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'The Man Who Broke into Auschwitz' by Denis Avey

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By (user no longer on site) OP   
over a year ago

right guys its time to discuss the book

what did you think about it?

did you enjoy it?

i loved it it made me cry, it made me smile and it even made me do both at the same time

it took me the first couple of chapters to even get into it i have to admit i think i expected it to start at Auschwitz and was quite dissapointed it didn't but my son who was reading it at the same time but a bit ahead of me told me to give it a while all would become clear and he was right it made sense to have the back story fully layed out proir to what he did

once i got into it i couldn't read it fast enough i just needed to know what happened next especially as got close to the end of it but then at the same time i didn't want it to end

an amazing story that i'm so glad i read

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

a friend has bought me this for my birthday, but i haven't read it yet

i have an interest /fascination with the nazi regime and it's workings, how they functioned, how they 'got away' with doing what they did (or didn't do according to some)

so i am looking forward to reading the book when i have finished with 'The Killing' DVD boxset - that has my current attention !

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By *iamondsmiles.Woman
over a year ago

little house on the praire

Got into it straight away and warmed to dennis, he seemed a lovable character from the start.

Was fascinated how you can switch your emotions off while those around you die in battle.

Gave me a real incite into how things really where during the war.

I dont think any of us can fully understand what went off in the concentration camps and i found his descriptions very thought provoking.

The mental fight he had was amazing, such a truley strong character of mind.

I kept wanting to know what was going to happen next.

Its hard to believe that someone can go through all that and lead a relatively normal life.

Loved the bit where he found that his friend had suvived although sad that he never got to meet him.

In the face of diversity it shows that humans can still show kindness to their fellow man.

I really enjoyed it and have discussed it with jay as hes up on it all and he had heard of a few people mentioned in the book.

Hes recommended somemore that i might like to read and i will.

It was a brilliant choice of book and one i wouldnt have read if it wasnt for the bookclub

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By (user no longer on site) OP   
over a year ago


"a friend has bought me this for my birthday, but i haven't read it yet

i have an interest /fascination with the nazi regime and it's workings, how they functioned, how they 'got away' with doing what they did (or didn't do according to some)

so i am looking forward to reading the book when i have finished with 'The Killing' DVD boxset - that has my current attention !"

you will love it treacle it really does draw you right in and gives you goose bumps

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By (user no longer on site) OP   
over a year ago


"

Was fascinated how you can switch your emotions off while those around you die in battle.

"

i think it has to be quite purely a survival technique, i couldn't imagine being able to do it but then thankfully i will never have to find out whether or not i could


"Its hard to believe that someone can go through all that and lead a relatively normal life.

"

i think it was externally normal but internally turmoil but i know exactly what you mean its amazing that he managed to let those around him have the impression that all was well within his world shows amazing stregnth of character


"Loved the bit where he found that his friend had suvived although sad that he never got to meet him.

"

oh so did i i sobbed and sobbed whilst reading this bit especially the bit where he was watching the video of Ernst and he heard him relaying the story of what Dennis did for him as its one thing to do something to help someone but finding out it made such an impact and know you was right to do what you did must be the most amazing feeling ever

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By (user no longer on site) OP   
over a year ago

the only thing i didn't understand was why he didn't go forward when the war crime trials were on and tell them what he saw or even during his debrieving why didn't he tell them everything then he could of got to tell his story at the trials as a witness as this was the reason he gave for doing the swap with Ernst

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By *heWolfMan
over a year ago

warwickshire

To have this listed as "Non-Fiction" is a disgrace, it's the biggest load of tripe masquerading as a historical document I've ever seen.

Thankfully, it has been roundly de-bunked as such by leading historians and has been dismissed by Holocaust organisations including Yad Veshem and the Auschwitz Memorial and Museum.

It's dross like this which muddies the waters around the horrors which really did happen during WW2, people might take it at face value and believe it as fact. Sooner or later, someone who has believed these stories finds out they have been duped, and then dismisses EVERYTHING they have been told about the Holocaust.

