Book · 1998 · Christian converts from Judaism
I Will Bear Witness
A Diary of the Nazi Years
Why people recommend it
I Will Bear Witness by Victor Klemperer is a powerful and harrowing historical diary documenting the daily life, increasing persecution, and gradual disenfranchisement of a Jewish professor in Germany under the Nazi regime from 1933 to 1941. During an interview on The Ezra Klein Show on February 10, 2026, guest George Saunders recommended Victor Klemperer's book to the listeners. George Saunders noted that while the host had likely already read the text, he had purchased the volumes recently and considered the work to be an incredible historical record. Although he mentioned that he had not yet finished reading it himself, George Saunders praised its significance as a vital testimony of survival and observation during one of history's darkest periods. The diary provides an intimate, chilling day-to-day account of how totalitarianism infiltrates language, culture, and ordinary human relationships, making it an essential historical document. By bringing up the book during the podcast conversation, George Saunders underscored the enduring importance of bearing witness to institutional tyranny and the resilience of human intellect against overwhelming systemic hatred.
Who recommended it
- George Saunders Recommended
George Saunders — 1 mention
“Well, there's one I'm sure you read this, but um, I will bear witness by Victor Clemper. It's an incredible I bought this recently, but I have not read it yet.”