A largely unknown story about a man who broke in to Auschwitz – and the successfully broke out again, having formented resistance and collected intelligence of enormous value, only to then be executed by the new pro-Soviet government of Poland after the war.

It’s brilliant researched and told. My only criticism is a stylistic one, that the prose sounds breathless and boy’s-own, somehow. I think it’s because everyone is referred to by their first names, rather than their surnames as would be more common in history books. That’s a minor distraction though from a story that should be a lot better known.

4/5. Finished Sunday 30 August, 2020.

(Originally published on Goodreads.)