The Escape Artist: The Man Who Broke Out of Auschwitz to Warn the World
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- Create Date：2022-10-20 11:21:56
- Update Date：2025-09-07
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- Author：Jonathan Freedland
- ISBN：B0B191YTV8
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Reviews
BOOKLOVER EB
，
In April 1944， two Jewish prisoners， nineteen-year-old Walter Rosenberg and twenty-five-year-old Fred Wetzler， carried out a daring plan to escape from Auschwitz。 Walter was desperate to break out of this horrendous place， not only because of its filth， lack of edible food， brutality of its guards， and ever-present threat of extermination。 He was anxious to publicize what he knew about the Nazis' methodical efforts to eliminate European Jewry。 Walter understood that many Jews believed the Nazis' In April 1944， two Jewish prisoners， nineteen-year-old Walter Rosenberg and twenty-five-year-old Fred Wetzler， carried out a daring plan to escape from Auschwitz。 Walter was desperate to break out of this horrendous place， not only because of its filth， lack of edible food， brutality of its guards， and ever-present threat of extermination。 He was anxious to publicize what he knew about the Nazis' methodical efforts to eliminate European Jewry。 Walter understood that many Jews believed the Nazis' lies about what would happen to them after resettlement。 The Germans assured the Jews that they would remain with their families and keep their possessions。 Walter hoped that if the victims knew the truth about their fate， they would find the strength to fight back with whatever tools they had at their disposal。Jonathan Freeland's "The Escape Artist" is a compelling account of suffering， despair， and heroism。 Walter was born in Slovakia， a country whose leaders collaborated enthusiastically with Hitler's henchmen。 Because he was a Jew， this teenager， who had a facile mind and loved learning， was barred from attending school。 Even before he was sent to Auschwitz， Walter's combination of chutzpah， savvy， and luck helped him outwit his enemies on more than one occasion。In this well-researched book， Freedland describes Walter's experiences in Auschwitz， where he was incarcerated for almost two years。 When Walter arrived as a seventeen-year-old， he was ordered to carry out exhausting tasks that sapped what little energy he had。 Fortunately， he would later be transferred to "Kanada，" a warehouse where the clothing， jewelry， money， and other belongings confiscated from the Jews were sorted for distribution to the Germans。 The author provides telling details that prove， in no uncertain terms， that government officials， clergymen， and others in positions of power could have saved Jewish lives， but refused to do so; that few individuals took Walter's warnings to heart， even when he credibly sounded the alarm about the Nazis' heinous crimes; and finally， that survivors of Auschwitz， like Rudi， were often so traumatized that they had difficulty reintegrating themselves into society。 Freedland follows up his suspenseful description of Walter's flight from Auschwitz with compelling historical information about what happened to Rudolph Vrba—the name Walter used after the Holocaust—when the war was finally over。 Although Rudi went on to become a scientist and testified for the prosecution at Nazi war crimes trials， he was also paranoid， high-strung， and prone to explosive outbursts of anger。 In "The Escape Artist，" Freedland portrays Vrba as a tragic figure who embraced life but was far too troubled to fully appreciate it， even after his wartime experiences were a distant but haunting memory。 。。。more
Olivia Kurczycki
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Was hard to follow at times and didn’t grip me。 An important part of history nonetheless
Erin Henley
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It’s pretty hard to ‘rate’ a book like this， it genuinely gave me nightmares。 But a meticulously researched account， parts utterly heartbreaking， others thrilling （the actual escape parts I couldn’t put down）…a young man whose efforts & part in history I should have known about already。
Carlee Miller
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This was a haunting story about Rudolph Vrba， who was the first Jew to break out of Auschwitz。 Only four Jews， including him， were successful in this feat。 In his time as a prisoner， he carefully remembered details of the way the Jewish people were treated by the Nazis in order to reveal to the world what had happened when he escaped。 The book continues to describe the lasting impact of his imprisonment on his life after， and also the ways in which he triumphs beyond his traumatic experience in This was a haunting story about Rudolph Vrba， who was the first Jew to break out of Auschwitz。 Only four Jews， including him， were successful in this feat。 In his time as a prisoner， he carefully remembered details of the way the Jewish people were treated by the Nazis in order to reveal to the world what had happened when he escaped。 The book continues to describe the lasting impact of his imprisonment on his life after， and also the ways in which he triumphs beyond his traumatic experience in Auschwitz in having a career as a scientist and having a family。 This was a really informative and compelling read。 Thank you Harper Collins for providing me with an advanced copy of this book！ 。。。more
