The Assassination of Heydrich

Hitler's Hangman and the Czech Resistance

By: Jan G. Wiener

Narrated by: Mark Kamish

Length: 5 hrs and 7 mins

Publisher's summary

If you only listen to one book about what it felt like to be present during the worst time in modern human history, a time when your life could be snuffed out for having the mere thought of opposition against the Nazi regime, this should be the book. It is told by survivors and by one of the greatest survivors of them all, Jan Wiener.

©2012 Zuzana Wiener (P)2016 Irie Books

Critic reviews

"Jan Wiener's fascinating, well-documented book tells of the heroic exploits of various Czech men and women, most of whom paid for their resistance with their lives. Above all it gives a detailed, documented account of the assassination of Reinhard Heydrich, the most gruesome of the Nazi murderers, by Czech resisters parachuted from London but aided in their task by the Czech underground." (William L. Shirer, author of The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich)

The true story behind the movie

This is the 2nd book I've read on the subject and is by far the best. Truly captivating take of a dark chapter in history that up until recently has been quietly swept under the rug and ignored by society. I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator, or publisher.

A Very Personal History of a Very Important Event

This is the incredible true story of Operation Anthropoid, the Czech underground's mission to assassinate Rheinhart Heydrich, the 3rd most powerful man in the Nazi Reich and the primary architect of the "Final Solution." I was familiar with the broad historical strokes already, and this remarkable story has been told in other books and movies, but never in such a personal, firsthand manner. The story and characters unfold in the form of individual accounts from people who were actually there, which gives it a depth and meaning that a typical historical non-fiction account rarely provides.

While the planning, execution and repercussions of the assassination attempt is the heart of the story, it was all the lesser-known details and personal vantage points that make this such a compelling book. In fact, the titular assassination attempt is roughly in the middle of the narrative, and yet the most memorable parts of the story are on either side of the main event: the individual accounts of the participants, the Czech resisters' harrowing infiltration into Prague, the planning and adjustments to the assassination plot as circumstances changed, the horrific, murderous retribution inflicted on the Czechs by the Nazis afterward, and the final confrontation between the Nazi's and the Czech resistance fighters. Those are the details that stuck with me, in part because they were new to me, and in part because they were so intimately portrayed by actual survivors (including the author himself).

The narration is excellent, . It took me a moment or two to get acclimated to his cadence, but I quickly found myself completely immersed in his style of storytelling (and consistently impressed with his pronunciation of names and places). By the end of the audiobook I couldn't imagine anyone telling this story better, and I have since searched out other books narrated by Mr. Kamish.

There is a lot going on in this book -- including a number of people and places with Czech names that were unfamiliar to American ears -- and as such it rewards attention. I could tell early in the narrative that this was not a book I wanted to drift in and out of. But I never found myself lost, and there were so many interesting people and events going on throughout the entire story that I never found myself drifting. I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and voluntarily left this review, and I'm glad I did because I might not have stumbled onto this great book otherwise. Now that you have, give it a try. It's an amazing story, very well told.

"Red posters on the walls ..."

Any additional comments?

A truly remarkable book.
There is everything here - a story far more suspenseful than most fictional thrillers, political intrigue, courage of a type almost unknowable not just by a few but a whole city, compassion and kindness, raw emotion told from the outside and spoken from the heart, and cruelty, evil and so many deaths. I have known the story of Heydrich's death and the terrible aftermath for a long time now despite the reticence of the history books to focus on this cruelly oppressed and neglected area. The dreadful retributions following the assassination had been carefully documented in my previous readings and yes, the story affected me deeply. But, dare I say it? - it was only numbers and happening at a time of so much other violence and death. By his thorough descriptions of the people themselves, the author brings them powerfully alive again so the stories are told of people we have grown to know, making their deaths personal and so, so much more dreadful. Sometimes told through the archived writings of participants, these true recollections as well as official documents, also bring all that happens into an immediacy rarely felt in an history book.

The personal intimacy of the Czech story is further enhanced by the interweaving of Jan Wiener's own experiences as the Heydrich story evolves. The courage of his mother, the desperation of his father and his own attempt to leave the country.. His fear echoing the fear that must have been present throughout Prague. And the feeling of isolation, also, both individually and as a nation. And yet, and yet ...

And all narrated in a style which follows the text of the book, perfectly paced and beautifully read with just a touch of emotion entering into an occasional recollection where such feelings were obviously appropriate. Mark Kamish was a pleasure to hear and, although I cannot comment on his pronunciations, seemed fully capable in tackling the often challenging names of both people and places, thus making them feel familiar.

World War II is a long time ago now and soon there will be no one remaining who remembers it first hand. Other wars and tragedies take precedence in our minds then. But some stories should live on, ones which give insight into the baseness of what can happen and the simple courage to resist evil at any cost. This is one of those stories and so well told that it touches our humanity. with it's excellent telling. Throw away the dry history books in the classroom and play our children this book instead so they can experience how it was at (almost) first hand

Hitler's Lead Henchman in Czechoslovakia is killed

Incredible story of the planned assassination of one of Hitler's favorite murderers. I was curious about this aspect of Czech history since I had had two German teachers who had come from the Sudetenland during WW II Czechoslovakia, and their story didn't match with the survival of Czechoslovakia against the Nazis, and I wanted to learn more.

