"[A] major contribution to research on Nazi perpetrators."--Johannes Lang, British Journal for Military History "[C]hillingly informative."--Sheldon Kirshner, Sheldon Kirshner Journal "In a penetrating analysis, he shows that their violence was not only the result of broader Nazi ideology but emerged also from a localized Bavarian context of racism and vendetta, deeply influenced by the memory of civil war and revolutionary violence dating back to 1919 . Dillon adds detail to the story of the harsh, sometimes humiliating, training of SS recruits, the meaning of their pseudo-military deportment, and the generational dimension."--Alan Kramer, Journal of Modern History "Dillon's reading of the performative violence of the commandant staff down to the level of the Blockfhrer as theater with multiple audiences-the prisoners, the commandant and the inspectorate of the camps, and their own subordinates and peers-makes perfect sense. The chapter on the SS and masculinity is especially illuminating on topics such as comradeship, homosexuality (the extent of which is often overstated in the literature), and marriage. From the work of Orth and other scholars the criteria for phy-sique and Aryan pedigree are well known; Dillon adds detail to the story of the harsh, sometimes humiliating, training of SS recruits, the meaning of their pseudo-military de-portment, and the generational dimension."--Alan Kramer, Journal of Modern History ".

provides revealing insights not only into the camp's personnel, but also into the dynamic nature of Nazi violence more generally" - The Times Literary Supplement "An assiduously researched and intelligently argued book that takes our understanding of the camp personnel to a different level. Even in a crowded field such as this, it genuinely stands out above all, perhaps, in its account of the dynamics of masculine identity creation and performance in Dachau, opening up new terrain on gender and murder in this context." - Times Higher Education "Dillon has produced a highly readable history of the Dachau SS units during the prewar years that offers a great deal of new information and is recommended reading for everyone who is interested in the connection between violence and masculinity under National Socialism." - American Historical Review.