Richard Hunter
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This is an outstanding book。 It is a well researched， balanced and well told recount of an amazing story。 The impact of such a terrible time in history on so many lives in so many different ways is touching yet thought provoking。
Colin Maclennan
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Walter's escape from Auschwitz was really remarkable。 However， what was in some ways even more remarkable was that as a teenager he managed to survive for nearly two years in Auschwitz working at various jobs at different times。 He thus had a quite detailed knowledge of the operation of the death camp which he was able to communicate to the Jewish authorities when eventually he got to Hungary。 At that time the deportation of the Hungarian Jews had not begun。For the whole process of deportation t Walter's escape from Auschwitz was really remarkable。 However， what was in some ways even more remarkable was that as a teenager he managed to survive for nearly two years in Auschwitz working at various jobs at different times。 He thus had a quite detailed knowledge of the operation of the death camp which he was able to communicate to the Jewish authorities when eventually he got to Hungary。 At that time the deportation of the Hungarian Jews had not begun。For the whole process of deportation to run smoothly， it was important that the Jews being deported were compliant with instructions。 If Walter's information been generally circulated， they would not have done so。 Or would they？ The book discusses why people find it hard to believe that something so terrible could happen to them。All in all， quite an easy read， if you can insulate yourself from the horrors of the death camp， and with food for thought。 。。。more
Gabrielle
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Vrba's incredible story thoroughly and engagingly reported。 I've read a lot about the Holocaust but I still learned a lot here， thanks to Freedland's broader reporting。 I like that he discussed court cases， revelations and other life events for Vrba and others post-war。 Recommend to anyone！ It gives thought-provoking insight into human psychology， particularly decisions to act/not act in the face of critical information。 Vrba's incredible story thoroughly and engagingly reported。 I've read a lot about the Holocaust but I still learned a lot here， thanks to Freedland's broader reporting。 I like that he discussed court cases， revelations and other life events for Vrba and others post-war。 Recommend to anyone！ It gives thought-provoking insight into human psychology， particularly decisions to act/not act in the face of critical information。 。。。more
Karen Ross
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I discovered this book by chance and found its story similar to others， that is， us to the escape。 In amongst all the horror and depravity it is interesting almost how seemingly simple it was to escape in the end， and a great deal of luck and goodwill。 In amongst the fear and terror the beckon for me in this book was that there were still people willing to help。 What was upsetting， though understandable the disbelief the facts were met with。 Whether a combination of self- preservation， fear， and I discovered this book by chance and found its story similar to others， that is， us to the escape。 In amongst all the horror and depravity it is interesting almost how seemingly simple it was to escape in the end， and a great deal of luck and goodwill。 In amongst the fear and terror the beckon for me in this book was that there were still people willing to help。 What was upsetting， though understandable the disbelief the facts were met with。 Whether a combination of self- preservation， fear， and the scale of what was being related， it was a bitter fact to be confronted with。Despite escaping the trauma continues， and as we all know our expereinces beget what comes next。 It was a good read， hopeful though a hard read at times。 。。。more
Sarah
