The Auschwitz Escape

By: Joel C. Rosenberg

Narrated by: Christopher Lane

Length: 14 hrs and 40 mins

Publisher's summary

A terrible darkness has fallen upon Jacob Weisz’s beloved Germany. The Nazi regime, under the leadership of Adolf Hitler, has surged to power and now hold Germany by the throat. All non-Aryans - especially Jews like Jacob and his family - are treated like dogs.

When tragedy strikes during one terrible night of violence, Jacob flees and joins rebel forces working to undermine the regime. But after a raid goes horribly wrong, Jacob finds himself in a living nightmare - trapped in a crowded, stinking car on the train to the Auschwitz death camp.

As World War II rages and Hitler begins implementing his "final solution" to systematically and ruthlessly exterminate the Jewish people, Jacob must rely on his wits and a God he’s not sure he believes in to somehow escape from Auschwitz and alert the world to the Nazi’s atrocities before Fascism overtakes all of Europe. The fate of millions hangs in the balance.

©2014 Joel C. Rosenberg (P)2014 Brilliance Audio, all rights reserved.

Amazing, horrifying, and heartwarming!

What did you love best about The Auschwitz Escape?

I loved the entire book! But, my favorite would have to be the end of the book. I'm not going to give away any spoilers, but I found my eyes welling up with tears and a smile on my face.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

At times I actually found myself talking out loud as if Jacob could hear me. After saying, "Oh no, don't go that way!" My son actually asked me, "What are you talking about? There is only one way to the back yard."

Which character – as performed by Christopher Lane – was your favorite?

Christopher Lane gave each character their own unique sound. He did such a wonderful job. One reviewer said people who speak french only have accents when they speak English. I don't speak french, but when a friend of mine, who is french speaks french, she has a definite accent. I hate it when narrators try to do the opposite sex and end up sounding like they have an awful head cold, or are being strangled. Christopher Lane did a wonderful job!

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Unfortunately I began the book late in the afternoon and had to force myself to stop and go to bed. That being said, as soon as I got up the next day, my headset was the first thing I picked up.

Any additional comments?

I can't say enough about this book. It is so worth the read!

Engaging novel of Nazi horrors

This novel felt like three different novels, all with different feels. The first, and best, dealt with two characters in Nazi-occupied Europe. One was a German Jew, recruited into the resistance after his family is murdered. The other is a Christian pastor who hides Jews and smuggles them out of Nazi-occupied France. These stories were so intense and real-feeling. The next segment deals with Auschwitz. The horror continues. I was not sure how long I could handle it. And then the characters become part of the planning of an escape. The tone of the novel changed, and it felt like a typical POW escape story, removed from the awful things going on in the camp. This was interesting, but ordinary in many ways, and the reason I did not rate this book 5 stars. The final segment is the escape. This felt like an action novel, and a very good one. While some of the conversations about religion felt a little preachy, this book overall drew me in. It was both horrifying and inspiring. I very much liked this 4.5 star novel. The narrator was great.

Unforgettable and very moving...

It's a book like this that reminds me of why I love Audible so much. The book was well written but what really puts it at the top of my top Audible books of all time was the narration.

If I had just read this book it would not have been the same. The narrator did an OUTSTANDING job. He brought the characters to life and the narration made the story so much more meaningful to me.

No audio book has ever brought tears to my eyes except this one. This book is not to be missed!

The Awful Grace of God

I've listened to at least a dozen Holocaust books and this by far the best so far.

Horror and beauty in the same book

Any additional comments?

I can't say anything about this book that hasn't already been said. It was fantastic and horrifying, tragic and redemptive. It was men and women of true merit and courage that overcame the unspeakable evil of Nazi Germany, and books like that bring them to life.

dbrown

I am surprised by this book. I is a very good story and the narrator delivered an attractive performance. this I a must read for all so we may never forget what can happen if we the people don't pay attention.

A heart warming read.

If you could sum up The Auschwitz Escape in three words, what would they be?

Great true story.

What other book might you compare The Auschwitz Escape to and why?

None that I can think of. Probably why its a great read or listen. The Narrator was great. He truly brought the book to life.

Which character – as performed by Christopher Lane – was your favorite?

Jacob

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

This book brought me as close to tears as i have been in years, and not all of it was sad. It had a wonderful ending.

Any additional comments?

Any Christian looking for a truly powerful read this is your book. In fact you do not need to be a Christian to enjoy the wonderful story telling in this book.

Compels You to Listen

This story, about the concentration camps during WWII is one of struggle, fear, hatred, escape and death. It illuminates the facts of the reality of the concentration camps during WWII and how the camps impacted on the lives of the millions of Jews who were left behind to remember the members of their race being systematically walked, pushed or shoved into the gas chambers to be murdered. The corpses were then removed and put into the ovens to be cremated to try and hide the German's atrocities to one people of humankind, the Jews. Hitler's insanity tried to eliminate a whole sect of people from this earth.

Jacob was one of many who attempted to illustrate just how difficult it was to convince the powers who lived and worked in the White House that what was written in the affidavit and put into words by Jacob needed immediate action.

The concentration camps were placed very far behind enemy lines so as to hide them from the allies. The time finally came when the allies were forced to understand that the atrocities of the Jews was a reality and needed their only hope for freedom, the allies, to set them free.

The narration by Christopher Lane was excellent. I pondered over the purchase of this book and I am certainly convinced that it was the right thing to do. The novel compels you to keep reading from the beginning. The book is well written and explains to listeners in words that are written for all to understand. I wanted to sit and listen so that I would be able to absorb the author's words. I wanted no distractions. The book was not a one day listen because I wanted to remember the story of Jacob. When I am asked if I have read, The Auschwitz Escape, I will be able to say yes and remember its impact on me.

Text Book Material

I love Historical Fiction. I hate History Books. More books should be written about the Holocaust. We should never should be allowed to forget. On the other hand these books should be well written. Most importantly the emotion and feelings of the time should come through the writing. JR fails for me in this attempt. The words are there, but no emotion do they emote. This is my second JR book and I have yet to be impressed. He is a best selling writer, so maybe it is me.

Two really good books about this era among many are Night by Elie Wiesel and Black Cross by Greg Isles.

The narrator was no help.

The Holocaust from Inside the Death Camp

If you could sum up The Auschwitz Escape in three words, what would they be?

Magnificent -- Moving -- Memorable

What did you like best about this story?

The author tells the story through the life of one man whose experiences in Auschwitz, and escape from it, make it more real. It was like listening to "the other side" of what happened to the Jews who were not rescued by Oscar Schindler.

What about Christopher Lane’s performance did you like?

His performance was outstanding. His mastery of so many accents and characters, his nuanced reading and his measured pace were brilliant.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

It made me pray for those who didn't escape, for those who allowed it to happen, for the survivors, and for the millions of people all around the world who continue to suffer tyranny on a smaller scale, but just as cruel. The question of why nothing was done to stop the mass killing of millions of Jews even after the truth was known continues to trouble me.

Any additional comments?

This is not a 'typical' book by Joel Rosenberg in that it doesn't have a lot of action. It is a book to listen to and contemplate. I highly recommend it for anyone wanting to understand how terrible the Nazi philosophy really was.