Martin Gilbert

History and the Jews, the Second World War and the Holocaust

Authors

  • Lady Esther Gilbert Holocaust Memoir Digest, martingilbert.com

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.23777/sn.0125/ctt_egil01

Keywords:

Martin Gilbert, Historical narrative integration, Winston Churchill, Jewish history

Abstract

This article explores the methodology and contributions of Sir Martin Gilbert, one of the few historians of the twentieth century to integrate the Jewish experience into the broader historical narratives of the Second World War and the Holocaust. Gilbert’s unique approach, characterised by meticulous research, the extensive use of primary documents, and personal testimonies, sought to highlight the intertwined fates of Jews and the nations embroiled in the war. His work emphasised that the Jewish story, often sidelined in traditional war histories, is an integral part of the larger narrative.

Author Biography

  • Lady Esther Gilbert, Holocaust Memoir Digest, martingilbert.com

    Lady Esther Gilbert is the wife of the late Sir Martin Gilbert. She worked closely with him, travelling to numerous Holocaust and Second World War sites, including Volhynia in Ukraine, where her parents were born and her grandparents were killed. Since Sir Martin’s passing, she has dedicated herself to preserving his legacy, ensuring that his books remain accessible to those interested in what he called “true history”. Recently, Lady Gilbert has overseen the publication of new editions of Atlas of the Holocaust and Atlas of Jewish History, integrating maps from Sir Martin’s other works. She also maintains his website, martingilbert.com, and writes monthly newsletters highlighting his contributions to history. As a second-generation Holocaust survivor, Lady Gilbert has long been committed to Holocaust remembrance, a passion she has pursued since the 1980s. In the early 2000s, she created the Holocaust Memoir Digest, a project that uses quotations from published survivor memoirs to explore various aspects of the Shoah. To date, three volumes of the Digest, covering twenty-one memoirs, have been published.

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Published

2025-03-05

Issue

Vol. 12 No. 1 (2025): S:I.M.O.N. – SHOAH: INTERVENTION. METHODS. DOCUMENTATION.

Section

COMING TO TERMS

License

Copyright (c) 2025 Lady Esther Gilbert

Creative Commons License

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How to Cite

“Martin Gilbert: History and the Jews, the Second World War and the Holocaust”. 2025. S: I.M.O.N. Shoah: Intervention. Methods. Documentation. 12 (1): 7-12. https://doi.org/10.23777/sn.0125/ctt_egil01.