The Stunning and Emotional Autobiography of an Auschwitz Survivor April 7, 1944—This date marks the successful escape of two Slovak prisoners from one of the most heavily-guarded and notorious concentration camps of Nazi Germany. The escapees, Rudolf Vrba and Alfred Wetzler, fled over one hundred miles to be the first to give the graphic and detailed descriptions of the atrocities of Auschwitz. … atrocities of Auschwitz.
Originally published in the early 1960s, I Escaped from Auschwitz is the striking autobiography of none other than Rudolf Vrba himself. Vrba details his life leading up to, during, and after his escape from his 21-month internment in Auschwitz. Vrba and Wetzler manage to evade Nazi authorities looking for them and make contact with the Jewish council in Zilina, Slovakia, informing them about the truth of the “unknown destination” of Jewish deportees all across Europe. This first-hand report alerted Western authorities, such as Pope Pius XII, Winston Churchill, and Franklin D. Roosevelt, to the reality of Nazi annihilation camps—information that until then had only been recognized as nasty rumors.
I Escaped from Auschwitz is a close-up look at the horror faced by the Jewish people in Auschwitz and across Europe during World War II. This newly edited translation of Vrba’s memoir will leave readers reeling at the terrors faced by those during the Holocaust. Despite the profound emotions brought about by this narrative, readers will also find an astounding story of heroism and courage in the face of seemingly hopeless circumstances.
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Now that hate groups abound in the US and people deny the Holocaust, it is critical everyone read this book. I knew that someone had escaped from Auschwitz and told the world what was happening there, but I didn’t know about the person who escaped. This is a story of perseverance, hope, and an insistence on justice. Every person should read this book. One shocking thing….I discovered there was a Nazi war criminal who was captured by the British, tried and executed, and who had my last name. Worse, he was a relative although he lived and died before I was born. I feel no guilt, but it was a shock.
Very informative and sad that this happened at all.
Although there were many tragic things going on around him, there was very little deep feeling involved. The author wrote or told his story in a rather blasé manner. I enjoyed the book. It was easy to read. I would recommend it.
the real deal!
This was a tough book to read simply because of the horrors of the depraved system he lived through and thankfully escaped from.
So glad that I read this. A definite strong perspective from WWII
A good read about the camps of WWII
Typical book about the Holacast
It was a great read.
Incredible descriptive account of the author’s experience in Auschwitz. Had to put down at times, but believe what happened should not be forgotten.
It was good although from the title you can imagine rather depressing. Sad to be reminded of the atrocities there. Totally inhuman treatment of good people who deserved so much more. The highlight was the escape and how determined you had to be to get out of that hell.
If you like WWII books, this is a good one. A true story that details the horror of the Holocaust
A powerful true story that reads like a novel.
In his memoir, Rudolf Vrba recounts a horrific story of his incarceration and eventual escape from the extermination camp Auschwitz and the consequences his report had on the so-called Hungarian Aktion. It’s definitely not for the faint of the heart. Vrba conceals nothing when he talks about his own experiences and experiences his fellow inmates had to go through. Savage beatings, the brutality of the Kapos, rare sympathetic SS guards (one of which actually did help one of the inmates escape with his brave action), the comradery and the betrayals – it all comes alive before one’s eyes with the most gut-wrenching honesty. In the dog-eat-dog world of Auschwitz, a young boy was forced to grow into a man under the most savage conditions and I couldn’t help but applaud his integrity, bravery, and desire to save others from the fate that millions of the perished had already shared. Unlike many others, Vrba didn’t run just to get away; he ran with a sole objective – to prevent the Hungarian Jews from allowing themselves to be tricked into boarding the dreaded cattle trains and die in the Auschwitz gas chambers. Risking his own life and freedom, he made it to the Jewish leaders and presented them with a detailed report of what was going on behind the barbed wire cordon of the sinister extermination facility. You’ll have to read to find out what happened next; I’ll just say, this memoir is definitely a must-read for everyone, not only people interested in the history of the Holocaust. The inhumanity of people treating others as inferiors due to the color of their skin or nationality is very much alive and we have to educate ourselves to prevent history from repeating itself. Read this book. You won’t regret it.
This book kept me riveted from the first page to the last! How these people mustered the strength to survive, is way beyond my ability to imagine! Where the hate to do these things to other people came from boggles my mind. I waffled between hope and despair with every page.
I was hoping for someone to get out of that awful camp. People need to know the terrible things that happened so we never let them happen again. Thank you for sharing your story.
Learned a lot about the war.
This is about a subject many don’t want to think or talk about–the reality of the concentration camps and what happened to the Jews that were sent there. A touching true story that is deeply moving.
This is horrific story to read but it should be read by everyone. It is the true account of two people that escaped Auschwitz. It happened during WWII. It tells how over a million Jews were gassed and put into crematoriums while other Jews were forced into slavery. History has tried to ignore this story — saying something like that just couldn’t happen but it is imperative that we remember and learn from it so it won’t ever happen again.
Thought provoking