The Escape ArtistThe Escape Artist
What it's about
In April 1944, nineteen-year-old Rudolf Vrba and a fellow prisoner escaped from Auschwitz after hiding for three days in a woodpile. They fled across the mountains to Slovakia and wrote one of the first detailed reports on what was happening inside the camp, hoping to warn the Jews of Hungary, who were about to be deported. Jonathan Freedland tells the story of the escape, what happened to the report, and of Vrba's life afterward.
Why it's worth reading
It was a finalist for the Baillie Gifford Prize and the Goodreads Choice Award. It's a thrilling escape story and a painful one about how warnings were ignored.
You'll love it if you liked
The Diary of a Young Girl
The Spy and the Traitor: The Greatest Espionage Story of the Cold War
The Book ThiefGood to know
It describes life and death in Auschwitz plainly. The last part, about Vrba's later life, is quieter but important.
By the numbers
- Readers90 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics24 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Bestseller25 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Buzz26 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #106 of the 198 history books we rank
- #120 of the 481 new books we rank
- #684 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
True story
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Quick answers
Is The Escape Artist worth reading?
Yes. It was a finalist for the Baillie Gifford Prize and the Goodreads Choice Award. It ranks #684 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 76.2 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is The Escape Artist about?
In April 1944, nineteen-year-old Rudolf Vrba and a fellow prisoner escaped from Auschwitz after hiding for three days in a woodpile. They fled across the mountains to Slovakia and wrote one of the first detailed reports on what was happening inside the camp, hoping to warn the Jews of Hungary, who were about to be deported. Jonathan Freedland tells the story of the escape, what happened to the report, and of Vrba's life afterward.
How long does it take to read The Escape Artist?
About 10 hours (400 pages), or about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after The Escape Artist?
If you liked it, try The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank, The Spy and the Traitor: The Greatest Espionage Story of the Cold War by Ben Macintyre or The Book Thief by Markus Zusak.