Beginning with the establishment of the Federal Republic of Germany in 1949, Frei (modern history, Ruhr-U. Bochum, Germany) examines the path that German politicians took in dealing with issues of prosecution or amnesty for those who served the Nazi state. He argues that the government of Konrad Adenauer was faced with a conflict over the effort to confront the Nazi past versus the need for short-term stability of a country emerging from military occupation. He argues that the social reintegration of Nazi "fellow travelers" was both necessary and inevitable, but suggests that the form of negotiations over amnesty laws sheds light onto the political motivations of West German politicians and a collective societal wish to avoid seriously looking at the crimes of Nazi Germany. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)