Take it for what it is - a fictional tale about a terrible time in history, but it's about as genuine as the Hitler Diaries.

Still, I bet the author's made a few quid out of it, so Happy Days!

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By (user no longer on site) OP   
over a year ago


"To have this listed as "Non-Fiction" is a disgrace, it's the biggest load of tripe masquerading as a historical document I've ever seen.

Thankfully, it has been roundly de-bunked as such by leading historians and has been dismissed by Holocaust organisations including Yad Veshem and the Auschwitz Memorial and Museum.

It's dross like this which muddies the waters around the horrors which really did happen during WW2, people might take it at face value and believe it as fact. Sooner or later, someone who has believed these stories finds out they have been duped, and then dismisses EVERYTHING they have been told about the Holocaust.

Take it for what it is - a fictional tale about a terrible time in history, but it's about as genuine as the Hitler Diaries.

Still, I bet the author's made a few quid out of it, so Happy Days! "

may i ask have you read it?

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By (user no longer on site) OP   
over a year ago

Bump

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By *heWolfMan
over a year ago

warwickshire


"may i ask have you read it?"

It was serialised in one of the papers, and I read enough to see that it had more holes than Swiss Cheese and was utter bollocks.

I got the impression it was a pile of shite which was being pushed as a masterpiece, when in fact it was lowest common denominator pulp garbage. Something like "The Da Vinci Code", I suppose - a seriously high volume seller, but not exactly well-written stimulating literature, in fact, a bit of an embarrassment to have on your bookshelf!

But hey, millions enjoyed Dan Brown's book, so if you enjoyed this one, good for you.

Just remember to treat it as a fictionalised account, and not a historically accurate account. That's the worst thing about it, not the fantasy tale it portrays.

It's a bit like my Grandad's stirring hand-on-heart tales of the times he flew a Spitfire, stormed the beaches at Normandy, sank a U-boat, tried to assassinate Hitler, secretly advised Churchill in clandestine meetings in the snug of his local, deposed Mussolini, trained partisans in Yugoslavia, cleared Japanese machine-gun nests single handedly, atom bombed Nagasaki, AND personally hanged Tojo. I wouldn't say he was a liar to his face, but there's more than a faint whiff of bullshit about his war stories, no matter how much his eyes start to water when he solemnly recants his past.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago


"may i ask have you read it?

It was serialised in one of the papers, and I read enough to see that it had more holes than Swiss Cheese and was utter bollocks.

I got the impression it was a pile of shite which was being pushed as a masterpiece, when in fact it was lowest common denominator pulp garbage. Something like "The Da Vinci Code", I suppose - a seriously high volume seller, but not exactly well-written stimulating literature, in fact, a bit of an embarrassment to have on your bookshelf!

But hey, millions enjoyed Dan Brown's book, so if you enjoyed this one, good for you.

Just remember to treat it as a fictionalised account, and not a historically accurate account. That's the worst thing about it, not the fantasy tale it portrays.

It's a bit like my Grandad's stirring hand-on-heart tales of the times he flew a Spitfire, stormed the beaches at Normandy, sank a U-boat, tried to assassinate Hitler, secretly advised Churchill in clandestine meetings in the snug of his local, deposed Mussolini, trained partisans in Yugoslavia, cleared Japanese machine-gun nests single handedly, atom bombed Nagasaki, AND personally hanged Tojo. I wouldn't say he was a liar to his face, but there's more than a faint whiff of bullshit about his war stories, no matter how much his eyes start to water when he solemnly recants his past.

"

wish that was the description on the back of the book lol

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By (user no longer on site) OP   
over a year ago


"may i ask have you read it?

It was serialised in one of the papers, and I read enough to see that it had more holes than Swiss Cheese and was utter bollocks.

I got the impression it was a pile of shite which was being pushed as a masterpiece, when in fact it was lowest common denominator pulp garbage. Something like "The Da Vinci Code", I suppose - a seriously high volume seller, but not exactly well-written stimulating literature, in fact, a bit of an embarrassment to have on your bookshelf!

