stories of the children being torn from their parents, starving and enduring pain, but these twin survivors were different from the other children who lived. Despite one of the few good sources being written by a woman who was forced to be a doctor at Auschwitz, few facts are provided. Finally as to the narratives of the survivors, they are completely believable and demonstrate all the possible outcomes of childhood trauma, depression and PTSD. The personal stories are scattered among Mengele sections such that it is impossible to keep track of the individuals and follow their lives. Very poor organization!!! This is a story that needs to be told better. Kristi & Abby Tabby