Jonathan Freedland on The Escape Artist | 5x15

Jonathan Freedland is an award-winning Guardian columnist, presenter of BBC Radio Four’s The Long View, and a multi-million selling thriller author under the name Sam Bourne. His new book, THE ESCAPE ARTIST, marks a return to non-fiction, telling the story of Rudolf Vrba, ‘the man who broke out of Auschwitz to warn the world’. Vrba’s testimony would reach Roosevelt, Churchill and the pope, and eventually save over 200,000 lives, but the escape from Auschwitz was not his last. After the war, he kept running - from his past, from his home country, from his adopted country, even from his own name. ‘A work of the highest quality about an astonishing man. It is gripping from start to finish, searingly, shocking, revelatory and deeply moving.’ - Jonathan Dimbleby
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[@Promqueen23]

A phenomenal book about a very courageous man. Thank you, J. Freedland for writing it.

[@rmgranlund6083]

Rudolf Vrba a hero!

[@farleytaylor5493]

Everyone over 16 should read this masterpiece. I'm on the next book, The Nazi conspiracy.

[@Oldag75]

I just today finished (audiobook) "The Escape Artist." It's understandable why Rudolph's/Walter's account of his imprisonment in Auschwitz failed to gain traction in the outside world. I can't say "first," or "second," because both of these factors are equal: The notion that a modern civilized nation (Germany) could mass-murder people in an industrial fashion was incomprehensible... immediately evoking denial. And, the descriptions of prisoner life in Auschwitz were contrary to all concepts of human decency... evoking further denial.
I recommend Herman Wouk's novel "War and Remembrance," for the best historical-fiction descriptions of life in Auschwitz along with the murder process. Those vignettes, narrated in present tense, put the reader right there.

[@ianharwell7500]

I too read Vrba's account, twice, re: "I escaped from Auschwitz" about 20 years ago. I'm currently one third through the Freedland book. Certainly well written. I've seen the odd drama-doc on the lead up to and eventual escape. I cannot believe that this does not deserve a sensitively done but big budget film version as it's one of the great & tragic WW2/human stories. The weight of the story requires an even focus: a) Vrba's observations and battle to survive b) escape plan & action c) on the run to Slovakia d) information reaching the Allies high command. Make that film and make it well.. please

[@maxsmith695]

Vrba admitted in a Canadian Court in 1985 he never saw a gas chamber and never saw one person gassed. He admitted that his 40 year long story about being an eye witness to 1,765,000 Jews being gassed, was hearsay. He sent hundreds if not thousands to their deaths based on his false testimony. Obviously Hollywood is not going to touch that story.

[@Promqueen23]

@@maxsmith695 BS, let's see the evidence

[@maxsmith695]

@@Promqueen23 - I document it all in my book.

[@Promqueen23]

@@maxsmith695 where's the link?

[@maxsmith695]

@@Promqueen23 I document it in my book.

[@historicrecord]

Rudolf Vrba is a fascinating man but I feel he covered his escape in his books " I cannot forgive " and " I escaped from Auschwitz", I;m not really sure that Jonathan has anything to add to his account other than to retell it.

[@maxsmith695]

OH my Gosh.

[@EiziEizz]

It was not disbelief of the jewish leaders but their pathological narcissism and self importance of people like Kaztner,
having the criminal audacity to prevent most Jews in Hungary from learning about their planned fate in order to do their private deals with the Nazis.
The reason why Vrba's story is so compelling is because it deals with psychopathic character disorders on the Nazi and the Jewish side.