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The Swimmer of Auschwitz
The Incredible True Story of the Olympic Hero Who Swam For His Life
Brief Description
'Propulsive... Readers will be hooked' - Publishers Weekly Based on the extraordinary true story of Alfred Nakache, subject of the Oscar-nominated short film Papillon. Alfred Nakache, a Jewish child from Constantine, never imagined that he would one day swim for France at the Olympic Games in...
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The Swimmer of Auschwitz
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See moreThe extraordinary true story of Alfred Nakache, the Olympic French swimmer who was sent to Auschwitz
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Description
'Propulsive... Readers will be hooked' - Publishers Weekly
Based on the extraordinary true story of Alfred Nakache, subject of the Oscar-nominated short film Papillon.
Alfred Nakache, a Jewish child from Constantine, never imagined that he would one day swim for France at the Olympic Games in Berlin in 1936, nor that he would achieve a world record, as he did in 1941. As a child, he was petrified of the water and yet, somehow, through sheer willpower and determination, he rose to become one of the very best swimmers in the world. That was until 1943, when he was banned from the pool—and in the same year, deported and sent to Auschwitz.
Not knowing if he would ever see his wife and daughter again, Alfred battled on, through the humiliation and the pain, even defying the guards by swimming in the water reserves of Auschwitz. Somehow - miraculously - he survived, swimming every day until the end of his life.
The Swimmer of Auschwitz is the unique, true story of a forgotten hero, told with remarkable power and simplicity.
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9781800962965
Publisher: Octopus Publishing Group
Format: Paperback / softback
Date Published: 14 August 2025
Country: United Kingdom
Imprint: Monoray
Illustration: I'd like to include a few b&w photos of Alfred Nakache on the page but TBC
Audience: General / adult
DIMENSIONS
Spine width: 18.0mm
Width: 196.0mm
Height: 126.0mm
Weight: 190g
Pages: 272
About the Author
Alfred Nakache (1915-1983) was a Jewish French swimmer and water polo player. A member of the French team for the 1936 Berlin Summer Olympic Games, he also swam in the first post-war Summer Olympics in London in 1948. He is one of only two Jewish athletes to have competed in the Olympics after surviving the Holocaust.
Editor and writer, Renaud Leblond is the author of several books of history and investigation, including "Main basse sur le genome" (Anne Carriere, 2008), "Le Pouvoir des sectes" (Le Chene, 2009) and "le Journal de Jules Rimet" (First Editions, 2014). Passionate about sports, he founded the Jules Rimet Sports Literature Prize in 2012.Also by Renaud Leblond
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The Swimmer of Auschwitz
The extraordinary story of an Olympian who was imprisoned in Auschwitz and survived to tell his story. Alfred Nakache, a Jewish child from Constantine, never imagined that he would one day swim for France at the Olympic Games in Berlin in 1936, nor that he would achieve a world record, as he did in 1941. As a child, he was...Paperback$3999Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips today
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