The book focuses on the "slaughter of Poles by German Nazis", including the systematic extermination of Polish Jews and crimes committed against the non-Jewish, ethnically-Polish population.

"[9] The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum bibliography lists the book under "Poles", describing it as "[a]n account of the systematic persecution of the Polish nation and its residents by the German forces.

[11] Michael R. Marrus wrote in the Washington Post (1986) that "Lukas tells this story with an outrage properly contained within the framework of a scholarly narrative" but criticized what he felt was an unjustified "sustained polemic against Jewish historians".

[12] George Sanford wrote in International Affairs (1986) that in tackling the subject of the suffering of ethnic Poles, Lukas' work is "strictly objective and academic in tone, presentation and content.

But Lukas's argument that Jews and Poles were co-victims should be popularized amongst new generations, so that they can resist extremists, on both sides, who use this issue to drum up support for their respective national fanaticisms.

Shimon Redlich accepted Engel's critique that Lukas would have benefited from a deeper familiarity with his source material and Lukas' critique that Jewish historians have been "influenced" by the Holocaust, but wrote that the ultimate truth lay with the likes of Jan Błoński and Jerzy Turowicz, whose "intellectual integrity and personal courage" allowed them to admit the role of anti-Semitism in Polish society, and its effects on the treatment of Jews during the Holocaust.

He also criticized the 1986 edition for "sloppy, careless, and hasty editorial work and proofreading", but concluded that "These shortcomings notwithstanding, Lukas deserves praise for his pioneering attempt to examine a neglected and distorted topic with scholarly impartiality.

"[1] Edward D. Wynot, Jr., wrote in 1987 in The American Historical Review: "Although his observations and conclusions may not be welcome to some readers, they merit serious consideration by those seeking an objective and balanced treatment of this explosive subject.

[19] Also in 1987, Czesław Madajczyk wrote in Dzieje Najnowsze [pl] that the book has strengths and weaknesses, concluding that "[it] is a step forward in discussions about Nazi genocide and the fate of the Jews".

[23][24][25] Writing in 2007, John T. Pawlikowski noted the comprehensive nature of the book, but regretted its reception within the Polish-American community as "a kind of Bible on the subject", arguing that Lukas' "basic error" is in treating ethnic Poles and Jews as "coequal victims of the Nazis".