Colditz: Prisoners of the Castle
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- Create Date：2022-10-20 06:53:05
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- Author：Ben Macintyre
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Summary
The true story of one of history's most notorious prisons--and the remarkable cast of POWs who tried relentlessly to escape their captors。
In this narrative， Ben Macintyre tackles one of the most famous prison stories in history。 During World War II， the German army used the towering Colditz Castle to hold the most defiant Allied prisoners。 For four years， these prisoners of the castle tested its walls and its guards with ingenious escape attempts that would become legend。
But as Macintyre shows， the story of Colditz was about much more than escape。 Its population represented a society in miniature， full of heroes and traitors， class conflicts and secret alliances， and the full range of human joy and despair。 In Macintyre's telling， Colditz's most famous names--like the indomitable Pat Reid--share glory with lesser known but equally remarkable characters like Indian doctor Birendranath Mazumdar whose ill treatment， hunger strike， and eventual escape read like fiction; Florimond Duke， America's oldest paratrooper and least successful secret agent; and Christopher Clayton Hutton， the brilliant inventor employed by British intelligence to manufacture covert escape aids for POWs。
Prisoners of the Castle traces the war's arc from within Colditz's stone walls， where the stakes rose as Hitler's war machine faltered and the men feared that liberation would not come soon enough to spare them a grisly fate at the hands of the Nazis。
In this narrative， Ben Macintyre tackles one of the most famous prison stories in history。 During World War II， the German army used the towering Colditz Castle to hold the most defiant Allied prisoners。 For four years， these prisoners of the castle tested its walls and its guards with ingenious escape attempts that would become legend。
But as Macintyre shows， the story of Colditz was about much more than escape。 Its population represented a society in miniature， full of heroes and traitors， class conflicts and secret alliances， and the full range of human joy and despair。 In Macintyre's telling， Colditz's most famous names--like the indomitable Pat Reid--share glory with lesser known but equally remarkable characters like Indian doctor Birendranath Mazumdar whose ill treatment， hunger strike， and eventual escape read like fiction; Florimond Duke， America's oldest paratrooper and least successful secret agent; and Christopher Clayton Hutton， the brilliant inventor employed by British intelligence to manufacture covert escape aids for POWs。
Prisoners of the Castle traces the war's arc from within Colditz's stone walls， where the stakes rose as Hitler's war machine faltered and the men feared that liberation would not come soon enough to spare them a grisly fate at the hands of the Nazis。
Reviews
Lucas
，
A different view during the war that I had not known/ read about before now。 The ingeniousness of the prisoners ideas on how to escape， the civility （more or less） between the captors and captives， and the service men that had to serve the officers （both of which were captives） are only a few intriguing parts of this book。
Lara
，
I literally could not put it down。 Between the classic clash of Allies v。 Nazis， the cleverness and derring-do of the many， many escape attempts， the amazingly vivid personalities of the men， the discussion of prejudice and class distinctions even while prisoners of war （seriously， how Dr。 Mazumdar did not say 'fuck every last one of you' and go join Bose's Indian legion， I do not know）， and the looming presence of all the rest of history happening outside Colditz's walls， this is a mesmerizing I literally could not put it down。 Between the classic clash of Allies v。 Nazis， the cleverness and derring-do of the many， many escape attempts， the amazingly vivid personalities of the men， the discussion of prejudice and class distinctions even while prisoners of war （seriously， how Dr。 Mazumdar did not say 'fuck every last one of you' and go join Bose's Indian legion， I do not know）， and the looming presence of all the rest of history happening outside Colditz's walls， this is a mesmerizing read。 You could make at least five movies out of the various stories within the main story。 Rahul Kohli for Dr。 Mazumdar！ 。。。more
Gerard Lafferty
，
Brilliant read once again from this eagerly read author。 A must read for WW11 historians。
Tony
，
Excellent
cp
，
Having been brought up with the Colditz myth this more balanced account was an important corrective。 Perhaps the racism and the class attitudes shown by the British officers should come as no surprise。 They were products of a racist and class-riven society。 Nevertheless， Douglas Bader's treatment of his orderly is shocking by any standard。 Truly shameful。 Having been brought up with the Colditz myth this more balanced account was an important corrective。 Perhaps the racism and the class attitudes shown by the British officers should come as no surprise。 They were products of a racist and class-riven society。 Nevertheless， Douglas Bader's treatment of his orderly is shocking by any standard。 Truly shameful。 。。。more
NellyBells
，
