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The Nuremberg Trial

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About this listen

Here is a gripping account of the major postwar trial of the Nazi hierarchy in World War II. The Nuremberg Trial brilliantly recreates the trial proceedings and offers a reasoned, often profound examination of the processes that created international law. From the whimpering of Kaltenbrunner and Ribbentrop on the stand to the icy coolness of Goering, each participant is vividly drawn.

©2010 Skyhorse Publishing, Inc. (P)2013 Audible, Inc. 20th Century Americas Europe Germany History Law Military Modern United States World War Thought-Provoking Imperialism Holocaust Russia

Editor reviews

Courtroom dramas have always consumed the public's attention. There is a certain high-stakes drama that takes place in the halls of justice. Ann and John Tusa have collaborated to capture those emotions in their historical study of The Nuremberg Trial. The Nuremberg Trial isn't some bland textbook; the Tusas' personable narration delivers to listeners the countless personal stories at the heart of one of history's most infamous court battles. A deft performance by Ralph Cosham only serves to accentuate the care Ann and John Tusa have taken in relaying the facts of Nuremberg with humanity and insight.

Critic reviews

“Fascinating… The Tusas’ book is one of the best accounts I have read.” ( The New York Times)
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fascinating subject spoiled by bad editing, and mono tone narrating, could onlt listen in short bursts

fascinating subject

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Firstly, I have listened to the whole book, unlike it seems many other reviewers, and I can only call it perfect. Anyone who has any interest in Nazi Germany, or WW2, or the Cold War, or legal drama, or more recent attempts to try war criminals, will find it fascinating and gripping, especially from several hours in when the actual trial begins. The entire story is covered from the perspectives of everyone involved, and no opportunity is lost to put events in context, which gives the history immediacy and relevance to the present. All the characters appear as nuanced and full-coloured individuals; in the particular the defendants are humanised and their motivations, mentalities and emotions understood, without minimising the suffering and destruction for which they were responsible.

Unfortunately I have to echo other reviewers in saying that the narration and production are not good. The entire book is read in a monotonous drawl, with every sentence following the same very narrow expressive pattern and tailing off towards the end, often with the last syllable or two mumbled. The reader has a weird tic where he frequently adds an unstressed "ah" or "uh" before a sentence or major clause starting with a strong consonant: "ah-Jackson", "uh-This", "ah-Details"; he does this more or less every other sentence, and it can cause momentary confusion because it sounds just like a normal "A" before a singular noun. How annoying this is depends on your state of mind: personally when I was brushing my teeth before bed I hardly cared, but during a high-stress workout it could be infuriating.

The production is similarly poor, with no longer pause between paragraphs and sections than between sentences, which results in sudden changes of topic. Splices between takes are extremely obvious, flagged by changes in volume and in the timbre of the reader's voice; these become more frequent later in the book, and there are some passages where this happens repeatedly within a sentence, with each bit obviously from a different recording session.

In spite of this I can only beg you to persist: none of these faults were intolerable to me, and the drama and emotion in the words themselves shine through the failings of the narrator and producers.

Ignore the narration: this book is perfect

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If you could sum up The Nuremberg Trial in three words, what would they be?

Detailed, Intriguing, important

What other book might you compare The Nuremberg Trial to, and why?

not read anything like this before.

Which character – as performed by Ralph Cosham – was your favourite?

n/a

Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Yeah it was shocking and helps me understand the world today slightly better. Really makes you think.

Any additional comments?

This must be THE definitive account of the main trial. Would be interested in finding other books on other less famous WW2 trials.

Highly detailed account. Fantastic.

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A thoroughly enjoyable audiobook, which was well read by Ralph Cosham. The book itself was fascinating, and it sometimes becomes hard to remember that the criminals you're hearing about committed horrific war crimes.

My only irritation, which I quickly got used to, was Ralph Cosham's tendency to drop "s" from the end of words, which resulted in plural words becoming singular.

Just the right amount of detail

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A truly fascinating and thought provoking insight to one of the most brutal and evil acts of the 20th century. All sides are represented brilliantly and it’s narrated with skill.

Incredible book

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