The Death's Head Chess Club cover art

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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About this listen

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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All stars
Most relevant
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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Firstly, I must complement the reading of the book. The voice talent really kept me engaged throughout.
I'm a big chess enthusiast and so was intrigued by the premise of this story. I love the way the chapters are named after chess openings, and the description of the tournament, and of course the tragic tale of life in a concentration camp.
I would highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys stories such as All The Light We Cannot See.

Great reading of a gripping tale

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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,

Just WOW!!

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