Daniel Goldhagen is an American author and political scientist, best known for his controversial book, "Hitler's Willing Executioners." Published in 1996, the book argues that ordinary Germans were complicit in the Holocaust due to deep-seated anti-Semitic beliefs. Goldhagen's work sparked significant debate about the nature of German society during World War II. Goldhagen was born on June 30, 1959, in New York City. He earned his Ph.D. from Harvard University and has written extensively on the Holocaust and the role of ideology in shaping human behavior. His ideas have influenced discussions on genocide and collective responsibility in history.