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Gripping and completely unputdownable， Jonathan Freedland has made a really significant contribution to the literature of the Holocaust with this powerful story of Rudolph Vrba， who escaped from Auschwitz in 1944 and attempted to tell the world of the mass murder of the Jews。 It’s so much more than that， as well。 After the war， which he survives as a result of partly some incredibly good fortune， and partly his determination to learn from mistakes made by others to survive， Vrba’s life is even m Gripping and completely unputdownable， Jonathan Freedland has made a really significant contribution to the literature of the Holocaust with this powerful story of Rudolph Vrba， who escaped from Auschwitz in 1944 and attempted to tell the world of the mass murder of the Jews。 It’s so much more than that， as well。 After the war， which he survives as a result of partly some incredibly good fortune， and partly his determination to learn from mistakes made by others to survive， Vrba’s life is even more astonishing and remarkable than ever。 He works as a scientist and moves around the world， from Israel， to London， to Vancouver， in an attempt to find a fulfilling life for himself， though he always seems pulled back to events memorialising the events of the war。 Vrba is a complex character。 After reading the book， I went to YouTube and dug out some of his interviews， and found the man Freedland describes。 Vrba almost smiles as he describes the most horrific acts of murder， and this is what interviewers found discomforting。 One asked him， “Why do you smile？” Vrba replies， “Do you think I should cry？” I’ve read Levi， and Anne Frank， and Ariana Neumann， and Hannah Arendt， and Kitty Hart， and this book stands alongside them as a record of the unimaginable horror of Auschwitz。 。。。more
Sarah
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I very much doubt there were many prisoners in not just Auschwitz， but many of the camps that were around during the war that managed to escape as well as live to tell the tale。 Whilst Rudolf hasn’t told his story himself， the author spoke to his wives as well as went through documentation and letters from Rudolf’s personal possessions to be able to give a detailed account of this incredible man’s life。A good part of the novel is the time leading up to the escape from the camp where we get to kn I very much doubt there were many prisoners in not just Auschwitz， but many of the camps that were around during the war that managed to escape as well as live to tell the tale。 Whilst Rudolf hasn’t told his story himself， the author spoke to his wives as well as went through documentation and letters from Rudolf’s personal possessions to be able to give a detailed account of this incredible man’s life。A good part of the novel is the time leading up to the escape from the camp where we get to know more about Rudolf in the time leading up to being a prisoner as well as his time in the camp where he met his first love as well as his friend that escaped the camp with him。 If you have read numerous books on the holocaust and WW2， you would think that there is nothing else that could shock you anymore as you have already read of all the horrors that went on in the camps but sadly there were things within these pages that still shocked and horrified me as well as new things to learn。It’s sad to see the effect that it all has on Rudolf。 He has a great lack of trust in anyone which is understandable to a certain degree after what he has been through but this lack of trust ruins his relationships as well as friendships。 He was an integral part of bringing quite a few perpetrators to justice and was called as a witness during many trials。The Escape Artist is a harrowing yet informative read that is a must for anyone interested in non fiction， especially to do with WW2 and the holocaust。 I was surprised at how much more I learned about that time in history from reading this book。 Some parts are certainly not easy to digest but overall it is a compelling story of one man’s journey that needs to be seen and heard。 。。。more
DEBI PADHI
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Here is the prefaced resurrection to an Oscar Schindler story。2。 While many writings on the horrors of the Death Camps have ignited my mind， I await to lay hands on this narrative that confronted what man can do to man like never before。
Ian
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When in an introduction we have several blatant lies which everyone could check; how I can trust the rest and which I can't check so easily ？ Before Vrba escapes， at least 2 other jews did the same thus he wasn't the first。 Not to mention dozens of Poles， a few soviets， German and so on， who escaped before。 Including Pilecki， who went on purpose to Auschwitz to collect documentation and pass it to the western allies。 Together with mentioned Vrba who was later， these are known as Auschwitz protoc When in an introduction we have several blatant lies which everyone could check; how I can trust the rest and which I can't check so easily ？ Before Vrba escapes， at least 2 other jews did the same thus he wasn't the first。 Not to mention dozens of Poles， a few soviets， German and so on， who escaped before。 Including Pilecki， who went on purpose to Auschwitz to collect documentation and pass it to the western allies。 Together with mentioned Vrba who was later， these are known as Auschwitz protocols， you can google it on Wikipedia。 Witold's Report （1943） ; Karski reports （1942） If wikipedia is not a good source， so what about a page of Auschwitz museum。 Google also "The Mass Extermination of Jews in German Occupied Poland （1942-3）" it was released by polish government in the UK， all written in English。 Document by the Polish government-in-exile based on Karski's reports， addressed to the wartime allies of the then-United Nations， 10 December 1942。 The polish government provided reports and proofs to western allies and united nations years before Vrba so I don't trust historical books altering the history in the first sentence。 https://www。auschwitz。org/en/history/。。。 。。。more
