Hannah Arendt's account of the trial of Eichmann is shocking, not so much for the facts it lays out since these could be known from other sources, but because it is a well-told story written from the point of view of one of the villains. Arendt (1906-1975) tried to understand Eichmann (1906-1962). In this presentation I explore Arendt's literary genius, contrasting it with that of other authors, and asking why it is she felt it necessary to discuss this topic in the way she did. The paper firstly develops the theme of history as the history of individuals and history as a detective novel. It then looks at the presentation of evil and at criticism of Arendt on this point. Finally it notes features of Arendt's writing that are peculiar to peace philosophy.