THE AUSCHWITZ VOLUNTEER –

PRAISE

  Winner of the 2012 PROSE Award for Biography & Autobiography

  Winner of the Silver Award for Autobiography/Memoir at the 2013 Benjamin Franklin Awards

 “One man volunteered for Auschwitz, and now we have his story. Pilecki’s report on Auschwitz, unpublishable for decades in Communist Poland and now translated into English…is a historical document of the greatest importance.”
 — The New York Times - Editors' Choice

One of the "Five Best" books on wartime secret missions!
— Wall Street Journal

 “A shining example of heroism that transcends religion, race and time. Essential reading for anyone interested in the Holocaust.”
 — Rabbi Michael Schudrich, Chief Rabbi of Poland

"A fascinating first-hand account of virtually all aspects of life inside the camp."
— The Atlantic

"One of the great heroes of the 20th century."
— Nicholas Kristof, The New York Times

"Extraordinary memoir. Extraordinarily powerful prose. Pilecki’s depiction of life in Auschwitz and his description of opposition in Auschwitz deserves to be read alongside the accounts of Primo Levi and Elie Wiesel."
— The New Republic

“Remarkable revelations.”
— Publishers Weekly

 
"A work of supreme importance."
— Tablet Magazine

 
"Vibrant with fresh perspectives...As we turn his pages we unforgettably commune with the voice of courage...It is an extraordinary book."
— Martin Amis, bestselling author of Time's Arrow and Lionel Asbo: State of England

 
"Remarkable exploits. Perhaps because he wrote in factual, unemotional language, perhaps because he wasn't a Jew, his observations continue to carry an irrefutable weight."
— Jewish Journal

 
“Extraordinary.”
— Maclean's (Canada)

 
"We have been reviewing Holocaust literature for the Jewish News for 29 years. But this book, The Auschwitz Volunteer, is truly unique, at once a transcendent example of heroism and a historical document of singular importance. Certain to become a standard reference work in every major Holocaust library collection."
— Jewish News

“Earthshaking. A book which I hope will be widely read.”
— Dr. Zbigniew Brzezinski, Center for Strategic & International Studies

"Suspenseful, inspiring, recounting bravery that few of us can imagine. His words are of extreme importance to Jews and to any other community that suffered at the hands of the Nazis."
— The Jewish Week, New York City

"The most extraordinary intelligence report you will ever read."
— The Intelligencer: Journal of U.S. Intelligence Studies

“This remarkable book...may shock but will surely enlighten. Here is a portion of the Auschwitz story that needed to be told.”
  — Professor Gerhard L. Weinberg, author of A World at Arms: A Global History of World War II

“We have few, if any, descriptions that compare to this one—and, therefore, it's a priceless document.
— Dr. Timothy Snyder, Bird White Housum Professor of History at Yale University, author of Bloodlands

 “An Allied hero who deserved to be remembered and celebrated.”
  — Professor Norman Davies, FBA, historian and author of Vanished Kingdoms and God's Playground

“A real contribution to our understanding of the history of Poland under Nazi occupation.”
— Dr. Antony Polonsky, Albert Abramson Professor of Holocaust Studies at Brandeis University, author of The Jews in Poland and Russia

 
"This exceptional book's value is obvious. The Auschwitz Volunteer is truly a gift."
— Military Review, the Professional Journal of the U.S. Army

"The Auschwitz Volunteer is the best book I read in 2012...Pilecki's story is astonishing."
— Wildmoo Books

"Shed[s] little-known insights on the function of Nazi Germans in general and the Auschwitz Concentration/Death Camp in particular."
— Jews & Poles Database

A Featured Selection of the History Book Club®

A Selection of the Book-of-the-Month Club® and the Military Book Club®