Julie Hudson
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Thanks to Libro FM for the audio preview copy。What an amazing account of an incredible individual。 It is such a moving book that tells the story of Rudolf Vrba， one of only 4 Jewish people to escape from Auschwitz。It is terribly frustrating that having gone through such hardships and extreme conditions at Auschwitz and during the escape in order to alert the world to the atrocities happening at Auschwitz， the escapees found it so difficult to get people to believe the true extent of the crimes b Thanks to Libro FM for the audio preview copy。What an amazing account of an incredible individual。 It is such a moving book that tells the story of Rudolf Vrba， one of only 4 Jewish people to escape from Auschwitz。It is terribly frustrating that having gone through such hardships and extreme conditions at Auschwitz and during the escape in order to alert the world to the atrocities happening at Auschwitz， the escapees found it so difficult to get people to believe the true extent of the crimes being committed and failed to get people to act quickly enough to save the lives of many Hungarian Jews。An absolutely gripping read。 。。。more
Richard Brown
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A warning from history。
Eric Gilkes
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I received an advance copy of this book so thank you Harper！ 📚This book was one of the most impactful and thought provoking books I’ve read。 The history， trauma and horrors that came from the extermination of Jews are hard to read but impactful。 This book takes you through a first hand experience of just how horrific it was。I have read the Tattooist of Auschwitz and enjoyed that book but this book goes even deeper and more raw about what it really looked like。5/5 ⭐️
David Meldrum
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However much you try， sometimes it's hard to judge a piece of art solely on its own terms。 I felt that way about Schindler's List。 As a child prone to catastrophising， the grandson of a Syrian Jewish convert to Christianity who had lived in Morocco and who had a narrow escape from being sent to the death camps， I had developed an over-active imagination about what these events had looked like。 Studying the Nazi's Final Solution for A-Level history added to this。 I had imagined what it looked lik However much you try， sometimes it's hard to judge a piece of art solely on its own terms。 I felt that way about Schindler's List。 As a child prone to catastrophising， the grandson of a Syrian Jewish convert to Christianity who had lived in Morocco and who had a narrow escape from being sent to the death camps， I had developed an over-active imagination about what these events had looked like。 Studying the Nazi's Final Solution for A-Level history added to this。 I had imagined what it looked like to have members of your family killed in front of you or sent to the factories of death。 I had imagined where I would have hidden had they come for me as a descendant of a Jewish grandmother。 My solution was to （I hadn't thought through how I'd make this happen） somehow make sure I was strapped safely to the underside of my mattress。 They'd never look there。 Except in Schindler's List they did。 I remember seeing the boy I'd imagined myself as being shot where he was， helpless and unmoving。 I could of course not see the film in any objective way after that。 This is where The Escape Artist comes in because it feels to me in that realm。 I was fascinated with prison escapes as a child - and we'd often played the classic Escape From Colditz board game as a family。 I had often wondered if anyone had escaped from Auschwitz and the like， and how I might have gone about （I was very good at escaping in the board game， and my Dad - the son of the aforementioned Jewish grandmother - was never the most diligent prison guard）。 This book is essentially the biography of a Jewish man who survived and subsequently escaped Auschwitz; it's the story of him and his colleague's remarkable feat of memory in remembering painstaking details of those who arrived at the camp never to leave。 It's the story of the tortuous journey of the information they escaped with took to the corridors of power and influence， and how people dithered and prevaricated even when they knew for certain another day meant more deaths。 