So glad that I picked this up to read, even though it was heartbreaking as well as emotional to read, and made me feel everything that the characters felt , and with each turn of the page the story , characters, as well as Auschwitz its self came to life before my eyes ,it's a story that I needed to read, plus the author's did amazing job telling it, and reminded us that even in the darkness of times there is always going to be people who are going to be strong, and willing to fight no matter what the consequences might be even if it means that those consequences could be their own lives .

Wilhelm Brasse often felt that he would succumb to madness because of what he witnessed. Although he wanted his legacy of photos to be seen by the outside world, he wanted the world to see and remember the people who lost their lives. Authors Luca Crippa and Maurizio Onnis have brought Wilhelm Brasse and his story to life. Historians and readers interested in the Holocaust would learn a lot from this unforgettable book. Wilhelm Brasse was recruited to be the camp portrait photographer. He took photographs of every prisoner as they entered the camp. He was then used to capture the criminal medical experiments of Josef Mengele. The horrors the Nazi's committed on so many should never be forgotten.


Thank you to the authors, Sourcebooks, and NetGalley for the opportunity.

This is one of the best non-fiction accounts of the Holocaust I have ever read. The photos and the people behind them are a haunting tribute to the horrors we will never forget.

4.5 stars

So this book almost had me crying so many times. While this is a fictional version of Brasse's life you can tell that the author did so much research to try and get all the details right. Because of this while I was reading at times I forgot that it was a fictional version of it because of all the true facts that were in it that I have learned from non-fiction books about the atrocities that happened at Auschwitz. We've all seen the photos of the prisoners from Auschwitz and most of us know to some extent the experiments and torture that the Doctors at the camp were doing on the prisoners.

Brasse was in a unique position in life and in this book because while his mother was Polish, his father was German and he had the looks that the Nazis were going for. It was only his allegiance to Poland and his people that kept him from being free. This while putting him in a precarious situation also made it so he had more freedom and was told things by the Nazis that other prisoners were not told. His knowledge of photography and retouching helped keep him alive and made it so that he was a part of the identification services at Auschwitz.

Overall I cannot recommend this book enough. It was such a quick read for me even though it is on a hard subject. It's not for the faint of heart as most Auschwitz and WWII books aren't when it comes to showing the reality of what happened. Brasse and the people of Block 26 had a unique experience compared to other prisoners. They had a certain amount of freedom because of taking photos for the officers as well as postcards for them to send home. They had more food because of this and didn't have to worry as much about being killed constantly. They did have other worries though of helping the Nazis too much, and not being able to help others in the camp for fear of their own lives still. There was always fear in Auschwitz it was just a different kind of fear for them.
I don't want to give anything else away but please read this book. While it's a fictionalized version of Brasse's life there is quite a bit of truth throughout the book as well.
I look forward to reading more by this author in the future.

(Read a finished Copy)

3.5 stars. By no means a "pleasant" read, but a necessary one for everyone.

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this novel in exchange for my honest opinion.

Based on the true story of photographer Wilhelm Brasse who was imprisoned in Auschwitz during World War 2, thee story (and the pictures included which were taken by Brasse) was both inspiring and heartbreaking. Given the job of being the photographer in the Intelligence team, in many ways he had privileges that millions of other didn't. He survived, he was (for the most part) respected by the SS due to his skills and was able to barter and buy good for himself and others. But being the official photographer also meant he was one of the last humane people the murdered souls came into contact with before their death and he had to take photos of grisly scenes. What he saw through his lens left him so traumatised he could not pick up a camera again without being haunted by the images of his past. An amazing true story.

The Auschwitz Photographer is the Real Story of Wilhelm Brasse, a photographer that lived and saw many atrocities during his time in Auschwitz.

Brasse's life wasn't easy he only survive because he learned to keep his mouth shut and his head down, to maybe one day, be able to escape or even help to spread the word of what was happening behind the concentration camp. His work was very unique, his superiors, the SS, and the German officers knew that his job was very valuable to Identification Service at Auschwitz, this help them to keep records of what they were doing and to inform Hitler and the high-rank officers of their job.

