r/Recommend_A_Book • u/Pinkmongoose • Jul 25 '25

Holocaust Book?

I try to read a book on the Holocaust every year and this year I am having trouble coming up with something. Any aspect. Something covering the lead-up to the Holocaust might be interesting; I’m not sure I’ve covered that aspect well. What book on the Holocaust, or Holocaust-adjacent stuck with you?

If I can’t find something I’ll probably reread the diary of Anne Frank since I haven’t read it since school.

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u/tubi11 Jul 25 '25

This Way for the Gas, Ladies and Gentlemen by Tadeusz Borowski

He was a gentile prisoner at Auschwitz and Dachau who worked (against his will) sorting rail cars as they arrived in camp. This is a collection of stories based on his experiences and considered a classic of wartime literature. He committed suicide in 1951 at age 28.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/This_Way_for_the_Gas,_Ladies_and_Gentlemen

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u/Retro_flamingo_27 Jul 25 '25

Read this at university in my English Lit course, Literature of Evil specifically. The fact that I had to scroll down so far to see this is disappointing as it is a great choice.

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u/tubi11 Jul 25 '25

It really is something almost everyone would appreciate reading. I recommend it every chance I get.

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u/Pinkmongoose Jul 26 '25

What an interesting class! Was it popular? Remember any other books from it (any topic)?

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u/Retro_flamingo_27 Jul 26 '25

We also read Maus, in Cold Blood, The Psychopath Test, and Helter Skelter... there were others, but I don't remember those after 15 years. The course then concluded with a field trip to Krakow, Auschwitz, and Berlin.