The Escape Artist, Jonathan Freedland

An eye-opening read about the life of Walter Rosenburg (Rudolf Vrba) who, along with Fred Wetzler became the first Jews to escape from Auschwitz in the summer of 1944 after 2 years of being in that concentration camp. This is a story of how human beings can be pushed to the outer limits, and yet still somehow endure; how those who have witnessed so much death can nevertheless retain their capacity and lust for life; how the actions of one individual (still a teenager during the time, 17 when he arrived at the camp, young, defiant, smart, strong, determined to live) can bend the arc of history, if not for complete justice, then of hope.

A memory and mathematical wiz - even when cramped in a train container he was staring out the slots trying to memorize the route, in order to work his way back and escape. At Auschwitz, he’d notice the slightest things.. it was always about spotting patterns in the SS to find weaknesses in their rule in order for him to escape. The SS’s routine was so predictable, they stuck to it so faithfully, that was the major flaw Walter saw.

Walter saw with clarity the Nazi's one cardinal principle: the people who came to Auschwitz did not know where they were going and for what purpose. This was the premise on which the entire system was built.

His connections to the underground of the camp kept him alive and carried respect which allowed him to move around freely while working on the ramp of the tracks of arriving Jews. With this, he saw everything, the inner comprehensive expertise of the workings of Auschwitz. This allowed him to carefully plan his escape with Fred. Trust no one, be patient, and be determined.

His flight to freedom as well as life after the war is inspiring and heartbreaking. A book that needs to be read to be appreciated - from a personal and societal perspective.