The book argues the thesis that in fact, the majority of Jews who sought refuge in the Polish countryside did not survive. In line with other estimates, Engelking hypothesizes that about 10% of Jews tried to escape into the countryside, around 160,000 people. Around 30,000 to 40,000 of these are estimated to have survived which means that the remaining 120,000 were murdered. Engelking states that greed was the most common reason for the murder or handing over of Jews to the police, but some considered the "Jew hunts" a form of recreation. According to Engelking the Polish underground, including Home Army and the National Armed Forces were involved in the murder of Jews. This conclusion is shared by other researchers.