At the end of the book, you can see many of Brasee's pictures, that have been used in museums and documentaries about WW2

Brasse was put to at test many times, many of the high-rank officers kept giving him jobs that made him feel ill and sad, such as when Dr. Mengele asked him to photograph a few of his "patients" Brasse knew they were never coming back or getting the help they were promised but he had to do what he was asked for to continue keeping himself and his team alive.

This was a very sad book to read not only because we confirm many of the things we heard about what happened in Auschwitz but also because we get to feel the impotence, the sadness, and the terrible things they were going through.

The strength of Brasse was tested many times but the one that blew me away is when he refused to swear loyalty to Hitler and enlist in the Wehrmacht, he kept embracing his polish side and that is what kept saving him to lose his mind.

The Auschwitz Photographer wasn't an easy read but I'm glad I did. for me, it is a tribute to many of the survivors and the people who perished in those terrible situations. it is a confirmation of what happened in there.

One of the things that made me feel very aware of what happened psychologically to many of the people who live in Auschwitz was the ending and "A note on the text" I was really sad to see the conclusion of Brasse, I was in shock when he got the answer that he got when he finally saw Baska but at the end, everything became clear when I finally understood the reason why he got that answer.
thank you for including that explanation at the end of the book. that made me more aware of what the survivors were living after the war.

it was a great book, I recommended it. Thank you to Brasse's sons for charing this story with the rest of the world.

I received a free electronic ARC of this historical novel from Netgalley, Luca Crippa, and Sourcebooks. Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me. I have read this history of my own volition, and this review reflects my honest opinion of this work. Luca Crippa is an author I will follow, one I am happy to recommend to friends and family.

We begin this journey, based on the actual memories of Brasse, in Poland in 1939. Professional photographer Wilhelm Brasse was scooped up and deported to Auschwitz-Birkenau. When his connection to photography was discovered he was appointed as the photographer of the incoming trainloads of deportees arriving in Auschwitz - he photographed thousands of people over his five years served in Auschwitz, those who were incarcerated as well as the ones who went directly to the gas chambers. Hitler's obsessive need to keep solid records gave us a window into the horror he inflicted on the world. The photographs Brasse was requested to take, photos of the enforcers of Hitler's orders, shots to send to their girls, or families, aided in the post-war prosecution of those guards.

This is such a fascinating story. The horrors that were experienced and yet the will to survive is strong. This was a new perspective that I had not read about before and it captivated me from the beginning.

A harrowing account of Wilhelm Brasse, a Polish prisoner who—by virtue of his fluency in German and his photography skills—is forced to act as a photographer for the Nazis in Auschwitz. He witnessed some truly heartbreaking things in the camp, from horrific torture to forced hysterectomies on drugged girls. There is a collection of photos at the end of the book that really hammers in deep the realities of Auschwitz. It's not without its moments of hope and levity, but this is a heavy book about a dark time—proceed with caution. Would recommend to this book to anyone interested in the subject matter.

Incredible. This book shines a light on another aspect of the inner workings of the Nazi death machine. The author has clearly done their research well and has created a book which strikes an excellent balance between narrative and evidence.

It amazes me that holocaust deniers exist. Every time I read a book or watch a movie or meet a survivor I am awed that anyone could turn a blind eye to this atrocious part of history and actually deny it ever happened. I don't read books like this for enjoyment, but rather to try to understand how humanity could be so depraved, heartless, cruel, violent, and utterly so disgusting I don't even think there is a word for it that can truly encapsulate the enormity of the evil that happened during the holocaust and pray that humanity never goes down that road again. Sadly, reading the news every day proves me wrong.

I will never forget how painful it still is to this day for people to even think of viewing images of the hand-drawn anatomy book by Eduard Pernkopf. The sad and disgusting truth of it is that the images that are so intricately detailed are those of holocaust victims. As a librarian, we discussed this book in class because it's a controversial topic, using such a vile piece of history to the benefit of modern-day science. I won't forget how students in the class had to ask the Professor to move past the slides depicting images from the book because it was too painful to view knowing the history behind it.

