Product Description

Arthur Dodd, a British soldier, spent two years of the Second World war in a beautiful village in Upper Silesia, Poland; to the Poles the place was known as Oswiecim. The Germans called it Auschwitz. Auschwitz was not just a camp for those that the Third Reich deemed "undesirables", hundreds of British Tommies were also incarcerated there and witnessed the atrocities meted out by Hitler's brutal SS. This is the true story of one of these spectators.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #412029 in Books
• Published on: 2001-01-25
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 192 pages

Soldier Magazine
'Colin Rushton's masterly account of Arthur Dod's nightmarish experinces in Auschwitz...is a harrowing addition to public knowledge of the holocaust.'

From the Author
A brief precis.
This incredible true wartime story charts the path through the 2nd World War of a crippled English lad, 20 years of age in December 1939 and totally unfit for active service. This same crippled patriot was one of the last Allied soldiers to escape from mainland Europe on June the 12th 1940, a full 8 days after the miracle of Dunkirk. Arthur Dodd subsequently saw action in North Africa before Rommel consigned him to P.O.W. status for the duration of hostilities. Camps in Italy were the prelude to 22 months in the satanic death camp of Auschwitz, witnessing a distant age of slavery so horrific that men plunged catastrophically into insanity and suicide. Prisoner 221925 Dodd never stopped fighting the war, engaging in sabotage and escaping to help Polish Partisans blow up part of the Camp. Divine intervention saved him from a firing squad bullet prior to a 700 mile death march to the West in temperatures as low as 22 degrees below freezing. A female Polish patriot, after showing him one particularly harrowing incident, implored him to tell the outside world of this hell hole should he ever reach home. Back in England nobody would listen, nobody wanted to know. "Spectator in Hell" is his belated compliance with that request. Arthur Dodd still lives with his memories in 1998. I am both honoured and privileged to have written " Spectator in Hell", which should be read by all generations in order to guard against Man ever plunging to the depths of these inhumanities again. I am sure Amazon books will do their utmost to spread the word.

Customer Reviews

A poignant and harrowing read
I read the first book by accident the second by design as it was the first refernce to British POW's in Auschwitz that I had read. I was particularly interested as my uncle was killed by allied bombs at Auschwitz on August 20 1944 so near to freedom I can now have a greater understanding of his last days and appreciate the horrendous events that took place during the last days of his life and the consequences of life after living through Hell. This book although sad and difficult to read at times is must to help further our knowledge and must go some way to help reduce man's inhumanity to man

Truly enlightening and moving
I visited Auschwitz a couple of years ago and was intrigued to come across the story of a British soldier who had been imprisoned there. I have read many accounts of Auschwitz, many more harrowing and in-depth than this but 'Spectator in Hell' gives a completely different angle, and one which few people would have considered.

This is a very personal and unique account of one person's traumatic experience in Auschwitz and particularly as it is from a very British perspective. I had always imagined it must have been easier for British POW's but being an observer to the atrocities and surviving must be extremely painful and frustrating.

Like any account from someone who has experienced extreme terror and evil, this does not make easy reading but the simple, accessible narrative and amazing honesty of the protaganist, Arthur Dodd, makes this story truly gripping and heartening.

I am an agnostic but empathised with Arthur (a committed Christian) when he says how it made him doubt his faith and his strength of faith continues to intrigue me. Arthur (I am sure) would never in a million years call himself a hero. He is everyman. A normal, everyday young man sent, like so many others, to fight in the war. His stories of attempted escapes are not like the glossy WW1 action movies, just very honest and earthy recollections. I do not even wish to imagine the nightmares he has gone through since.

For people looking for a rounded historic account of Auschwitz, this will probably not be your thing as this is a highly personal story. Yet for anyone who would like to understand what Auschwitz was really like, it is a must read.

I would be particularly interested in a follow-up to this story to find out how Arthur coped after his ordeal as I found him truly remarkable and imagine (he comes across as so humble!) the horror never really ended for him.

As I say, this story is highly personal, but I found so much new information from this account and it was truly, truly enlightening.

Enlightening, moving, thought provoking
Despite the poor DTP and typos littering this book, it is one hell of a read.

Certainly the first account of Auschwitz I have read from a British POW's point of view ... and an excellent document for researchers. The narration is simply told and the book gripping from cover to cover. Absolutely horrific yet morbidly fascinating.

I have known Arthur Dodd (whose story this is) since I was a child and only found out that he had been in Auschwitz a few years ago. Can barely believe what he went through and how on earth he survived escapes me.

Really, really worth the 5.99, honestly.