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February 2023 Vol. 60 No. 6

Balint (Univ. of New South Wales, Australia) examines the refugee crisis after WW II and the Holocaust. Focusing on the International Refugee Organization (IRO) and "the 'last million'" who remained in European displaced persons (DP) camps into 1951, this sociopolitical history weaves together interviews, official documents, and images to build a compelling study. Organized thematically into seven main chapters, the book highlights the difficulties that DPs faced as they sought to influence the IRO’s resettlement decisions and underscores how Cold War tensions shifted the IRO’s focus away from victims of Nazism to those who refused to return to communist countries. In addition, Balint asserts that these years laid the foundation for today’s refugee policies and procedures. Each chapter unveils an intriguing aspect of this postwar history, including DP denunciations of one another, the ways in which gender affected IRO decisions on resettlement appeals, and the complex situation for children and orphans. The global reach of Balint’s examination is another strength, culminating in a focus on Australia as a locale of resettlement in the final chapter. Ultimately, Balint’s work deepens historical understanding of DPs, resettlement policies, and humanitarian crises.

--M. L. Scott, United States Air Force Academy

Summing Up: Recommended. General readers, advanced undergraduates through faculty, and professionals.