It's the story of how you try to live the rest of your life in the light of living two years through the unimaginable。 Many things are astonishing here; it's all gripping， and it's often scarcely credible。 Every time I read or watch something about the Holocaust， a new detail stops me in my tracks。 There were many such moments in the course of reading this book - perhaps the most upsetting for me being the revelation that over two tonnes of gold were paid into Nazi coffers after prisoners were forced to pry gold from the teeth of the victims of the camp。 Other readers will have to pause to take it all in at different points; for me， this felt both unbelievable but also far too credible at the same time。 It feels like one of those things you can't unread; one of those facts that fundamentally changes how you experience the world afterwards。 Jonathan Freedland's book benefits from the author's other life as Sam Bourne， an alter-ego who writes contemporary thrillers。 Here he does what the good thriller writer - leads the reader by the nose， revealing what's needed just when it's needed。 The book is that rarest of things; a book in perfect balance between journalistic integrity， sympathy and empathy， and good storytelling。 One powerful and striking aspect is how， in keeping with how Rudolf Verba （the titular character） was as a man， his failings and flaws are clear and present; how trauma affected him， and how he refused to be the heroic figure we are so often desperate to see emerge from such darkness。 Luck is also significant - it's clear that Verba is as lucky as he is resourceful， the two playing off each other。 It's not all about his heroic brilliance; sometimes it's clear that survival is frighteningly but also reassuringly random。 For all these reasons， and many more， this is a book that I can't think about like other books。 It both reassures and scares that boy who imagined himself strapped to the underside of a bed， how he'd say goodbye to his Dad as he was led away to death， who many nights was sure he could hear the sounds of troops advancing through Edinburgh to his suburban childhood home。 The Escape Artist is an instant modern masterpiece that refracts what we bring to it and reflects the darkest and best parts of who we are。 I can say no more than that。 。。。more
Bill Marsano
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Reads Like a Novel But Is Horrifyingly FactualBy Bill Marsano。 Are we losing our historical memory？ The distractions of the 24-hour news cycle， the frenzies and fads of social media， and the decline of history classes in our schools suggests that we are。 （The President of the United States somehow forgot the anniversary of D-Day two years in succession。） And only two years ago a 50-state survey of Holocaust knowledge among U。S。 and Gen Z’ers found that 63% of respondents did not know that 6 mill Reads Like a Novel But Is Horrifyingly FactualBy Bill Marsano。 Are we losing our historical memory？ The distractions of the 24-hour news cycle， the frenzies and fads of social media， and the decline of history classes in our schools suggests that we are。 （The President of the United States somehow forgot the anniversary of D-Day two years in succession。） And only two years ago a 50-state survey of Holocaust knowledge among U。S。 and Gen Z’ers found that 63% of respondents did not know that 6 million Jews were murdered during the Holocaust and that 48% couldn’t name even one of the hundreds Nazi concentration camps and slave-labor camps —not even Auschwitz。 Such people and many more should—need to—read this book。 It’s a riveting escape story， a full picture of the working of the Nazis’ extermination process and an astonishing inside look at the complicated workings of the many levels of death camp “society。” Auschwitz’s SS masters ruled through a hierarchy of guards， many of them prisoners themselves。 Convicted criminals were used as ‘kapos’ to brutalize those lower on the scale: Russian POWs， Jews， homosexuals， gypsies and others。。 Those who were aged or infirm， underage or pregnant were sent to the gas chambers immediately。 Those healthy enough for slave labor were worked to death， starved， murdered at whim by guards， or killed by intermittent outbreaks of typhus or other diseases。 Then there were the ‘sonderkommandos，’ Jews whose grisly job was to empty the gas chambers of up to a thousand corpses at a time and drag them off to the ovens for incineration。 They were routinely murdered periodically because they ‘knew too much。’ Knowledge is the key to the story of Walter Rosenberg （a。k。a。 Rudolf Vrba， confusingly）， imprisoned at 17。 Like all Jews， he was denied education， but he taught teach himself several languages and much more。 He happens to physically fit and hence， though often beaten， not immediately gassed， but put to work。 Through his own wit and the help of many prisoners， he learns to survive， and he also learns exactly how the Nazis get their prisoners to agree to board the trains for the death camps and then march peaceably， unprotestingly off to their deaths。 