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  • The Escape Artist

  • The Man Who Broke Out of Auschwitz to Warn the World
  • Written by: Jonathan Freedland
  • Narrated by: Jonathan Freedland
  • Length: 11 hrs and 47 mins
  • 4.9 out of 5 stars (42 ratings)

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The Escape Artist cover art

The Escape Artist

Written by: Jonathan Freedland
Narrated by: Jonathan Freedland
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Publisher's Summary

Winner of the National Jewish Book Award · New York Times Bestseller

"A brilliant and heart-wrenching book, with universal and timely lessons about the power of informationand misinformation. Is it possible to stop mass murder by telling the truth?"Yuval Noah Harari, bestselling author of Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind and Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow

A complex hero. A forgotten story. The first witness to reveal the full truth of the Holocaust . . .

Award-winning journalist and bestselling novelist Jonathan Freedland tells the astonishing true story of Rudolf Vrba, the man who broke out of Auschwitz to warn the world of a truth too few were willing to hear.

In April 1944, Rudolf Vrba became one of the very first Jews to escape from Auschwitz and make his way to freedom—among only a tiny handful who ever pulled off that near-impossible feat. He did it to reveal the truth of the death camp to the world—and to warn the last Jews of Europe what fate awaited them. Against all odds, Vrba and his fellow escapee, Fred Wetzler, climbed mountains, crossed rivers, and narrowly missed German bullets until they had smuggled out the first full account of Auschwitz the world had ever seen—a forensically detailed report that eventually reached Franklin Roosevelt, Winston Churchill, and the Pope.

And yet too few heeded the warning that Vrba had risked everything to deliver. Though Vrba helped save two hundred thousand Jewish lives, he never stopped believing it could have been so many more.

This is the story of a brilliant yet troubled man—a gifted “escape artist” who, even as a teenager, understood that the difference between truth and lies can be the difference between life and death. Rudolf Vrba deserves to take his place alongside Anne Frank, Oskar Schindler, and Primo Levi as one of the handful of individuals whose stories define our understanding of the Holocaust.

©2022 Jonathan Freedland (P)2022 HarperAudio

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Great book

A great read from start to finish, just when you thought his fight was over after he escaped, it was only the beginning!

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Moving, well written and researched necessary read

This book was amazing. So moving, so sad, but a very unique perspective on the Holocaust with emphasis on parts such as the stolen wealth from the Jews from the Reich and the treachery of Jewish officials in Hungary. It’s one of the most moving accounts of the Holocaust I’ve ever read. I feel very lucky to have read the story of this amazing hero and have heard the stories of other everyday people who helped him along the way. You can’t believe what people live through and go on. This story is many testimonies to the resilience of the human spirit, the capacity to recover after great evil, the need to go on. Thank you so much, Jonathan Freedland, for this amazing, needed account.

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Kept listening

It was hard to stop listening for me. An intriguing story. The first was more ‘eventful’ but the second half, although slower and less exciting, was more informative. I didn’t much of how the holocaust narrative was shaped and made me want to learn more. Love to narrator.

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A “page turner” of an audiobook

I’ve listened to many stories of survival against all odds, and this one truly stands out as one I couldn’t wait to return to, day after day. A story superbly told and narrated by the storyteller.

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Outstanding

The historical story, the depth of research, the storytelling and the narration (by the author) are remarkable.

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The Best Historical Reflection of “The Final Solution” to date

I’ve read many books and have seen many films about Auschwitz and this by far outweighs the rest. It left me angry, sad, shocked, relieved and many more adjectives!
Freedland brought this story to life.

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Moving story

Very well written and read aloud. Learned many important lessons about humanity and life. Well worth the read.

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Four extraordinary stories woven together

The horrors of Auschwitz, an incredible escape, how we failed to act and his life.

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