The Survivor
How I Survived Six Concentration Camps and Became a Nazi Hunter
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The Survivor
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Narrated by:
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Laurence Dobiesz
About this listen
Brought to you by Penguin.
One of the last great untold stories of the Holocaust, The Survivor is an astonishing account of one man's unbreakable spirit, unshakeable faith, and extraordinary courage in the face of evil.
At only sixteen years old, Josef Lewkowicz became a number, prisoner 85314. Following the Nazi invasion of Poland, he and his father were separated from their family and herded to the Kraków-Plaszów concentration camp. Forced to carry out hard labour in brutal conditions, and to live under the constant threat of extreme violence and sudden death, before the war was over Josef would witness the unique horrors of six of the most notorious Nazi concentration camps, including Auschwitz, Mauthausen and Ebensee.
From salt mines to forced marches, summary executions to Amstetten, where prisoners were used as human shields in Allied bombing, Josef lived under the spectre of death for many years. When he was liberated from Ebensee at the end of the war, conditions were amongst the worst witnessed by allied forces.
With his freedom, Josef returned home to find that he was the only one left alive in an extended family of 150. Compelled by the need to do something to avenge that loss, he joined the Jewish police while still in a displaced persons' camp, and was recruited as an intelligence officer for the US Army who gave him a team to search for Nazis in hiding.
Whilst rounding up SS leaders, he played a critical role in identifying and bringing to justice his greatest tormentor, the Butcher of Plaszow, Amon Göth, played by Ralph Fiennes in Schindler's List. He then committed his life to helping the orphaned children of the Holocaust rebuild their lives.
The Survivor is Josef's extraordinary testimony.
©2023 Josef Lewkowicz and Michael Calvin (P)2023 Penguin AudioListeners also enjoyed...
Critic reviews
"Josef Lewkowicz's account of his journey through six concentration camps as a teenager makes for horrific reading. But what grips the mind is his Nazi hunting and capture of the despicable Amon Goeth, followed by his determination only to do, and see, good in people. His spiritual voice emerges from a history of pain and loss with a rare and admirable clarity."
(Baroness Julia Neuberger)
"A truly harrowing account, humanely told in fast-paced, affecting prose. You won't be able to put it down - even in those moments where the truth feels too hard to read." (Sophy Roberts, author of The Lost Pianos of Siberia)
"Heartbreaking and inspiring. Josef Lewkowicz's journey to freedom did not end with his liberation from the Nazi death camps. He witnessed the inhumanity of men who, when given the power, can be so evil as to choose who shall live and who shall die. With captivating realism, Lewkowicz recounts reuniting hundreds of displaced and abandoned Jewish children with their families, an enormous task. If that wasn't enough, he became a Nazi hunter and helped bring some of the worst men in Jewish history to justice. This is a profound and courageous book." (Maxwell Smart, author of The Boy in the Woods)
What listeners say about The Survivor
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Christabel G.
- 16-01-24
Incredibly moving.
I was deeply affected by this book.
Beautifully written.Sensitively read.
I found myself weeping at times and had to stop and gather myself.We must never forget what Josef went through.
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- J ogborn
- 13-02-24
Truth of a terrible tragedy
Beautifully written, a story of truth and tragedy. Difficult to listen to at times, but the will to survive was apparent.
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- Jean McEwan
- 04-08-23
Amazing story, well written and narrated
What an amazing man. His story is tragically sad but full of hope. Thoroughly recommend.
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- Stephen Armstrong
- 09-02-24
Extremely moving
Fascinating read from a truly remarkable, yet humble man. We could all learn a great deal from this man.
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- Janet Jones
- 16-06-24
A very....
moving, informative and heart-wrenching story from start to finish. Thank you for telling your story. The narrator was very good at reading this emotional book.
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- Wish list
- 11-11-24
wow
an emotional, true and wonderfully told life story of survival told by an amazing, beautiful man
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- The saint
- 27-04-23
incredible
i watched an interview on gmb ,and immediately brought the book incredible amazing fantastic everone should read it .Then we would know just how lucky we are .
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1 person found this helpful
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- Keith Paterson
- 15-06-23
The light of life
Incredible story of endurance and courage ,just amazing, I have already promised my son we will visit Auschwitz to pay our respects. Everyone should read this book
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- Anonymous User
- 02-11-23
Great story
Amazing to listen to a real eye opener to the horror of rascal discrimination definitely recommend
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- Jason
- 20-02-24
Eternal light
What questions do you have? Should you read this book, certainly. Read it with an open heart just as it is written.
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