Christine S. (christys71) reviewed Auschwitz: A Doctor's Eyewitness Account on + 37 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
For some strange reason I have always been interested in the Holocaust. This book is a very sad and descriptive account of what happened. Very good read for those who are interested.
Eva Marie L. (babyjulie) -
Helpful Score: 1
I sometimes find it terribly hard to rate Holocaust related books. The odd thing is that sometimes it's not very hard and there doesn't seem to be any obvious rhyme or reason to this. I'm having a hard time with this one.
The book is very informative - I've read a decent number of Holocaust books, many memoirs by Aushwitz survivors and I've even read a few by survivors who were in some way in a "special" role there. Nyiszli was, basically, the man who did the autopsies, some experiments, some mummification, and much else besides.
He "worked" in direct contact with Mengele (I can't bring myself to put the 'Dr.' in front of that monsters name.) He was in the Sonderkommando - men who had about four months, from the time of arrival at Auschwitz, before they were killed. He was almost killed numerous times. And the time he spent in that "special" role was quite different than what the masses were dealing with as basic prisoners.
On the flip side - before liberation Nyiszli did in fact spend some time as a "common prisoner" so he was one of the few to see both sides of prisoner life in the camp.
The forword, by Bruno Bettelheim, is very important I think and not at all boring unlike many forewords that I've slogged through. He tells the reader something that seems to be very true - this wasn't written for any other person than to tell the facts. It's not the best written book, Nyiszli doesn't have the most eloquent voice, but it does what it set out to do - it tells the facts according to Miklos Nyiszli.
I'd definitely recommend but this is another where you'll have to beware. You'll read things that will stay with you. I'm of the opinion that this is a very important thing myself. Not something to be forgotten.
I was a little unsettled by Bettelheim's words about Anne Frank and her family. While I suppose he didn't say anything actually untrue it was still unsettling. I'm not sure why he felt the need to speak in the way he did but for what it's worth he did.
The book is very informative - I've read a decent number of Holocaust books, many memoirs by Aushwitz survivors and I've even read a few by survivors who were in some way in a "special" role there. Nyiszli was, basically, the man who did the autopsies, some experiments, some mummification, and much else besides.
He "worked" in direct contact with Mengele (I can't bring myself to put the 'Dr.' in front of that monsters name.) He was in the Sonderkommando - men who had about four months, from the time of arrival at Auschwitz, before they were killed. He was almost killed numerous times. And the time he spent in that "special" role was quite different than what the masses were dealing with as basic prisoners.
On the flip side - before liberation Nyiszli did in fact spend some time as a "common prisoner" so he was one of the few to see both sides of prisoner life in the camp.
The forword, by Bruno Bettelheim, is very important I think and not at all boring unlike many forewords that I've slogged through. He tells the reader something that seems to be very true - this wasn't written for any other person than to tell the facts. It's not the best written book, Nyiszli doesn't have the most eloquent voice, but it does what it set out to do - it tells the facts according to Miklos Nyiszli.
I'd definitely recommend but this is another where you'll have to beware. You'll read things that will stay with you. I'm of the opinion that this is a very important thing myself. Not something to be forgotten.
I was a little unsettled by Bettelheim's words about Anne Frank and her family. While I suppose he didn't say anything actually untrue it was still unsettling. I'm not sure why he felt the need to speak in the way he did but for what it's worth he did.
A true eywitness acct by the doctor who did experiments on thousands of jews during the holocoust
Interesting details. Fast read.
Vanessa B. (daisythecat) reviewed Auschwitz: A Doctor's Eyewitness Account on + 14 more book reviews
It's been awhile since I read this book, but I remember it was so good I couldn't put it down. I even gave it to my friend's dad to read, & he loved it too. One of the best books I've ever read!
This was truly a horrific account told by an eyewitness to the atrocities committed by the Nazis at the infamous concentration camp at Auschwitz. The author, Dr. Nyiszli, was selected by Dr. Mengele, the "Angel of Death", to help perform autopsies on Mengele's victims. While there, Nyiszli also served as physician to the "Sonderkommando", the Jewish prisoners who worked in the crematoriums and were routinely executed after 4 months. Nyiszli provides details of the horrors committed including the mass extermination by gassing and cremation of thousands of European Jews as well as non-Jews including Gypsies and other non-Aryans considered inferior by the Nazis. This one had to be read in small doses. The extent of the Nazi atrocities is really unbelievable!