That knowledge inflames his desire to escape， not only for personal freedom but specifically to alert the Jews of Hungary who， he discovered， were soon to be shipped to the camps。 carefully schooled by Russian POWs and others， and paired with a fellow prisoner he bonded with on his camp “job，” and now all of 19 years of age， Walter takes the gamble of his life。The escape section of this book reads as if it were a novel， and I want to point out that the weakest part of this book is its title。 “Escape Artist” has an unavoidable show-business taint to it， and it does no justice to the escape itself。 Walter and his partner are absolutely not escape artists。 Their breakout is hair-raising because they often ignore the survival rules painstakingly taught them in camp， and they getaway with it only through dumb luck， kind strangers or stupid Nazis。 But they do make it and Walter does manage to tell the world。 And nothing is more shocking than the world’s reaction。 –Bill Marsano has been reading about the Holocaust since the first photographs began appear in print after the camps were liberated in 1945。 。。。more
Jessica Juby
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If you had asked me a couple of years about non-fiction books， I'd have said they weren't for me， but this year I've really increased the amount I've been getting。 I am still a stickler for boring tone and style though。This， however， was not that。 Half pre-escape and half post-escape， Freedland details the full circle of impact of being a Jew in Auschwitz for Rudolf Vrba， from his life within the camp， to how what he was subjected to impacted his relationships in his older life。 I hadn't heard t If you had asked me a couple of years about non-fiction books， I'd have said they weren't for me， but this year I've really increased the amount I've been getting。 I am still a stickler for boring tone and style though。This， however， was not that。 Half pre-escape and half post-escape， Freedland details the full circle of impact of being a Jew in Auschwitz for Rudolf Vrba， from his life within the camp， to how what he was subjected to impacted his relationships in his older life。 I hadn't heard the name before but now I know his story。 The book really hit home how devastating the concentration camps were。 I am a critic of Heather Morris' books because I think at times it was easy to lose sight of the bigger picture when reading her books （granted， I have only read the first two）。 I completely appreciate that not all people like reading the full impact and the horrifying statistics， but that is the truth of the event。 If books like Freedlands' don't exist， and we're constantly taming things down， then we will forget and not learn to do better。This book showed that although there was a physical escape for Vrba， mentally the camp still had hold of him。100% recommend。 。。。more
David Lowther
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The Escape Artist is the best non-fiction book that I’ve read about the Holocaust It falls into three parts - the utterly harrowing detail of life In Auschwitz， the thrilling escape of two young Jewish men and the depressing aftermath when the world refused to listen。The research is painstaking， the prose wonderfully descriptive and the location descriptions chilling and convincing。 Without actually saying so， the author puts his finger on the current controversy about anti-Semitism in Great Bri The Escape Artist is the best non-fiction book that I’ve read about the Holocaust It falls into three parts - the utterly harrowing detail of life In Auschwitz， the thrilling escape of two young Jewish men and the depressing aftermath when the world refused to listen。The research is painstaking， the prose wonderfully descriptive and the location descriptions chilling and convincing。 Without actually saying so， the author puts his finger on the current controversy about anti-Semitism in Great Britain and this leads to a greater understanding of what has caused this controversy。Thank you Jonathan Freedland。 I hope to visit Auschwitz next year。David Lowther。 Author of The Blue Pencil， Liberating Belsen， Two Families at War and The Summer of’39， all published by Sacristy Press。 。。。more
Jonny Medland
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As others have said， this book is only actually half about Rudolf Vrba’s extraordinary feat in being one of only four Jews to escape from Auschwitz （although that story is itself impeccably told）。 Much more of it is about the extraordinary fact that he was too optimistic while escaping that the Allies would bomb the train line leading to the camp， and that his testimony would be believed。 The fact that neither of those things happened becomes more shocking as you read through: as Freedland notes As others have said， this book is only actually half about Rudolf Vrba’s extraordinary feat in being one of only four Jews to escape from Auschwitz （although that story is itself impeccably told）。 