The Man Who Broke into Auschwitz: A True Story of World War II

by Denis Avey, Rob Broomby Narrated by James Langton

Overview

The Man Who Broke into Auschwitz is the extraordinary true story of a British soldier who marched willingly into the notorious concentration camp, Buna-Monowitz, known as Auschwitz III.



In the summer of 1944, Denis Avey was being held in a British POW labor camp, E715, near the site of Auschwitz III. He had heard of the brutality meted out to the prisoners there and he was determined to witness what he could.



He hatched a plan to swap places with a Jewish inmate and smuggled himself into his sector of the camp. He spent the night there on two occasions and experienced firsthand the cruelty of a place where slave workers had been sentenced to death through labor.



Astonishingly, he survived to witness the aftermath of the Death March in which thousands of prisoners were murdered by the Nazis as the Soviet Army advanced. After his own long trek across central Europe, he was repatriated to Britain.



For decades he couldn't bring himself to revisit the past that haunted his dreams, but now Denis Avey feels able to tell the full story-a tale as gripping as it is moving-which offers us unique insight into the mind of an ordinary man whose moral and physical courage are almost beyond belief.

Editorial Reviews

Publishers Weekly - Audio

During WWII, British soldier Denis Avey was imprisoned at E715, a labor camp near Buna-Monowitz, the concentration camp known as Auschwitz III. While at E715, Avey decided to break out of prison and into Auschwitz to see its horrors firsthand. After disguising himself as a Jewish inmate, Avey entered Auschwitz and even witnessed the death march, in which thousands of prisoners were slaughtered in the face of advancing Soviet troops. James Langton ably narrates this audio version of Avey and Broomby’s international bestseller. Although Langton’s mellifluous tones—his voice light, fluting, and delicate—are occasionally at odds with the brutal ugliness of the tale, his narration is well paced and steady. Additionally, Langton uses the silence between sentences to punctuate the narrative, allowing those pauses to remind listeners that behind the story’s excitement and valor remained a regular man who bore witness to the horrors of the Holocaust. A Da Capo hardcover. (July)

From the Publisher

"This is a most important book, and a timely reminder of the dangers that face any society once intolerance and racism take hold." ---Sir Martin Gilbert

Library Journal

Auschwitz and the horrors of war retold in this first-person account are so unspeakable that Avey only felt comfortable sharing his story at age 90. A British POW in Auschwitz, Avey befriended and traded places with another prisoner to spend two nights in the Jewish sector in order to witness the atrocities. Only a small portion of the book deals with Auschwitz, but Avey's description of life during and after wartime is priceless. Avey's message to the world: everyone must fight to correct wrong and never assume that the unthinkable will not occur where you live. Narrator James Langton covers diverse cultures, accents, and situations with great skill and compassion. His outstanding delivery enhances this moving story immeasurably. Recommended for World War II and Holocaust enthusiasts. This program should be required reading for the military and war industry.—Susan G. Baird, formerly with Oak Lawn P.L., Chicago

Product Details

BN ID:	2940170462827
Publisher:	Tantor Audio
Publication date:	07/11/2011
Edition description:	Unabridged

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