How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #7
'Don't feel you have to thank them. They feel they owe you a debt of gratitude they'll never be able to repay.'
'For what?' I said. 'For having the courage to tell the truth during the war,' said Jones, 'when everybody else was telling lies.' (16.28-30)
This is just a perfect little bundle of gut-punching regret for Campbell. Background: Jones has returned Helga (Resi) to Campbell. Now he says everyone involved in that reunion thanks Campbell for being the bearer of truth. But all of what Campbell said in Germany was a lie. So, in a twist of misplaced gratitude—and to really pile on the guilt—Campbell has to accept thanks for the shameful act of messing with history and endangering millions of people.
Quote #8
The New York Times published a portrait of me as a much younger man, my official portrait as a Nazi and idol of the international airwaves. I can only guess at the year in which the picture was taken, 1941, I think.
Arndt Klopfer, the photographer who took the picture of me, did his best to make me look like a Maxfield Parrish Jesus covered with cold cream. He even gave me a halo, a judiciously placed spot of nebulous light in the background. The halo was no special effect for me alone. Everybody who went to Klopfer got a halo, including Adolf Eichmann. (29.22-23)
Talk about propaganda. This portrait paints Campbell and Eichmann as saints or holy martyrs or something. As far as creating an alternate narrative of history goes, this one's a whopper. It's convenient for convincing people casually flipping through the newspaper without their critical thinking caps on that Campbell might not be sooooo bad, but nothing about it is actually true.
Quote #9
'You think I was a Nazi?' I said.' Certainly you were,' he said. 'How else could a responsible historian classify you?" (32.71-72)
The question of responsibility is interesting here. The work of doing history requires a lot of care, honesty, and a sincere search for truth. Unfortunately, even with the best of intentions, history can elude us. For instance, Campbell's entire life is a lie, but the effects of his propaganda are far-reaching. By all accounts, he's a famous Nazi, so how else would he go down in history?