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subtitle: The Search for Elisabeth Nietzsche

Part travelogue and part history lesson, Macintyre's book concerns a little-known failed "Aryan" colony in Paraguay founded by the sister of philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche and her husband. But more than that, it shows how Elisabeth manipulated her brother's words to make them sound supportive of most everything that he in fact despised.

Elisabeth was a proto-Nazi. Forty years before anyone had heard of Hitler, she and her husband Bernhard Forster tried to get Jews ousted from the government and other responsible positions. When their petitions were completely ignored, they decided that the Germany itself had become too decadent, too in thrall to the pernicious Jewish influence. They then launched their Paraguayan utopia.

Once back in Germany, Elisabeth began the task of "interpreting" her brother's work, which up until that time had languished in obscurity. Her version of interpretation strongly resembled rewriting to fit her own agenda. Nietzsche himself was not anti-Semitic, and in fact had fallen out with his sister years before over her extreme views. With Friedrich safely in no position to contradict her, his makeover as the darling of National Socialism proceeded apace.

Another reviewer has nominated Elisabeth Nietzsche for "worst sister ever". She may have some competition - some of the machinations of Imperial Rome spring immediately to mind - but she's certainly worthy of a place in the top 10 percent.

Macintyre's search for Nueva Germania is almost an afterthought, but he tells it very well. I was especially amused by his description of the emergence of a "Nazi-hunting industry" in Paraguay in the 60s and 70s.