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Inside the Gas Chambers

Eight Months in the Sonderkommando of Auschwitz

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Inside the Gas Chambers

By: Shlomo Venezia
Narrated by: Peter Noble
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Slomo Venezia was born into a poor Jewish-Italian community living in Thessaloniki, Greece. At first, the occupying Italians protected his family; but when the Germans invaded, the Venezias were deported to Auschwitz. His mother and sisters disappeared on arrival, and he learned, at first with disbelief, that they had almost certainly been gassed. Given the chance to earn a little extra bread, he agreed to become a 'Sonderkommando', without realizing what this entailed. He soon found himself a member of the 'special unit' responsible for removing the corpses from the gas chambers and burning their bodies.

Dispassionately, he details the grim round of daily tasks, evokes the terror inspired by the man in charge of the crematoria, 'Angel of Death' Otto Moll, and recounts the attempts made by some of the prisoners to escape, including the revolt of October 1944.

It is usual to imagine that none of those who went into the gas chambers at Auschwitz ever emerged to tell their tale—but, as a member of a 'Sonderkommando', Shlomo Venezia was given this horrific privilege. He knew that, having witnessed the unspeakable, he in turn would probably be eliminated by the SS in case he ever told his tale. He survived: this is his story.

©2009 Polity Press (P)2022 Tantor 20th Century Europe Military Modern War Heartfelt
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Defo deserved full stars for all accounts. What a hard listen to discover what went on and he had to endure. One of the best books out currently on this matter. The narrator was fantastic and the story was full of true emotion. One more to add to my collection. If you’re interested in this topic,you will be a fool not to purchase and listen. Binge listened this title.

Such a hard title to listen to without tears in your eyes. Was gripped from the very start.

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This has been the most detailed account of events and the horrors in the Nazi death camps, during the 1940s. Of the workforce, both unwilling to perform their gruesome tasks; yet terrified of the certain results, had they refused.

I have never believed the pathetic denials of officials and other Nazis that they knew about the camps, or actions against the Jews or other victims. There would have been sights and sounds of the movements by train, clear to Railway workers and/or communities along the Railway routes, and other evidence.

Yet however horrible the details within, I would still recommend this book. Especially to anyone wanting to know about the Holocaust.
If they had to experience those times, who are we not to listen?

Tales Of The Nightmare.

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paints a frightening picture of life in the camps.best book iv listened to/read on this topic .frightening,sad terrifying brilliant

terrifyingly brilliant

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It’s hard to really comprehend the scale of the suffering and death in the concentration camps. This book goes some way to bringing this home and is a tragic account of the inhumane treatment of millions of people.
This should be compulsive reading in all schools.
The narrator was exceptional.

Frank description of the atrocities

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very insightful into what happened and it was very sad and emotional to hear what he and others went through

Brilliant book

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