I hadn't thought of the book from that class until I started this book. Brasse was a prisoner, himself. Burdened with taking pictures of those he knew were destined to die. His photography training and his ability to speak German literally saved his life. I can't begin to imagine what kind of nightmares Wilhelm went through and what kind of ghosts haunted him. His pictures still exist and will be etched into history, much like the anatomy book above, giving voice to the innocent victims.

Wilhelm lived 94 years and helped to convict some of the Nazis who forced him to take these photographs by secretly burying thousands of the negatives in the camp's grounds.

A fascinating book and a horrifying reminder of how evil people can be.

I loved this book! It was so interesting and easy to read. Very emotional as are all books on Auschwitz, but Wilhem is such a likable guy. He does what he can to survive and help who he can without selling his soul. That is what the Nazi’s want, his soul, for him to forget he is polish and embrace his German past. They try their best but he survives and manages to save what he can.

I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book provided by NetGalley.

The Auschwitz Photographer: Based on the True Story of Wilhelm Brasse
Luca Crippa & Maurizio Onnis

"I looked death in the eyes. I did it fifty thousand times ...."

Description:
"The Nazis asked him to swear allegiance to Hitler, betraying his country, his friends, and everything he believed in. He refused.

Poland, 1939. Professional photographer Wilhelm Brasse is deported to Auschwitz-Birkenau and finds himself in a deadly race to survive, assigned to work as the camp's intake photographer and take "identity pictures" of prisoners as they arrive by the trainload.

Brasse soon discovers his photography skills are in demand from Nazi guards as well, who ask him to take personal portraits for them to send to their families and girlfriends. Behind the camera, Brasse is safe from the terrible fate that so many of his fellow prisoners meet.

But over the course of five years, the horrifying scenes his lens capture, including inhumane medical "experiments" led by Josef Mengele, change Brasse forever.

Based on the true story of Wilhelm Brasse, The Auschwitz Photographer is a stark black-and-white reminder of the horrors of the Holocaust. This gripping work of World War II narrative nonfiction takes readers behind the barbed wire fences of the world's most feared concentration camp, bringing Brasse's story to life as he clicks the shutter button thousands of times before ultimately joining the Resistance, defying the Nazis, and defiantly setting down his camera for good."

Review:
So many people at Auschwitz, all with different jobs. In this book, Wilhelm Brasse, a young Pole is assigned to the Identification Service, where it is his job to take photos of the incoming prisoners. Later, he is tasked with taking photos of the monster Mengele's experiments. Thanks to Brasse, these photos were not destroyed at the end of war.

Terror, resilience, evil, death, unimaginable sights, heartache, perseverance.

Well written, suspenseful, highly recommend.

I was gifted this advance copy by NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

I’ve visited Auschwitz a couple of times in the last few years and I have always wondered who were the people that took the prisoners photographs and pictures from around the camp. I always assumed that it were the SS men who’s taken them. I never thought that the SS men would have prisoners do that job for them. But of course now it seems like a silly mistake of me to think that as SS men had everybody in the camps working for them. Some jobs were better then others and Wilhelm Brasse, the main character in this great narrative non-fiction, had some of those terrible jobs before he landed on to be the leader photographer in Auschwitz. Brasse‘s nationality was partially Austrian and the Nazis has asked him many times to join them so he can live a better life in the camp. Brasse always refused stating he is Polish and grappled with many thoughts on what’s been happening in the camp as we can see his thoughts and struggles in this story. He’s bent boundaries, fell in love, feared for his life every breath he took, but managed to help in any way he could to others to make their life’s a bit more bearable.

This was an incredible story to read and told as a narrative nonfiction was a new discovery for me. Warning that this book is not light and there are many brutal and graphic things that happen in this story. If you always wondered about the men behind the cameras who took these photographs, you need to discover this story. Very well written incredible story that would be perfect to discuss with others.

This is an absolute must-read. Period. As I was reading, I felt that this title read like a story. It is immensely well-written and the portions that the writers chose to highlight were just fantastically done. Where non-fiction tends to drag on in details, this one did not. I relished every chapter whether the authors chose to be winded or more brief. The floral postcard chapter, in particular, will stay with me forever. I did not mind the disclaimer that the stories were not directly told to the authors but rather, through Brasse's children and friends because they still retained so much character and meaning and beauty in something that was so, so awful. Even if some truth is lost in the storytelling, as that tends to happen, the finished product is a stunning and breathtaking piece of literature that I frankly did not want to end, even though much of what I read horrified me.

