Centuries of Genocide: Essays and Eyewitness Accounts

This can probably best be described as a genocide textbook. It starts with the massacre of the Hereroes of South West Africa in 1904, and ends with Rwanda and Bosnia. Each chapter follows the same format, beginning with a brief description of events and concluding with eyewitness accounts. The historical material in the introductions is a bit dry and matter of fact, but this is more than made up for by the eyewitness accounts, which are both horrific and riveting. Some readers may feel the need to consult an atlas, as chapters refer to such out of the way places as Burundi, Timor and Cambodia. The biggest weakness here is that the authors don't make clear why each genocide is unique. What factors in Armenia, for instance, are also present in Rwanda? Are the massacres in Bangledesh likely to reccur in other situations? Why is the holocaust thought of as different from other genocides? These and other questions are not explored adequately.

This is a great book for a student who is looking for an overview of genocides from around the world. It is a good first step in holocaust and genocide education.