From School Library Journal
YA-Heller does a laudable job of providing the pre-20th-century history, the Nazi-associated infamy, and the punk-era appropriation of this graphical image. The clear, comprehensive, and cogent narrative is illustrated with abundant prints that range from symbol dictionaries and propaganda posters to photos of architecture and textile designs. The author brings into stark illumination how thoroughly the emblem has come to embody Nazi ideology and how its meaning has been changed for, seemingly, all subsequent generations. This is a book that is accessible in language and content to most readers, yet it will force even the most sophisticated to rethink and rework their ideas of how images work in the world. A valuable purchase for school and public libraries, as well as for art and design collections.
Francisca Goldsmith, Berkeley Public Library, CA Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Synopsis
The mysteries and misunderstandings of the symbol of the swastika are explained in this book. It analyzes the swastika's pre-Nazi religious and commercial uses (in all of its varied permutations), the Nazi appropriation and misuse of the form, and its contemporary applications as both a racist and an apolitical icon. The book traces the symbol to its beginnings in antiquity, exploring its form and addressing the misunderstanding of its symbolic and utilitarian functions.