Opening The Gates of Hell

Herbert Kenny, an army dispatch rider, was the first Allied soldier to push open the gates at Belsen Concentration Camp, in April 1945.

He kept his story from the world until an encounter with a trainee journalist brought it to light. Now, forty years on, that reporter is ready to share Herbert's incredible tale with the world.

With unprecedented access to Herbert's diaries, letters and interviews, Mark Hodkinson brings to life the harrowing conditions of Belsen and its eventual liberation. From the events leading up to its gruesome discovery, to the trauma Herbert faced and his abandonment in the aftermath, this is a testament to the power of one person in the face of unimaginable darkness.

This is the tale of an ordinary man thrown into an extraordinary, life-changing situation. How can a person cope when they come face-to-face with history's darkest moment? Herbert Kenny was that man. This is his story.

'I have carried this story for many years, as Herbert did. I have written it because I owe it to him and others, the unknown and unsung, who, across many areas of life, have been burdened indiscriminately by great adversity and grief. They do really walk among us. And their grace, humility and strength is inspirational. While this is a tale of systematic malevolence, it is also about the resilience of the human spirit and a celebration of hope: there is more good than bad in the world, however it may sometimes seem.'

A vivid and generous memorial. -- Julian Evans The Sunday Telegraph

Mark Hodkinson is an experienced author, journalist, publisher and broadcaster. He wrote for The Times for over two decades, including three years as a columnist. He has also contributed to, among many others, The Observer, The Guardian, GQ and The Word. His last book, No One Round Here Reads Tolstoy, Memoirs of a Working-Class Reader received widespread critical acclaim and was featured on Loose Ends, A Good Read and was the main subject on an edition of Nihal Arthanayake's programme on BBC Radio Five Live.

He has published several acclaimed sports books, including Blue Moon: Down Among the Dead Men with Manchester City and Believe in the Sign, which was long-listed for the William Hill Sports Book of the Year. His debut novel, The Last Mad Surge of Youth, was chosen as Q's'novel of the year' in 2009. Mark has produced and presented documentaries for BBC Radio 4, including JD Salinger, Made In England, about the writer's time spent in Devon during WWII and Punk, the Pistols and the Provinces which looked at the impact of punk rock in the regions. His most recent documentary for BBC Radio 4 is So Many Books, So Little Time. He owns Pomona Books and has published titles by Simon Armitage, Barry Hines, Ian McMillan, Ray Gosling, Stuart Murdoch (of Belle and Sebastian), Bob Stanley (Saint Etienne) and many more. He also commissioned and edited the benchmark biography J.D. Salinger: A Life, which was made into a film starring Nicholas Hoult and Kevin Spacey.

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