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Escape from the Ghetto

The Story of the Jewish Boy Who Ran Away from the Nazis

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Escape from the Ghetto

By: John Carr
Narrated by: Simon Russell Beale
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About this listen

A Jewish boy kills a Nazi by the Polish ghetto. He must escape the Third Reich at all costs.

The captivating true story of one boy's flight across Europe to escape the Nazis. A tale of extraordinary courage, incredible adventure and the relentless pursuit of life in the face of impossible challenges.

In early 1940, Chaim Herzsman was locked in to the Lódz Ghetto in Poland. Hungry, fearless and determined, he goes on scavenging missions outside the wire limits, until he is forced to kill a Nazi guard. That moment changes the course of his life and sets him on an unbelievable adventure across enemy lines.

Chaim avoids grenades and rifle fire on the Russian border, shelters with a German family in the Rhineland, falls in love in occupied France, is captured on a mountain pass in Spain, gets interrogated as a potential Nazi spy in Britain and eventually fights for everything he believes in as part of the British Army. He protects his life by posing as an Aryan boy with a crucifix around his neck and fights for his life through terrible and astonishing circumstances.

Escape from the Ghetto is about a normal boy who faced extermination by the Nazis in the ghetto or a Nazi deathcamp and the extraordinary life he led in avoiding that fate. It's a bittersweet story about epic hope, beauty amidst horror and the triumph of the human spirit.

John Carr is Henry Carr's eldest son, and in Escape from the Ghetto he has re-created his father's incredible adventure through recordings and transcribed conversations in later life.

For fans of The Tattooist of Auschwitz, The Saboteur of Auschwitz and The Volunteer, this is the incredible true story of escape from the Nazis during World War II.

©2021 John Carr (P)2021 Hodder & Stoughton Limited
20th Century Europe Judaism Military Modern War

Critic reviews

"Trust me, this is a great true story." (Ken Follett)

"This is an unbelievable story that is all completely true. The life described is astonishing. John Carr has done an extraordinary and riveting job uncovering the real father behind the dad he thought he knew." (Lord Tony Hall)

"Utterly Compelling. It is an extraordinary tale, brilliantly written." (Alastair Stewart)

All stars
Most relevant
Very well read, and what a remarkable person he must have been! And the horrors of what he went through.
Many years, made me smile because of some great humour, but most of all, incredible human emotion and the ability to observe people and temperament, I really got a feel for him, well I like to think I did.

Heartbreaking, thrilling, puts things into perspective.

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A story of courage, determination, bravery and the right to survive against unimaginable evil in Germany and her conquered lands of the 1930s and 1940s. This is a man with indomitable steadfastness who is resolved to survive through intelligence, sheer will and intuitiveness. What a man.

A great read

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What a life! Well written and we'll read. can't recommend enough - I couldn't stop listening

couldn't stop listening

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Reading this book was beyond sadness the tenacity that Mr Hirschman went through from the age of 13 years was indescribably mind bending. The narration by his son John Carr made me feel every step of the journey that young aryan looking jew had to do in order to survive. Thank you Mr Carr. Rest in peace Mr Hirschman.

Escape from horror

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Very powerful and moving story of a boy's escape from the Lodz ghetto and his journey across Nazi occupied Europe. Very well told by the narrator.

Incredible story of survival against the odds

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