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This is the first-hand account of Rudolf's Vrba's extraordinary experiences as a registrar at Auschwitz as well as the story of his daring escape. Although a testimonial full of unbearable, vivid horror and suffering, it isn't this that makes the book so gripping, and so important. What endures is Vrba's personality, his unbelievable physical tenacity, and, incredibly enough, his sense of humour. Vrba was imprisoned in Auschwitz for twenty-one months and seven days. He then escaped with his fellow Slovak Alfred Weltzler. As they made their way home, they carried with them, seared in their immediate memory, the true story of the camp, the hitherto 'unknown destination' of Jewish deportees from all over Europe. Initially conceived as a serialisation in the 'Daily Herald' in 1960, this full account is being published for the first time in twenty years. It is a must read for any person interested in understanding not only the inner workings of the prison camp, with the expected horrors and brutality, but also a personal story of strength, survival and guile.
Memoirs of a Jew, born as Walter Rosenberg in 1924 in Slovakia, who was deported to Auschwitz in June 1942. He escaped in April 1944 with a friend, Alfred Wetzler (who took the name Jozef Lánik), and joined the partisans in western Slovakia until the war's end. Upon their escape, Vrba and Wetzler submitted a detailed report of the exterminations at Auschwitz, which they hoped would save Hungarian Jewry. The report, the first of its kind, is included here; it did have some impact on the Western world. Vrba is now a neuro-chemist living in Britain and appeared as a major figure in Claude Lanzmann's film "Shoah".
In 1944 a Slovakian Jew named Rudolf Vrba escaped from Auschwitz and wrote a document about the death camp activities. His words never reached the half million Hungarian Jews who were herded there. The story of that suppression is told here.
A shocking account of Nazi genocide and the inhuman conditions in Auschwitz, but equally shocking is the initial disbelief with which the revelations were met. “Alfred Wetzler was a true hero. His escape from Auschwitz, and the report he helped compile, telling for the first time the truth about the camp as a place of mass murder, led directly to saving the lives of 120,000 Jews.... No other single act in the Second World War saved so many Jews from the fate that Hitler and the SS had determined for them.”—Sir Martin Gilbert Together with another young Slovak Jew Rudolf Vrba, both deported in 1942, the author succeeded in escaping from the notorious death camp in the spring of 1944. Th...
A thorough analysis of Allied actions after learning about the horrors of Nazi concentration camps—includes survivors’ firsthand accounts. Why did they wait so long? Among the myriad questions of what the Allies could have done differently in World War II, understanding why it took them so long to respond to the horrors of the Nazi concentration camps—specifically Auschwitz—remains vital today. In Auschwitz and the Allies, Martin Gilbert presents a comprehensive look into the series of decisions that helped shape this particular course of the war, and the fate of millions of people, through his eminent blend of exhaustive devotion to the facts and accessible, graceful writing. Featuring twenty maps prepared specifically for this history and thirty-four photographs, along with firsthand accounts by escaped Auschwitz prisoners, Gilbert reconstructs the span of time between Allied awareness and definitive action in the face of overwhelming evidence of Nazi atrocities. “An unforgettable contribution to the history of the last war.” —Jewish Chronicle
Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book. Sample Book Insights: #1 When I began learning English, my mother was worried about my mental stability. When I added Russian to my curriculum, she took me to the doctor. Luckily, he was a student of Russian himself and was able to assure her that my ambitions were not medically abnormal. #2 I, too, accepted the laws curtailing my rights quietly. I was 15 when I was struck off the roll of the local high school, and I was forbidden to study on my own. I became a laborer, and I found there were two salary scales - a low one for Jews and a higher one for all others. #3 I had to take a taxi ride to freedom. I was picked up in Sered, half an hour away, and taken to Trnava, where I paid my mother two hundred crowns for the taxi ride. I then took the train to Sered, where I met my school friend who helped me get to Galanta in Hungary. #4 I crossed into Hungary at Galanta, and after a long and cold walk, I arrived at my friend’s house at five in the morning. The maid stared at me as if I had a bomb in my pocket. I had to have a bath, and my clothes were freshly sponged and pressed when I came out.
THE INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER SHORTLISTED FOR THE BAILLIE GIFFORD PRIZE, RATHBONES FOLIO PRIZE, WATERSTONES BOOK OF THE YEAR AND LONGLISTED FOR THE WINGATE LITERARY PRIZE A MAIL ON SUNDAY, THE TIMES, THE ECONOMIST, GUARDIAN, THE SPECTATOR, TIME, AND DAILY EXPRESS/DAILY MIRROR BOOK OF THE YEAR 'Thrilling' Daily Mail 'Gripping' Guardian 'Heartwrenching' Yuval Noah Harari 'Magnificent' Philip Pullman 'Excellent' Sunday Times 'Inspiring' Daily Mail 'An immediate classic' Antony Beevor 'Awe inspiring' Simon Sebag Montefiore 'Shattering' Simon Schama 'Utterly compelling' Philippe Sands 'A must-read' Emily Maitlis 'Indispensable' Howard Jacobson April 1944. Nineteen-year-old Rudolf Vrba and fellow inmate Fred Wetzler became two of the very first Jews to successfully escape Auschwitz. Evading the thousands of SS men hunting them, Vrba and Wetzler made the perilous journey on foot across Nazi-occupied Poland. Their mission: to reveal to the world the truth of the Holocaust. Vrba's unique testimony would save some 200,000 lives. But he kept on running - from his past, from his home country, his adopted country, even from his own name. Now, at last, Rudolf Vrba's heroism can be known.
As Albert Camus's famous dictum has it, the only truly important philosophical question is suicide, or whether or not life is worth living. Now, in Pieta, his latest collection of essays, George Klein -- distinguished biologist, writer, Holocaust survivor, and humanist -- faces this question head on, in a series of meditations on subjects ranging from the misuses of science to the vital importance of art, music, and literature to surviving catastrophes like the Holocaust and AIDS. Pieta is a passionate book of scientific and personal ethics, inspired by tragic events that resonate in the consciousness of each of us.Klein examines the thoughts of a number of people both famous and obscure -- ...
Another NYT Bestseller! Over 200,000 sold. Over 2,000 5-star reviews. Finalist for the 2014 Goodreads Choice Awards. A WWII historical novel inspired by true events. In a time of darkness, when all seems lost . . . a ray of hope remains. What readers say . . . “This novel was the start of my ‘Joel C. Rosenberg Journey’ of novels.” —Dragonmac52 “If you only read one book, make it this one! Brilliant, well-written, compelling . . .” —Aquamarine “Very highly recommended! If you’re on the fence about this book, get off the fence and read it! A must read!” —N. Perri “This is a great read. Heartbreaking because it can’t be anything else.” —Bon Tom “ “. . . feels...
An authoritative account of the operation of the Auschwitz death camp.Ò. . . a comprehensive work that is unlikely to be overtaken for many years. This learnedvolume is about as chilling as historiography gets.Ó ÑWalter Laqueur, The New RepublicÒ. . . a vital contribution to Holocaust studies and a bulwark against forgetting.Ó ÑPublishers WeeklyÒRigorously documented, brilliantly written, organized, and edited . . . the most authoritativebook about a place of unsurpassed importance in human history.Ó ÑJohn K. RothÒNever before has knowledge concerning every aspect of Auschwitz . . . been made available in such authority, depth, and comprehensiveness.Ó ÑRichard L. RubensteinLeadin...