Much more of it is about the extraordinary fact that he was too optimistic while escaping that the Allies would bomb the train line leading to the camp， and that his testimony would be believed。 The fact that neither of those things happened becomes more shocking as you read through: as Freedland notes， Vrba was effectively a prosecutor’s dream witness。 The reader is forced to reckon with the fact that the most atrocious events take on such magnitude that they end up generating a tiny response - whether the Hungarian leadership effectively deciding only to save Jews in order to protect their own positions， or FDR/Churchill effectively concluding it was too difficult to act on。 It’s a devastatingly told story， which raises some excruciatingly uncomfortable questions about how we remember the Holocaust。 。。。more
Zalie
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A compelling and deeply disturbing read。 Without meaning any disrespect， I just wanted it to end but this history must be told。 Harrowing。 Devastating。
Tony
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This is an exceptional book in my opinion， not because it reveals anything groundbreaking or new about the Holocaust， but because it makes the horror of the lowest point in mankind's history somehow accessible。 I remember the first time I visited the Holocaust exhibition at the Imperial War Museum， how it sat with me for days and weeks， even years afterwards。 It is crucial that this dark period of history continues to be studied by every generation to appreciate how even a cultured and educated This is an exceptional book in my opinion， not because it reveals anything groundbreaking or new about the Holocaust， but because it makes the horror of the lowest point in mankind's history somehow accessible。 I remember the first time I visited the Holocaust exhibition at the Imperial War Museum， how it sat with me for days and weeks， even years afterwards。 It is crucial that this dark period of history continues to be studied by every generation to appreciate how even a cultured and educated nation can allow such evil to happen in their name if unchecked。 However， the subject of the Holocaust is hard work。 It is emotionally draining and most people don't wish to spend their Saturday afternoon visiting exhibitions or reading history books about industrial execution， torture and starvation that took place more than 3/4 of a century ago。What Jonathan Freedland has done with this book is tell the story of the Holocaust through one of the most well loved formats available - the escape。 From the outset the reader knows that the escape is successful - it says so in the book's subtitle so no spoiler alert is required。 The suspense within the book is how Walter Rosenberg / Rudolf Vrba and Fred Wetzler manage to pull it off， against all odds。 Freedland describes the industrialisation and mechanics of the Holocaust in a fair amount of detail - again nothing really new here， but because Walter Rosenberg worked across almost every area of Auschwitz-Birkenau， it doesn't feel as though this information is shoehorned in for historic context。 It provides the backdrop to over two years' daily working duties of this one character。The second part of the title is also important， and I feel this is by far a lesser known part of the Holocaust - why was information about it not widely published across the Allied press， and why was no military action taken to slow down or halt the concentration camps before they were finally liberated by the Red Army？ Here the book tracks the 'escape' of the report that is written based on the witness accounts provided by Rudolf Vrba and Fred Wetzler。 Whose hands the report manages to reach and how they act - or don't act on the information contained within。 Freedland also explores the personal impact those years had on Rudolf Vrba。 You realise that he was 16 when he was deported， 19 when he escaped and only 20 when the war ended。 The best years of his life were stolen from him and left him as a hardened and flawed character with little time for weakness in others。Personally I think this would be a great book to include in the Second World War high school History syllabus。 It has plenty of historical context explaining the expansion of the Nazi persecution of the Jews from the late 1930s and culminating with the efficient， industrial program of mass deportion， transport and execution across the entire European continent。 It is also an adventure story though， and one that would keep teenage students gripped and wanting to read and learn more。 。。。more
Rochelle
