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The Death's Head Chess Club
- Narrated by: Mark Meadows
- Length: 11 hrs and 55 mins
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The Death's Head Chess Club
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Summary
SS Obersturmführer Paul Meissner arrives in Auschwitz from the Russian front. After being badly wounded he is fit only for administrative duty, and his first and most pressing task is to improve flagging camp morale. He sets up a chess club which thrives, as the officers and enlisted men are allowed to gamble on the results of the games. However, when Meissner learns from a chance remark that chess is also played by the prisoners, he hears of a Jewish watchmaker who is “unbeatable”. Meissner sets out to discover the truth behind this rumour, and what he finds will haunt him to his death....
What listeners say about The Death's Head Chess Club
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- L. H. Healy
- 18-06-18
Brilliant story, superb narrator.
Such a wonderful book, a captivating, important and very moving story, brilliantly read by a super narrator.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- M
- 21-05-17
Really Good
I was recommended this book by a friend so am glad I followed their advice. A difficult subject, examining some of the darkest parts of the holocaust through a small number of characters. Chess is used as a theme throughout the novel - initially I thought this would be boring. I was totally wrong - if anything, the chess parts of the novel are exciting. Not surprisingly, considering the main subject matter the novel is harrowing and emotional in places. However, it demonstrated the strength of human spirit and also how kind and evil humans can be.
The narrator does a brilliant job. I would thoroughly recommend this book. I will also be looking for anything else the author writes.
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- mucker1968
- 03-11-22
Just WOW!!
Not a chess player but a fan of WWII books & films, so was curious about this book. Absolutely loved it. Thought provoking, rivetting listen, didn't want it to end,
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 05-06-21
Spectacular - stop dilly dallying and buy it.
I cannot recommend this book enough.
If you aren’t a chess player you’ll still understand everything.
Its an emotional journey you take with the characters as they recount their experiences of the holocaust.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Carl Harris
- 15-07-22
Evocative and intriguing.
I very much enjoyed this books, the story answers some very difficult questions about faith/forgiveness and how human compassion and humanity can shine in ever the most dire circumstances.
Excellent narration and well performed by Meadows.
Can’t praise this story enough.
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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Story2 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 01-11-22
Hammy performance and ludicrous dialogue
A superb premise but very poorly executed. The author struggles to remain ‘in story’ and regularly dips into awkward ‘teaching mode’, with historical explanations that jar within the context they are presented. The dialogue and characterisation is immature at best, not helped by a narrator who is too… buoyant.
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