The Swimmer of Auschwitz by Renaud Leblond is a powerful and deeply moving account of courage, resilience, and survival. Alfred Nakache’s journey from Olympic triumph to the horrors of Auschwitz is told with clarity and heart, highlighting both the cruelty he endured and the strength that carried him through. This remarkable story of determination and hope is unforgettable. I truly enjoyed this book and rated it five stars.

“The Swimmer of Auschwitz” tells the extraordinary story of Alfred Nakache, an Algerian-born swimmer who rose to prominence competing for France, only to be swept into the darkest chapters of the twentieth century. Leblond traces Alfred’s journey from his rise in the sporting world to his imprisonment in a concentration camp, and finally to his return to life after liberation. It is a story that both devastates and inspires, a testament to a man who refused to let cruelty extinguish his humanity.

The most compelling strength of the book lies in Alfred himself—his resilience, his refusal to surrender to despair, and his ability to preserve a sense of self even amid unimaginable suffering. His life reminds us that survival is not only physical but also deeply spiritual, sustained by dignity and determination.

Yet, while Alfred’s story is inherently gripping, the writing does not always serve it as powerfully as it might. The prose can feel terse and somewhat detached, muting the emotional resonance of events that cry out for greater depth. What begins as an engaging, novelistic account gradually shifts into the tone of a history textbook, losing some of its immediacy and intimacy. A more consistent narrative structure could have amplified the emotional impact and drawn readers even more deeply into Alfred’s lived experience.

Still, despite its stylistic shortcomings, “The Swimmer of Auschwitz” is a book worth reading. Leblond preserves the memory of a remarkable man whose story deserves recognition. Alfred Nakache’s legacy—as both an athlete and a survivor—reminds us of the resilience of the human spirit and the importance of honoring lives that history might otherwise overlook.

The Swimmer of Auschwitz tells the true story of Alfred, a Jewish Olympic swimmer who spent time in Auschwitz and survived.

I personally have never heard of Alfred and his story and I found it to be both unique and heart breaking.

Not only do we experience Alfred’s time in capture, not knowing if he will live to see his wife and child again, we see him in his youth and rise to fame.

I was touched by Alfred’s friends - most of which were a part of his swimming team and his fans response to his deportation and eventual capture. So many people risked arrest and their lives to have him released. While the attempts were vain it was heartening to read.

The only reason I did not mark this book as 5 stars was because of the format. I personally read the book on my phone and found the copyright label very distracting. I would have to zoom in to read around the label, often time causing the screen to flip to the next page.
I would have finished the book faster but I kept having to go back after loosing my page.
There are also a lot of time jumps in the story. Ranging from when Alfred was child learning to swim all the way up until his death. You really have to pay attention to the dates and the who the narrator is. While most times it was set from Alfred’s perspective there were times it would be from his wife Paule’s or one of Alfred’s close friends.

It was truly amazing that Alfred was able to go back to swimming/competing after experiencing the horrors of Auschwitz.
While this story left me with a heavy heart, I am touched to know Alfred’s tale.

The True story of Alfred Nakache, Algerian swimming champion sent to Auschwitz. This book flips between timelines to show his time at Auschwitz and his swimming career at first it was a little confusing because you also have different peoples POV. The author has used books, memoirs and other media from the time to write this boo and it does not seem highly fictionalised.

I am very much of the opinion that we need to learn from past horrors and as someone who loves learning about the past and experiences i loved this book. Saying that it is absolutely heart-breaking like many if not all stories about this time in history. Parts of this story make you want to know more because the chapter is short but its because their is no information.

This story has some very graphic scenes especially around the treatment of Jews and people in concentration camps their is one part in particular that involves brutality against infants.

Thankyou Netgalley, the author and the publisher for sending me an Arc copy of this book for an honest review.

Overall, I enjoyed this book because of the way the story was told and how the ending and “where are they now” left you with answers on what happened to some of the people after Alfred no longer ran into them.
The flip flop of time (the years) between the chapters was slightly confusing at the beginning of the book. It would be talking about Alfred’s life growing up then a small mini chapter bringing up back to current WWII and Alfred’s life in the camp then back to Alfred’s life growing up. It got better and was easier to keep track once the year differences shrunk between younger Alfreds and WWII Alfred’s life. Some of the chapters did leave me speechless, speechless in a way I can’t believe this happened in our world and some people chose to not acknowledge the camps as real: I had to quite reading for the night after the Christmas Eve baby chapter. I was mouth gaped when reading it.
I did notice some spelling that was different for me but I still knew what was being said:
Mould = mold, storey = story, Swum = swam , Interchanging of Toulouse Dolphins club with “Dauphins club.”
I did find one grammar mistake on page 144, “ The sound of boots a few metres away makes then jump.…” I believe then should be them.
This took me a lot longer to read than I anticipated because I read the book on my phone and I’m not the biggest fan of online reading, but I enjoyed the book. I like different aspects of WWII that enlightens/shows the reader there was more going on than the same lot of information we learned about in school/other WWII books.

This was a really interesting historical book focusing on the life and loss of one man. There are several people talked about through his journey. I really liked reading this perspective of historical events and learning what happened to all the people he was surrounded by. There is darkness in this book but also light and endurance.

The Swimmer of Auschwitz is an engrossing, harrowing read about an olympic-level swimmer who is caught in the Nazi net during the Second World War. This beautifully written book brings to life the heartbreaking events of the Holocaust and shines a light on how Jewish people from all sorts of lives were so deeply affected.