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Absolutely engaging， shocking， heart wrenching， and soul crushing journey of a real story of a young extraordinary man who endured the almost unbelievable horrors of the Holocaust。 This was an incredible book， it pulled no punches talking about the ugliness of Nazism， of "life" in the extermination camps and also the sad reality of denial ， inaction and human greed and selfishness。 I liked that the book didn't shy away from the harsh reality that people cannot fathom their own death， even in the Absolutely engaging， shocking， heart wrenching， and soul crushing journey of a real story of a young extraordinary man who endured the almost unbelievable horrors of the Holocaust。 This was an incredible book， it pulled no punches talking about the ugliness of Nazism， of "life" in the extermination camps and also the sad reality of denial ， inaction and human greed and selfishness。 I liked that the book didn't shy away from the harsh reality that people cannot fathom their own death， even in the face of testimony， of evidence and fact。 Nor did it shy away from the fact that the Allies had some idea of what was happening to the Jews but didn't do anything to immediately intervene， bomb the railways， spread the word， or evacuate Jews。 We often have too black and white a view of the War and ignore the fact that bigotry against Jewish people was still rife among Western Allied nations as well 。 And greed and selfish attitudes and stupidity were also present in Jewish leadership at the time。The fact that Rudi not only survived numerous situations when he was on the knifes edge of death， escaped Auschwitz， trekked through enemy territory， made it to relative safety and then produced a pivotal report and turned around to fight the Nazis makes him a phenomenal figure。 My only gripe is the authors thinly veiled support of Zionism and Jewish Nationalism。 I do not think Zionism should be excused when itself has produced misery and death upon the Palestinian people。 And trying to meld Jewishness and Jewish identity to Israel and Zionism is insulting， when even a lot of Israeli Zionists couldn't accept Rudi because he chose not to sugarcoat the inaction of Jewish leaders， when he had escaped death and released a report for the sole purpose of saving more Jews from being gassed and incinerated and those leaders either did nothing or only looked out for their own self interest。 。。。more
Ishmael Soledad
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I devoured this book in two sittings， something I normally don't do; usually it's like rushing dinner， you don't get the nuance of taste and satisfaction and then it's gone forever。 This book's different， one I'll put back into my reading list for a year or so from now， to dig deeper into it。The subject matter was a revelation of sorts to me。 I never knew anybody escaped from Auschwitz， let alone Vrba， Wetzler and Co。 That story， and of the others who tried and either succeeded or failed， makes I devoured this book in two sittings， something I normally don't do; usually it's like rushing dinner， you don't get the nuance of taste and satisfaction and then it's gone forever。 This book's different， one I'll put back into my reading list for a year or so from now， to dig deeper into it。The subject matter was a revelation of sorts to me。 I never knew anybody escaped from Auschwitz， let alone Vrba， Wetzler and Co。 That story， and of the others who tried and either succeeded or failed， makes the read worthwhile。 Added to this the detail of Auschwitz， the pogroms， the outside world at the time makes it even more compelling。 Yes， there may be other books that dig into the detail， but Freedland's prose touched me。As for Vrba， as a person there's much not to like。 He's no white-hatted hero， no heroic superman， rather a teenager who escaped to tell the world about the horrors he saw。 That the world didn't listen or didn't care is only one of the twists in the tale。 I'm glad that Freedland included Vrba's life history after Auschwitz; whether it was shaped （or ruined） by Auschwitz or not it gives a picture of a real human being， flaws and all， and this makes the tale all the better。This in not an easy read only by virtue of the material it covers。 You'd have to have a heart of stone not to be moved。Thankfully Freedland's writing makes it both compelling and accessible。Absolutely recommended。 。。。more
Sharon Davies
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A must read
Karen Taylor
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Compelling， harrowing， page-turning excellence。 At its heart， witness to a dark， dark chapter in human history and an account， brilliantly written， about one survivor。 Clearly Rudi was a complex but amazing man。
Tanya
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This was an emotional read， particularly the first half to two thirds。 Anyone who studied the second world war knows the horrors of the Holocaust。 It is different， hearing an account of someone who survived and escaped it。 This is an incredible story。 A must read。
Tim Newell
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Cracking account of the biggest crime of history exposed by courage and perseverance。 How the truth was too hot to handle and the sad impact the experience had on our hero。 Gripping read！
Lucy
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3。5*
Kenny
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