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A Rebel in Auschwitz: the True Story of the Resistance Hero Who Fought the Nazis' Greatest Crime from Inside the Camp (Scholastic Focus)
A Rebel in Auschwitz: the True Story of the Resistance Hero Who Fought the Nazis' Greatest Crime from Inside the Camp (Scholastic Focus) | Jack Fairweather
With exclusive access to previously hidden diaries, family and camp survivor accounts, and recently declassified files, critically acclaimed and award-winning journalist Jack Fairweather brilliantly portrays the remarkable man who volunteered to face the unknown in the name of truth and country. This extraordinary and eye-opening account of the Holocaust invites us all to bear witness. Occupied Warsaw, Summer 1940: Witold Pilecki, a Polish underground operative, accepted a mission to uncover the fate of thousands interned at a new concentration camp, report on Nazi crimes, raise a secret army, and stage an uprising. The name of the camp -- Auschwitz. Over the next two and half years, and under the cruellest of conditions, Pilecki's underground sabotaged facilities, assassinated Nazi officers, and gathered evidence of terrifying abuse and mass murder. But as he pieced together the horrifying Nazi plans to exterminate Europe's Jews, Pilecki realized he would have to risk his men, his life, and his family to warn the West before all was lost. To do so meant attempting the impossible -- but first he would have to escape from Auschwitz itself...
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RamsFan1963
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Pickpick

65/150 The amazing story of Witold Pilecki, a Polish national who volunteered to enter the Auschwitz concentration camp, with the sole purpose of spying on the Nazis, formulating rebellions and generally interfering with Germany's wartime efforts. Fairweather's description of the Nazi atrocities is both brutal and unflinching. 4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
1st book finished for #MarvellousMay @Andrew65

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pr.alm
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Pickpick

The true story of Witold Pilecki, a former Polish cavalry officer that became a resistance member in 1939 after the German invasion. Witold volunteered to be captured to infiltrate Auschwitz in 1940. Witold led a resistance group of hundreds of inmates and created an effective smuggling operation to report German atrocities to Western Allies. Its intense and vivid account portrays an explicit contrast between the worst and best in human nature.

TrishB I enjoyed this one too 👍🏻 4y
mavey Wow😮! Need to read this! 4y
pr.alm I‘m glad you did @TrishB !! It was a powerful read! 4y
pr.alm @Mavey yes you do!! 😅 it‘s amazing!! 4y
LindaLaforgeAuthor A fine recommendation. Always inspired by the courage of others and, in the troubled times we now live, these stories have more relevance than ever. 4y
31 likes2 stack adds5 comments
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Blueberry
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The book author from the tagged book was on C-Span this last weekend. Adding to my tbr list.

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TrishB
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Pickpick

I enjoyed finding out a lot of new things in this book- different focus on Auschwitz, from a political prisoner.
I had no idea that the Allied governments knew about Auschwitz so early on and basically didn‘t categorise it as a priority. Slightly ashamed of the reaction of the U.K. government. Things could have been so different.

Tanisha_A This does sound full of good information. Nice review. 💙 Stacked! 5y
TrishB @Tanisha_A I found it fascinating. 👍🏻 5y
Butterfinger There was so much to be ashamed of the US government during this time. 5y
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TrishB @Butterfinger I think that probably goes for most governments! 5y
Caroline2 Yeah I remember being horrified when I found out how much the UK gov knew when doing my history degree, I guess they were firing all on fronts but I know what you mean. I felt ashamed and so saddened. 😔 5y
TrishB @Caroline2 hindsight is a wonderful thing. Look at the persistent running down of the NHS for 10 years and where are we now... 5y
Caroline2 It‘s been longer than that. New Labour and Blair started dismantling the NHS and privatisation in the 90s. 😔 5y
111 likes6 stack adds7 comments
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Librarybelle
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Mehso-so

Admittedly, I picked the wrong time to read a book like this - so much pain and death in these pages. There were times that it was very hard to read. Fairweather chronicles Witold Pilecki‘s experience in Auschwitz as an underground Polish operative. It‘s graphic. And, as Witold sees the Jewish families arriving...it‘s tough reading.

But, I was not a fan of Fairweather‘s writing. In parts, it was rather slow and almost clunky. There are so ⬇️⬇️⬇️

Librarybelle many endnotes, which shows a highly researched book. But, the sentence structure seemed more like the laying out of facts (and not in a strictly academic way) versus trying to smooth out the story. I am glad I read this, though. I had no idea about the Polish underground and the vast network of intelligence going in and out of Auschwitz, only to fall on deaf ears. This is my letter V for #LitsyAtoZ @BookishMarginalia and ⬇️⬇️⬇️ 5y
Crazeedi Oh boy this had to be a tough one to read 5y
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Librarybelle @Crazeedi Definitely tough 5y
Librarybelle And, this is also my Poland entry for #ReadingEurope2020 . @BarbaraBB 5y
BarbaraBB Sounds tough! 5y
Librarybelle @BarbaraBB It is! Hope you‘re doing well! 5y
BarbaraBB I am. Getting used to this new reality a bit. Focusing on staying healthy. How about you? 😘 5y
Librarybelle @BarbaraBB I‘m doing okay. Also adjusting to the new normal while staying as close to the old routine as possible. 😘 (edited) 5y
BarbaraBB That‘s wise, holding on to daily routines. I try to as well! 5y
Librarybelle @BarbaraBB 😁❤️ 5y
81 likes2 stack adds12 comments
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Librarybelle
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When a book you‘re actively reading mentions today‘s date...

Cinfhen Cool 😎 I love those #BookishCoincidences 5y
Lindy 👌 5y
AmyG Awesome! 5y
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Palimpsest Cool! That happened to me when I read Frankenstein. 😊 5y
DaveGreen7777 😱😱😱 5y
87 likes6 comments
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Andrew65
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FantasyChick Well this is going on the list! 5y
MamaGina Just put it on library hold and I think I‘m first in line! 👏🏼 👏🏼 👏🏼 5y
Andrew65 @FantasyChick Min e too! 5y
Andrew65 @MamaGina You will have to let us know what you think. 5y
56 likes3 stack adds4 comments