Book Review – The First into the Dark

The First into the Dark: The Nazi Persecution of the Disabled by Michael Robertson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

As the title indicates, this is a consideration of the krankenmorde, the Nazis’ formal and informal systems for murdering sick people. The authors divide their work into two parts. The first half is a fascinating yet hard to read history of Aktion T4 and other efforts to murder anyone too physically or mentally disabled to serve a purpose in the reich. This turns out to be one of those experiences where just when you think it can’t possibly get any worse, it gets worse. The second half focuses mostly on debates about definitions and ethics. It’s important stuff, but it isn’t as compelling as the history.

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