A Man of Few Words: The Bricklayer of Auschwitz Who Saved Primo Levi

‘Nobody knows how much I owe that man,’ Primo Levi said of the bricklayer who saved his life at Auschwitz-Birkenau. For six months, Lorenzo Perrone risked his own life to smuggle food, letters and clothing to prisoners. Without Perrone, Levi could not have survived and the world would have been deprived of his writing. In A Man of Few Words, Carlo Greppi pieces together the life of Perrone, a near destitute labourer with little formal education. Despite their stark differences, Levi and Perrone’s friendship continued until Perrone’s tragic death. Levi never forgot Perrone. He tried persistently to preserve the memory of this man of few words who had saved his life, but who left few traces of his own behind. Compassionate, worldly and prescient, Greppi brings to light a universal story about an individual who kept hope alive in one of the darkest times and places known to man.

About the Author :
Carlo Greppi (1982) is a historian at the University of Turin and author of numerous essays on the history of the twentieth century. For Laterza, he is the editor of the series ‘Fact Checking: History Under the Test of Facts’. His latest book is Il Buon Tedesco (2021, Fiuggi History Award 2021; Giacomo Matteotti Award 2022) which sold 10,000+ copies.  Howard Curtis (1949) is a British translator of French, Italian and Spanish fiction. He has translated works by the likes of Gianrico Carofiglio, Lluís Quintana-Murci, Beppe Fenoglio and Georges Simenon. His translations have won the John Florio Prize, Premio Campiello Europa, the Marsh Award for Children’s Literature in Translation, and been shortlisted for the Independent Foreign Fiction Prize, Oxford-Weidenfeld Translation Prize and Best Translated Book Award among many others. 

Review :
'Much to admire ... an intriguing study of Lorenzo Perrone, the bricklayer who helped the famous author survive Auschwitz.' 'Lucid, carefully researched pages ... Greppi's biography, from start to finish a marvel of sympathetic insight, is a valuable addition to Levi's writings on the human infamy that was Auschwitz.' 'This is a great book: scrupulously researched and superbly written.' 'Read it twice, this splendid book: the first time to get to know Lorenzo and his story; the second time to get to know yourself and your memory.' 'A thoroughly moving read. Out of utter degradation, this inspiring story emerges to remind us that the spark of human decency can never be crushed.' ‘Sheds light on an unsung hero … a fluent retelling.’ ‘Levi’s greatest piece of luck in Auschwitz was meeting Lorenzo, who kept him alive when he was hanging on to life by a thread.’ '[A Man of Few Words] is a meticulously researched biography.'