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Story of a Secret State
- Penguin Modern Classics
- Narrated by: Janusz Guttner
- Length: 18 hrs and 15 mins
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Story of a Secret State
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Summary
I do not pretend to have given an exhaustive picture of the Polish Underground, its organisation and its activities. Because of our methods, I believe that there is no one today who could give an all-embracing recital...This book is a purely personal story, my story.
Jan Karski's Second World War memoir is a heroic act of witness: the courageous testimony of a man who risked everything for his country. First published in 1944, the book became an instant best seller in the US while the war still raged in Europe. At times overwhelming in the details it reveals of the suffering of ordinary people, it is an unforgettable and deeply affecting record of brutality, courage, and survival under conditions of extreme bleakness.
During the first four years of World War II, Karski worked as a messenger for the underground, risking his life in secret missions. He was captured, tortured, rescued, smuggled through a tunnel into the Warsaw ghetto and, finally, disguised himself as a guard to infiltrate a Nazi death camp. Then, travelling across occupied Europe to England, with his eye-witness report smuggled on microfilm in the handle of a razor, he became the first man to tell the Allies about the Holocaust - only to be ignored.
Critic reviews
What listeners say about Story of a Secret State
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
- Margaret
- 01-07-12
the accent lets it down
Do not get me wrong this book is so interesting - given the subject I cannot say enjoyable -and I would recommend it to everyone. It is let down though by the narrator with his heavy accent. Okay I know it was written by a Pole but does it have to be read with this accent. The first part of the story, where things move slower I dropped off a couple of times because of his almost hypnotic slow reading. Later it the book that is no problem but you are left with his mispronunication. Sometimes I just wondered what on earth he had said. Apart from that, the book gives a clear and awful view of what Poland and the underground, and the Jews from that country went through. When he describes visiting one death camp I was crying and had to stop reading for a while. Having visited several concentration camps I thought I had an idea about the fate of these poor people but the description of the train from that camp stays in my mind.
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4 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Mrs F
- 10-08-20
Hero
Jan Karski is my hero, listening to this book was like listening to Karski, the narrator was perrfect, Karski would have loved this, I'm sure of it.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Jacek
- 13-05-15
A must read for every human
True story, about WWII Europe and various societies facing German terror. Most importantly the sad reality about western allies indifference towards Holocaust.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Purplelotus
- 29-06-17
Courage beyond Calling
Would you consider the audio edition of Story of a Secret State to be better than the print version?
Couldn't comment as haven't read print version.
What did you like best about this story?
Jan Karski himself. Sounded such a brave and noble man.
What about Janusz Guttner’s performance did you like?
Yes it was as if Jan Karski was himself telling the story to you in a conversation.
Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?
His visit to the Warsaw Ghetto and the concentration camp. His visit to his sister and the fate of the liaison women.
Any additional comments?
This is a remarkable story by a remarkable man. It really should be read.
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1 person found this helpful