An absolutely....

brilliant and a definite book to listen to from start to finish. The narrator was very good.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Narration excellent . Very engaging

Well documented history . But very well told with deeply personal accounts . An important book . Should be on the curriculum

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Well delivered horror

It is the tale of the worst war crime ever, how humankind can be so vile to each other is terrible.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

brilliant

must listen could listen to again and again.
and and and again and again great

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

masterpiece

this author blows me away with his meticulous research and absorbing telling of history

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

Very Good

A good overall telling of the history behind the final solution coving not just the obvoius but a bigger picture that you don't always get.

I though after watching and reading much on this there was no more to tell but this book certainly puts things in a wider perspective.

I was bought the hard copy but never got round to it. Audible is great as it makes it possible to cover books like these.

Certainly reccomended and worth a credit.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

Good but, not “new”.

This was a bit of an odd one. This was kind of reading a literary version of BBC’s 6 episode “Auschwitz : The Nazi’s And The Final Solution” from 2005.

Obviously it does contain a bit more, but overall it is the same story with most of the conversations and interviews quoted word for word. For this reason, I can’t help but feeling a bit cheated. There were a few small add-on’s, but nothing major. A bit like watching the series in a 15 minute extended director’s cut version.

If you have not read much about Auschwitz, Operation Reinhard, the final solution, Hoess or the KZ camps in general, this is a fine place to start. But if you are already knowledgeable about these things or remember that television series, skip this.

It is well written but basic. It gives a very superficial idea about life in the camp, but it lacks the details and depth of other books.

So, for an Auschwitz newbie, sure. As long as you keep in mind that it is your starting point. Don’t use this to go into deep discussions and tales of the camp and it’s horrors - it will not make you an instant expert. It will put you on the path and start you off well, but it is a starting point only. It does not deal with any proper data points which for example gives a proper and good definition of sizes, locations or routines of the camp etc. it also does not talk about any of the many sub camps, nor does it talk about Monowitz. It also fails to talk in-depth about things like the medical experiments or the work of the zonderkomando in greater detail. Some might find this kind of detailed, but once you study things a bit more, you realise how much is still there after reading this.

A word of caution. If you are new to this subject and feel like taking on some of the holocaust deniers in a debate, don’t do it with this as your only knowledge base. This will not prepare you for the weird and twisted pseudoscience these guys use to skew things to fit their narrative. It has a few factual errors that can catch you off guard, and things simply lack the details to go against someone who has spent a lot of time trying to find “scientific” proof that the holocaust was a hoax. This book will put you on the path and make you more knowledgeable, but it will not make you an instant expert. Just something to be aware of.

If you like me have visited the camps, done more in-depth studies, read many of the more detailed book and scientific articles and publications made, just skip this one unless you just want to rack it up as yet another one for the huge collection of holocaust and KZ oriented books read.

The narration is okay, not brilliant but good. A few names etc. could be better, but overall good.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

Excellent

An incredibly detailed account which encompasses far more than the camp at Auschwitz. In spite of the harrowing nature of the subject matter, the book is a must for anyone interested in the history of the era as it shows how and why so many ordinary people were willing to collaborate in so vile a crime. Wonderfully written and narrated.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

Harrowing

Hard to hear in places but a vital part of history that must never be forgotten.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

Exceptionally written

Having listened to this book prior to visiting Auschwitz and reading many books on WW2, this is by far the most well researched and historically accurate. Some parts are difficult to hear, but I was completely absorbed all the way through! I finished it it 2 days! The narrator was perfect and I was totally captivated. I will listen to this book again after I have visited Auschwitz.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!