The book moves between two timelines - one following our MMC during his imprisonment in Auschwitz and the other follows him during his time before, as he works on his skills and rises to become a swimming champion, only to find himself at a detriment because of his faith. The story explores his family relationships and his love of swimming, which only makes the events of his time in Auschwitz all the more harrowing and horrific.

A stunning true account of Alfred Nakache—French‑Algerian swimmer whose willpower carried him from Olympic glory to Auschwitz, where he swam each day to survive. A testament to resilience, courage, and the human spirit

What a story. 🥺 I’m always so stunned to learn more and more about daily occurrences at concentration camps- in this case, specifically Auschwitz. One example is the heroism and bravery of the doctors, who hid patients in the attics to give them more time to help them before they were taken to be killed.
This book brought to life the story of Alfred’s life as a swimmer, a father, a husband and friend.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to access this ebook. I enjoyed this story a lot. I was in a reading slump and it brought me out of it. I liked the quick chapters a lot. I had never heard of Alfred Nakache before reading this book and I learned a lot. The Auschwitz scenes were hard to stomach. Overall, I’m glad I read this book. I would recommend this if you like reading underrated books, learning about new people, or curiosity of another aspect of the Holocaust.

I’m glad NetGalley got the issues with the file fixed because I was ready to just delete this and move on…very glad I managed to read it after all! An amazing true story of Alfred Nakache, Algerian swimming champion, who ended up being sent to Auschwitz and thankfully surviving. The story flips between his time in Auschwitz and the years leading up to it, showing his rise to fame and stardom in the pool before his sudden descent due to him being Jewish. That was astounding to read, how the media that had been lauding his success turned on him so swiftly!

Because it’s a true story but not an autobiography some parts felt a little thin, but I think I’d rather that than have it too fictionalised. I’m devastated we never found out what happened to Paule, his wife, either. So many people whose stories just disappeared without anyone knowing the ending.

It was also interesting to read of his life post-war; it felt like everyone just expected him to dive back into the pool and get back to normal.

The Swimmer of Auschwitz is a profound and moving work—recommended for readers of Holocaust history, sports biographies, and human resilience. Leblond gives deserving recognition to the main character’s legacy, weaving a story that is as inspiring as it is sobering.

I felt deeply moved by this book. Alfred Nakache’s journey from a Jewish boy in Algiers to a world‑record‑breaking swimmer, then a deportee in Auschwitz, and finally an Olympic athlete again holds an emotional gravity that stays with you long after the last page. The Swimmer of Auschwitz is more than a biography; it is a testament to the endurance of the human spirit, and a reminder that stories of courage and suffering must be preserved. It moved me to tears, especially reading through a parental lens. Some passages are unquestionably tragic, but Nakache’s continuing hope and will to live—and swim—shine through.

Highly recommended for readers of Holocaust memoirs, sports history, and anyone who believes in the power of memory.

The way this book was laid out in NetGalley was a bit cumbersome. I used my mobile to read it, fyi. The story was beautifully told though and it was clear the author put his heart into it. I personally love stories from WW2 era so I ate this up. I am looking forward to reading it again when it is published!

3.5/5

The Swimmer of Auschwitz left me deeply moved and shaken. This is a haunting, essential story that bears witness to both unimaginable human suffering and the relentless drive to survive.
Renaud Leblond tells Alfred Nakache’s story with careful precision, moving between two timelines, his rise as a celebrated swimmer in France and his imprisonment in Auschwitz. As the timelines gradually converge, the full weight of Nakache’s life becomes clear. He is a man trained to conquer water, now drowning in the horror of a world turned against him and his family.
There is something especially heartbreaking in how his talent in the pool, once a symbol of hope, triumph, and national pride, was twisted into something cruel. The same Nazis who sought to erase his humanity also forced him to demonstrate his strength, admiring it even as they used it against him. It’s a detail that sits heavily with me, one of many that will stay long after the final page.
The loss of his wife and daughter, the agony of that separation, and the unfathomable pain of knowing what had been taken from him, make this story one that does not allow you to look away. And it shouldn’t. We cannot forget what has happened. Stories like Nakache’s must be told, again and again, because they are not just history. They are warnings. They are truths. They are acts of resistance.

This book was fantastic. I loved every minute of it. I am so thankful I had the pleasure of reading it. I will be recommending to everyone!

Review: The Swimmer of Auschwitz by Renaud Leblond

This story completely moved me. As a swimmer, I felt such a deep connection to Alfred Nakache’s journey—how something as simple as water became a source of strength, survival, and identity. His life is nothing short of extraordinary: from Olympic glory to the unimaginable horrors of Auschwitz, and somehow, the will to keep swimming through it all.

The writing is simple and powerful, letting Alfred’s resilience speak for itself. It’s heartbreaking, inspiring, and deeply human. A story I won’t forget—and one that deserves to be remembered.

I am intrigued reading about real people from the past. The timelines were somewhat hard to follow however, and this edition was distracting with the copyright and format being off.

I love reading books that are about real people and real events.This was lovely to read and i found it inspiring.

The topic was intriguing, however the digital version has a copyright stamp across every page which made reading very challenging. Nevertheless,I read random paragraphs throughout to get a feel for the author's voice. Leblond uses the present tense for a book set more than 100 years ago. I found that style distracting, so perhaps the audio and print versions would also be challenging to read.