The Italians and the Holocaust: Persecution, Rescue, and Survival

Historian Zuccotti's excellently researched and vividly written study is loaded with poignant or inspiring accounts derived from interviews with Jewish-Italian survivors of the Holocaust in Italy and from unpublished sources. The book, her first, takes its place among other authentic Holocaust histories and will be praised for its evenhanded and wide-ranging analysis of Italian history and culture, and how these affected the response of masses of Italians, whether in hiding or rescuing persecuted Jewish Italiansespecially after Mussolini set up ""racial'' laws in 1938, and his alliance with Hitler led to his own downfall and Nazi occupation. An estimated 85 percent of Jewish Italians survived the Holocaust; 6000-plus perished. Zuccotti credits warm Italian humanness and the historic Italian contempt for authorityalong with timingwith this brave showing. Photos. (March 25)