Whether the authors stayed true to Brasse's personality or not, they also did a great job making me fall in love with the character. He was such a respected man and realized all of the wrongs going on around him, but his sense of self-preservation did not ever dwindle his innate need to preserve others as well. I also loved the way this book humanized the SS and the kapos that Brasse directly worked with. They are human, as well. Their sense of care and respect for Brasse was fascinating to read about, as we tend to just think of the SS as order-following robots or murder machines. I even fell in love with Brasse's entire Identification Group cohort and the way they all looked out for each other and worked together and took in others. Just a beautiful snapshot of one group's time in the camp.

If you are a reader who consumes nonfiction, particularly holocaust nonfiction or firsthand accounts, this is a can't miss.

THIS BOOK. it broke my damn heart. I have already forced so many of my friends to add this to their TBR because i feel like everyone should read this & i’m so grateful i got accepted to read a copy! What a beautifully heartbreaking story, absolutely disgusting at parts but so so significant. Would highly recommend this to so many people !!!

I have a soft spot for reading books about concentration camps regardless if they are fiction or nonfiction. I have read about the tattooist, the librarian, prisoners who worked in the hospital, prisoners who had to use their bodies and now the photographer of Auschwitz. Some survived and some didn’t. Reading these taught me about how resilient and incredible their fighting spirits were. When I saw this book, I knew I had to read it.

This story flows like a fiction story but most of the events that occured are true. Wilhem Brasse, a Polish political prisoner, was assigned to the Political Department Identification Service at Auschwitz camp due to his excellent photography skills. It seems that he is incredibly lucky because his SS officer thinks very highly of him but that doesn’t stop him from living in fear every day. That’s how Brasse became the photographer of Auschwitz from 1940-1945. HIs task is to take photos of the incoming prisoners,S officers and activities in the camp. Soon he was tasked to take photos of the medical experiment which horrified him.

Brasse longed to be reunited with his family so he worked hard to stay alive. He kept his head down and minimise his interactions with people so he can live another day. Every day, he fights with his humanity and staying silent until one day, he can no longer turn a blind eye and decided to do something to help others. Compared to other stories I’ve read, Brasse and his team lived in better quarters and are able to work indoors. They were even well fed which is very rare in concentration camps.

There were photos included in the end of he book which is so chilling because it makes the situation so real. That these people are real and most of them had no identity. Just a face. You can see the fear and curiosity in their eyes. Sadly, most of them did not survive. This was an amazing read for me but also one that broke my heart. This is very horrifying to read but so important for people to know what has happened. Definitely not for the faint hearted!

Thank you @netgalley and @sourcebooks for the arc.

Everyone should read this book. The true story of Wilhelm Brasse who was a Jewish prisoner at Auschwitz and ordered to photograph the prisoners and even the horrific scientific tortuous experiments that was done to these poor people. He also was asked to take photographic portraits of the guards and other leaders. The details of what he saw and photographed are atrocious - true evil acts. Up until this book, I hadn’t heard of Mr Brasse’s story. It’s remarkable. Please read this one. Thanks to Sourcebooks for providing me a copy of this incredible book.

CW: Nazis, war, antisemitism, torture, murder, death

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Nonfiction for an advanced electronic copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

In this book, we read about the men who were used in identification at Auschwitz, taking photographs of prisoners sent to the camps, as well as photos the staff/captors requested, usually in return for favors, such as bread and butter, or cigarettes. Though some narrative was added to the story to make it more interesting, these are real people, and these jobs did exist. The men who had them were sent to the camp as prisoners, but spared when higher-ups learned of their photography skills.

I did have to stop reading halfway, but only because the content was so heavy, and I knew that I was not in a place to consume all of it. However, I found it extremely interesting, and definitely recommend taking your time through this if you are interested in learning about a different perspective of Auschwitz.