First pub­lished in 1963 in French, this title has deserved­ly won many pres­ti­gious awards in France, which is why Over­look is pub­lish­ing it as one of its Tusk Ivories edi­tions. It is tru­ly a clas­sic of Holo­caust lit­er­a­ture. The author oscil­lates between his hero, a young Spaniard who is cap­tured while fight­ing with the French Resis­tance, and the 119 oth­er men in his cat­tle-car along the Moselle Riv­er to Buchen­wald, and explores what they are doing and think­ing on that trip and once they arrive in the camp itself. The main char­ac­ter has con­ver­sa­tions that range in sub­ject from his youth and upbring­ing to spec­u­la­tions about the death camps. The descrip­tions, rumi­na­tions, con­ver­sa­tions and impres­sions of the camp are bril­liant­ly written.