But hey, millions enjoyed Dan Brown's book, so if you enjoyed this one, good for you.

Just remember to treat it as a fictionalised account, and not a historically accurate account. That's the worst thing about it, not the fantasy tale it portrays.

It's a bit like my Grandad's stirring hand-on-heart tales of the times he flew a Spitfire, stormed the beaches at Normandy, sank a U-boat, tried to assassinate Hitler, secretly advised Churchill in clandestine meetings in the snug of his local, deposed Mussolini, trained partisans in Yugoslavia, cleared Japanese machine-gun nests single handedly, atom bombed Nagasaki, AND personally hanged Tojo. I wouldn't say he was a liar to his face, but there's more than a faint whiff of bullshit about his war stories, no matter how much his eyes start to water when he solemnly recants his past.

"

well then you obviously don't know that a chunk of his story was verified by the sister of one of the jewish chaps that was there and the said jewish chap also completely independantly told his story on video tape for the Holocaust educational trust and only came to light when a tv reporter was doing research to find some suporting eveidence for a tv interview he was doing with Dennis

personally i think that before someone dismisses something as bollux they should be aware of all the facts not just make presumptions

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

I am still reading this book, I know I'm late with only starting it on Sunday.

But if a story is enjoyable then that is all that matters to me. The books I read for pleasure are mainly fictional. Even a biography I expect to be embellished somewhat.

So I would say that if you want a factual and accurate account of the holocaust, there may be other books more suitable. But this book is not packaged as an indepth factual account. Its obvious from the style, the way its been marketed etc, to be enjoyed rather than base you whole view of the holocaust on it.

As mentioned previously, the Da Vinci Code, I enjoyed it, I am not ashamed to have a copy on my bookshelf, but neither am I silly enough to believe it word for word either. Reading these kind of books are escapism, obviously sections are exaggerated and made up to make it more colourful etc, but if I enjoy a book I take it at face value.

Seriously anyone picking up this book, the way its written and packaged, would not expect anything other than what it is. Its not meant for learned historians as true evidence.

Just like the Philippa Gregory novels are not a true historical factual document on the Tudors either

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Righto, since reading the above posts I got curious and did a bit of googling... but that's another story

So, I read the book in 'ignorance' and felt glad that I had for the most part.

I don't think it mattered that it wasn't 'brilliantly' written, it was after all a personal account of one man's experience, he wanted to tell us something, not impress us with his literary skills.

I have to say though, when he got to the plan of sneaking into Auschwitz, I couldn't help but wonder why? and more so when he did it for a second time. he obviously knew he could do no good there, I couldn't help feeling his presence there was an invasion somehow... there was a certain amount of pomposity about him and this account seemed to only highlight that for me

I was interested in his life after the war, and was completely hooked when they were searching for the sister and all that stuff. It was quite uplifting at that point.

... I s'pose I'm curious now what other people are feeling about the accusations? There does seem to be some interesting points flying about. I hope they are wrong and I'm glad I hadn't heard about it until after I read the book.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago


"Righto, since reading the above posts I got curious and did a bit of googling... but that's another story

So, I read the book in 'ignorance' and felt glad that I had for the most part.

I don't think it mattered that it wasn't 'brilliantly' written, it was after all a personal account of one man's experience, he wanted to tell us something, not impress us with his literary skills.

I have to say though, when he got to the plan of sneaking into Auschwitz, I couldn't help but wonder why? and more so when he did it for a second time. he obviously knew he could do no good there, I couldn't help feeling his presence there was an invasion somehow... there was a certain amount of pomposity about him and this account seemed to only highlight that for me

I was interested in his life after the war, and was completely hooked when they were searching for the sister and all that stuff. It was quite uplifting at that point.

... I s'pose I'm curious now what other people are feeling about the accusations? There does seem to be some interesting points flying about. I hope they are wrong and I'm glad I hadn't heard about it until after I read the book.

"

just tossed the book in the bin was only at page 85, then read this. Thanks..... hhehehe x

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