The Volunteer

One Man, an Underground Army, and the Secret Mission to Destroy Auschwitz

By: Jack Fairweather

Narrated by: David Rintoul

Length: 9 hrs and 44 mins

Publisher's summary

The incredible true story of a Polish resistance fighter’s infiltration of Auschwitz to sabotage the camp from within, and his daring escape to warn the Allies about the Nazis’ true plans for a “Final Solution.”

To uncover the fate of the thousands being interred at a mysterious Nazi camp on the border of the Reich, a young Polish resistance fighter named Witold Pilecki volunteered for an audacious mission: intentionally get captured and transported to the new camp to report back on what was going on there. But gathering information was not his only task: he was to execute an attack from inside - where the Germans would least expect it.

The name of the camp was Auschwitz.

Over the next two and half years, Pilecki forged an underground army within Auschwitz that sabotaged facilities, assassinated Nazi informants and officers, and smuggled out evidence of terrifying abuse and mass murder. But as the annihilation of innocents accelerated, Pilecki realized he would have to attempt another perilous mission: escape Auschwitz and somehow - with more than 900 miles of Nazi-occupied territory in the way - deliver his alert to London before all was lost....

Completely erased from the historical record by Poland’s Communist government, Pilecki remains almost unknown to the world. Now, with exclusive access to previously hidden diaries, family and camp survivor accounts and recently declassified files, Jack Fairweather reveals Witold’s exploits with vivid, cinematic bravura. He also uncovers the tragic outcome of Pilecki’s mission, in which the ultimate betrayal came not on the Continent, but in England.

©2019 Jack Fairweather (P)2019 HarperAudio

Wow...

Powerful...heartbreaking...and moving...a story of a forgotten hero...showing the depth of human cruelty...ignorance...and one man's quest to stop it.

Different viewpoint of WWII

I have studied and read about WWII and the Holocaust. I had never read anything from the view of a Polish national. It was a new learning experience about Auschwitz.

Auschwitz’s Time

Interesting history of a survivor’s view of living and surviving in a concentration camp run by the Nazis during WWll

Humbling

What an incredible story of courage and principle. And what a reminder of the evils of Nazism - of course- but also communism and totalitarianism. Putin, you carrier of that legacy, would that you were such a courageous man as the volunteer Witold.

A true story of one man's believable courage

This book is a worthy read and a must read for us all. In order to understand what life was like in the prison of war camps and the extermination camps. we must all Work to prevent this from Ever happening again.

Amazing book!

This was a fantastic story!! Really make you think on how things where back then and what they went through during those har times.

I laughed and cried.

Don't listen to the end while driving. So much happened that was just so ridiculous you can't believe it worked. Never thought I would find joy in a book about Auschwitz. He made it human.

Excellant!

I have read many non fiction accounts about WWII Germanys death camps. The first hand accounts this book details adds so much more insight into Germanys Final Solution - the extermination of Jews, as well as Russians, Poles and others. From the earliest days of Auschwitz and Birkenau - this book is a testament to the horrific evils of the Germans, the incredible courage of the Polish resistance, and the complete lack of action by the British and Americans leadership (governments snd military) to take any action to render Auschwitz & Birkenau to rubble. From the earliest days, Polish Resistance were embedded in Auschwitz - providing accounts to their leaders and to Western powers of the atrocities that were taking place, begging the west to bomb the railways in order to cease the death trains coming - proving stollen blueprints of the crematories - asking that these be bombed, But Churchill, Roosevelt & Military leaders refused to act. A poignant account that all should read.

One courageous man's fight to destroy Auschwitz

This book gives one an understanding of how Auschwitz evolved. It's one man's story that ultimately had a tragic and shocking end.

Excellent.

Thanks to the author and everyone who made this book and audiobook possible. It is a difficult but inspiring work.