The Death's Head Chess Club cover art

The Death's Head Chess Club

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The Death's Head Chess Club

By: John Donoghue
Narrated by: Mark Meadows
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About this listen

SS Obersturmführer Paul Meissner arrives in Auschwitz from the Russian front. After being badly wounded he is fit only for administrative duty, and his first and most pressing task is to improve flagging camp morale. He sets up a chess club which thrives, as the officers and enlisted men are allowed to gamble on the results of the games. However, when Meissner learns from a chance remark that chess is also played by the prisoners, he hears of a Jewish watchmaker who is “unbeatable”. Meissner sets out to discover the truth behind this rumour, and what he finds will haunt him to his death....

©2015 John Donoghue (P)2015 Isis Publishing Ltd Fiction Genre Fiction Historical Fiction Literary Fiction War & Military World Literature Chess War Military

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All stars
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Good book. It kept me engaged. Chess players will especially appreciate it. The reading performance was superb.

Good Book - Should Be a Movie

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Certainly a book I would advise anyone to read if they are interested in the human side of ww2.

Fantastic story and tremendous narrator.

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I was recommended this book by a friend so am glad I followed their advice. A difficult subject, examining some of the darkest parts of the holocaust through a small number of characters. Chess is used as a theme throughout the novel - initially I thought this would be boring. I was totally wrong - if anything, the chess parts of the novel are exciting. Not surprisingly, considering the main subject matter the novel is harrowing and emotional in places. However, it demonstrated the strength of human spirit and also how kind and evil humans can be.

The narrator does a brilliant job. I would thoroughly recommend this book. I will also be looking for anything else the author writes.

Really Good

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Such a wonderful book, a captivating, important and very moving story, brilliantly read by a super narrator.

Brilliant story, superb narrator.

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I found this moving, and at times very sad. Although it was hard to get into and I found the first few hours a tough listen. Nonetheless It did hook me in the end, and I really wanted the characters to succeed in there plans... It was very much worth the read.

Very moving and powerful.

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Not a chess player but a fan of WWII books & films, so was curious about this book. Absolutely loved it. Thought provoking, rivetting listen, didn't want it to end,

Just WOW!!

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Firstly, I must complement the reading of the book. The voice talent really kept me engaged throughout.
I'm a big chess enthusiast and so was intrigued by the premise of this story. I love the way the chapters are named after chess openings, and the description of the tournament, and of course the tragic tale of life in a concentration camp.
I would highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys stories such as All The Light We Cannot See.

Great reading of a gripping tale

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I cannot recommend this book enough.

If you aren’t a chess player you’ll still understand everything.

Its an emotional journey you take with the characters as they recount their experiences of the holocaust.

Spectacular - stop dilly dallying and buy it.

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I very much enjoyed this books, the story answers some very difficult questions about faith/forgiveness and how human compassion and humanity can shine in ever the most dire circumstances.
Excellent narration and well performed by Meadows.
Can’t praise this story enough.

Evocative and intriguing.

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A superb premise but very poorly executed. The author struggles to remain ‘in story’ and regularly dips into awkward ‘teaching mode’, with historical explanations that jar within the context they are presented. The dialogue and characterisation is immature at best, not helped by a narrator who is too… buoyant.

Hammy performance and ludicrous dialogue

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