I Shall Live

Surviving the Holocaust Against All Odds

By: Henry Orenstein

Narrated by: Henry Orenstein

I Shall Live tells the gripping true story of a Jewish family in Germany and Russia as the Nazi party gained power in Germany. When Henry Orenstein and his siblings ended up in a series of concentrations camps, Orenstein's bravery and quick thinking help him to save himself and his brothers from execution by playing a role in the greatest hoax ever pulled on the upper echelons of Nazi command. Orenstein's lucid prose recreates this horrific time in history and his constant struggle for survival as the Nazis move him and his brothers through five concentration camps. His description of their roles in the fake Chemical Commando sheds new light on an incredible and generally unknown event in the history of the Holocaust. This edition of I Shall Live contains new evidence about this false Commando, including letters signed to and from Himmler himself.

Orenstein, aside from being a Holocaust survivor, has made a name for himself as a toymaker who called for the production of Transformers, as well as a poker player.

©1987 Henry Orenstein (P)1996 Common Mode Inc.

Critic reviews

"I read this book in a single day; I found it so compelling it was hard to put down." (Simon Wiesenthal)
"An adventure almost novelesque in the extraordinary succession of miracles which enable the young man to remain among the living" (Claude Lanzmann, producer of Shoah)

exceptional.

Shared in startling detail with a frank honesty that captured my attention. Unable to set it aside until I finished every word.

Love the memoir

A good holocaust memoir filled with tragedy. It’s read by the survivor but he’s not a good story teller. Lacks flow, very choppy in parts, can hear pages turning… and makes it hard to stay into this book. I understand him wanting to read his own story but it would be much easier to listen with another narrator.

EXCEPTIONAL

Wonderful and God Bless. My whole amcestry is from Poland. You are an inspiration with which no words could describe.

Spellbinding

I've seen hundreds of documentaries on the Holocaust, but for the first time I can get a feel of what it actually was.

Inspiring

Honestly unbelievable story of resilience, faith and determination. Amazing man and amazing journey! Highly recommend!

Review

The story was sad as you can expect.
However, I have listened to a LOT of audio books and I found this one hard to get thru. I do understand this was Mr Orensteins story to tell, but you did by writing it. But a professional reader should have done the reading. My parents were in labor camps in Germany so my heart goes out to Mr Orenstein and his family. What you went thru was horrible, in fact there is no word to describe it properly. GOD bless you Sir.

Learned a lot

There are a lot of people who are saying the author should have had someone else read his book. I think that's very rude and disrespectful. Everyone has a right to there own opinion but this is serious heartbreaking personal stuff here. I was glad he read it.I'm sure it took a toll on him bringing up all that horror. I'm sure it wasn't easy for him. The things he saw. The way he was treated. I think it took a lot of courage. This was the first holocaust the book I read. So it was very disturbing. But at the same time it's amazing to me just how the littlest thing could save or end your life. He really tells what it was like before the nazis. He explains a lot of things I did not know. If you are going to chose a book on the horrors of ww2 I recommend this one. I was also impressed at how he was able to read or think of other things for a distraction During the hiding and all. I would be pulling my hair out

Stunning

In many reviews I read that people would have wished he had not been the narrator for his own book. I disagree. I think it made the book more emotional to come from the mouth of the man that endured so many tribulations. Great book. Read it!

Absolutely mesmerizing

This is one of the hundreds of books or documentaries I have read or watched.
I couldn’t stop listening. The author and narrator were the same. I thought his voice made the story real. I was so happy he and his brothers survived and he was able to come to the US and lead a wonderful, fulfilling life.

Fascinating

A heart breaking story
I am sure I lost many family members as well. He tells the story in a breath taking manner!