This is a story of men & women who gave their lives for their country against brutal Nazi oppression and odds. The use of the German Secret State Police (Gestapo) to hunt down, punish, torture, and kill Czech citizens was a living nightmare. And Heydrich was the beast and prime mover behind it all.

The greater evil that is documented in this story is the mass execution of the men and boys of the Czech village of Lidice and the complete annihilation of the town and the sending away of the women and girls to concentration camps as a reprisal for the assassination of Reinhard Heydrich.

One of my German teacher's husband served in the German army against his own country. And my other teacher's father & two brothers also served in the German army against Czechoslovakia. Both teachers considered Hitler a savior for the German Czechs even years after the war and were proud to have been in the Nazi party.

This story brings out the true story of suffering and survival from an enemy from within and from without.

Plays like an excellent history channel special...

I really enjoyed the narrative in this telling of the Heydrich assassination story. WWII lore is so deep that its easy to over look this story. It played like a docudrama with cuts from different characters' perspectives as well as the omnipotent narrator when context was necessary. This element gave me the suspense of fiction with large chunks of educational background. I would recommend this in one or two long sittings as opposed to 10-15 min a day.
The narration was smooth with forgivable accents (better than most I've heard on audible).

I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator, or publisher.

Powerful story!

A sad, beautiful, extraordinary, well written account of the assassination of one of the worst people on human history, Reinhard Heydrich. There is so much in this book that can be talked about but it truly was a fantastic lesson of the triumph of will of the Czech people against the Nazis. Mark Kamish's narration was perfect. Great delivery with a subtlety and nuance that brought out the emotion. Highly recommended!

Compelling story - Excellent narration

Part deep history lesson of the Czech Republic during WWII and part historical narrative, the actual assassination of Heydrich is foretold in the title and perhaps secondary to the story. The book is voiced from both a German/Nazi perspective and a Czech/British/Resistance point of view. The author does a very thorough job of bringing the listener up to speed on the geography, politics and temperament of Europe in the late 1930's and early 1940's while weaving in Hitler's implementation of the Final Solution. Be forewarned that multiple historically correct examples of Nazi soldiers zealously and fanatically carrying out their orders are described in detail. These depictions are necessary as they paint a desolate landscape for the Czech citizens, the Resistance and exiled Czech government.

Heydrich was a highly placed Nazi officer and reported directly to Hitler who referred to Heydrich in admiration as the "man with the iron heart". Heydrich chaired the committee that formalized the Final Solution (the deportation and genocide of all Jews and other non-Arians in Europe), organized and implemented Kristallnacht and was officially charged with eliminating resistance to the Nazi party. Both Hitler and Heydrich saw the Czech Republic as an impediment to the Nazi goal of global domination, hence, Heydrich lobbied for and was granted the position of Reich Protector over Bohemia and Moravia (the part of Czech Republic incorporated in 1939. The Resistance was composed of Czech nationals, British and other Allied friendly forces. Upon Heydrich's arrival what was a brutal and difficult occupation became a nightmare almost beyond description. So, In an act of both justice and desperation the Resistance decides to assassinate Heydrich. The Nazi retaliation is beyond anyone’s reckoning!

Many supporting characters are fleshed out in this story and the narrative moves at a reasonable pace. Wiener quotes his sources for much of the story and the listener doesn't have to guess as to what is fact and what is dramatization. This audio book is brutally frank and historically necessary. Weiner wrote a great piece; the audio equivalent of a page turner. The narration by Mark Kamish was exceptional. There is so much thought and preparation that goes into vocal characterization and Kamish was hitting on all cylinders in this offering.

I was voluntarily provided this review copy audiobook at no charge by the author, publisher and/or narrator

Superb and Well Detailed From the Inside

Any additional comments?

Story: This book is a detailed account of the assassination from the viewpoint of a Czech national. Although I knew quite a bit about the Heydrich killing, this is a very personal view of what the mood and the people were like inside the Czech Republic. I feel very fortunate that Jan wrote this book and shared a very difficult part of his life. It went quickly and I wish there were a little bit more. Absolutely worth the time.

Performance: At first I thought the narrator was stilted and then I realized his first language might be Czech and it settled down nicely. His pronunciations of all of the Czech villages and peoples names were spot on and I warmed to his narration and started connecting him with the author Jan.

This audiobook was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review.

A compelling story of bravery during WWII

Would you listen to The Assassination of Heydrich again? Why?

Yes. This book admits the reader into the fascinating world of the Czech resistance. The author describes two parallel paths - his personal story of capture and imprisonment, and the larger story of the resistance movement within Czechoslovakia. These stories of heroism and defiance are compelling and draw the reader in to the drama of that era.

What other book might you compare The Assassination of Heydrich to and why?

Any aficionado of WWII stories will enjoy this book.

Have you listened to any of Mark Kamish’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I have listened to several of Mr. Kamish's audiobooks, and found this one the most satisfying. His voice is well-suited for this book, and his incorporation of the German and Czech names and phrases throughout was excellent. He brought emotion and compassion to the characters, and it was a pleasure to listen to his performance.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I was so intrigued by the characters' stories I did not want to put the book down.

Any additional comments?

I was voluntarily provided this audiobook at no charge by the author, publisher and/or narrator.

I had no idea

I had no idea of the history presented in this story. I am so glad I am now enlightened and I can’t wait to read more and learn more about Jan Wiener.