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The Death's Head Chess Club

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The Death's Head Chess Club

By: John Donoghue
Narrated by: Mark Meadows
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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....

©2015 John Donoghue (P)2015 Isis Publishing Ltd Fiction Genre Fiction Historical Fiction Literary Fiction War & Military World Literature Chess War Military
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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.

Spectacular - stop dilly dallying and buy it.

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Such a wonderful book, a captivating, important and very moving story, brilliantly read by a super narrator.

Brilliant story, superb narrator.

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Good book. It kept me engaged. Chess players will especially appreciate it. The reading performance was superb.

Good Book - Should Be a Movie

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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.

Really Good

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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.

Evocative and intriguing.

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