Really terrific book。 Ben Macintyre is the very best。 I've read 8 of his histories and some more than once。 Colditz was a fortress which was started in the 1040s。 Added to， added to， it was a maze of known and unknown spaces。 The incorrigible officers （and others， including other ranks） from France， England， Poland， Australia。 To be accused of "German unfriendly" - there was a specific word - was sure to have the officer sent to Colditz。Hundreds of men， not starvation rations， parcels from home。 Really terrific book。 Ben Macintyre is the very best。 I've read 8 of his histories and some more than once。 Colditz was a fortress which was started in the 1040s。 Added to， added to， it was a maze of known and unknown spaces。 The incorrigible officers （and others， including other ranks） from France， England， Poland， Australia。 To be accused of "German unfriendly" - there was a specific word - was sure to have the officer sent to Colditz。Hundreds of men， not starvation rations， parcels from home。 American Red Cross parcels。 Both European officers and Nazi officers were gentlemen acc。 to Geneva Convention。 Sometimes。 Class was always a factor。 The batmen were disdained and unconsidered。 Hierarchies among the officers; the nephew of Churchill， minor aristocrats。So many escape attempts， maybe 30 actual escapes that got the escapees to Switz。 Brilliant inventive creative plans and accoutrements。 There was Colditz-made radio and when a traitor told the Germans and it was confiscated， they made another。 So they heard the BBC often。 Every chapter is worth some sentences but enough for now。 。。。more
Elizabeth Theiss Smith
，
I will read anything that MacIntyre writes and this is one of his best。 This is the story of Colditz， a German POW camp for officers with a history of attempting escapes from other POW camps。 The inmates are creative escape artists who also manage to gather intelligence and communicate it to the Allies。 The history of the camp and the American， British， French， Polish， Dutch， and other prisoners are fascinating。 A coda at the end recounts their postwar stories as well。 MacIntyre’s writing is
Rachel Roberson
，
I'm a big Ben Macintyre fan， and this is another great addition to his books focused on World War II or its aftermath。 In this case， all the action happens during the war itself at a prison in a castle for particularly difficult or noteworthy POWs。 The Germans and the POWs are all portrayed with an eye on the historical record and with Macintyre's readable， often pointed commentary， occasional humor and and important context-setting。 Always such a great combination。 This book focuses on a whole I'm a big Ben Macintyre fan， and this is another great addition to his books focused on World War II or its aftermath。 In this case， all the action happens during the war itself at a prison in a castle for particularly difficult or noteworthy POWs。 The Germans and the POWs are all portrayed with an eye on the historical record and with Macintyre's readable， often pointed commentary， occasional humor and and important context-setting。 Always such a great combination。 This book focuses on a whole cast of characters， whereas previous books have zoomed in on one main subject or a much smaller group。 I wasn't sure going in if this approach would work， but it does。 I also appreciated how no Nazi is given any quarter but Macintyre does draw interesting distinctions between the German Army and the SS and Gestapo that matter in this book。 It's a look into a fascinating piece of history。 My dad also loves Macintyre's books， and I always look forward to reading the latest， then sending it to him if it makes the cut。 This one will be on the way for Christmas！ If you love readable history， you might want to do the same。 （Though start with one of Macintyre's other books like Operation Mincemeat or Agent Sonya。） 。。。more
Betty
，
Engrossing。 Read it in two days。
Suzanne
，
A great book about Colditz， a secure POW prison held by the Germans and mainly housed British soldiers。 I found it very interesting to hear about how the POWs were treated。 I thought they had severe rations only give to them by the Germans， but they received packages from home and the Red Cross， at least in the early years of WWII。 The British also followed the hierarchy of rank and birth for the determination of where and how the other POWs treated them。 Certain high-ranking officers would have A great book about Colditz， a secure POW prison held by the Germans and mainly housed British soldiers。 I found it very interesting to hear about how the POWs were treated。 I thought they had severe rations only give to them by the Germans， but they received packages from home and the Red Cross， at least in the early years of WWII。 The British also followed the hierarchy of rank and birth for the determination of where and how the other POWs treated them。 Certain high-ranking officers would have "lackeys" take care of their needs such as preparing their food and doing their laundry。 They were always plotting escape plans， and some were successful。 Toward the end of the war things changed as supplies diminished。 It was a very interesting read and I learned quite a bit。 。。。more
Sarah Ewald
，
I've read several books by Macintyre in the past （Rogue Heroes， Agent Zig Zag）， and some of those characters show up here in this book also。 Colditz Castle was a POW facility for officers， and one could fault the author for making light of their treatment （as opposed to regular POW camps）。 Say 'Hogan's Heroes' with a rough edge to it？Treatment was probably more honorable due to the Geneva Convention rules （rules？） The escape episodes were harrowing， and lifted my heart when they were successful。 I've read several books by Macintyre in the past （Rogue Heroes， Agent Zig Zag）， and some of those characters show up here in this book also。 Colditz Castle was a POW facility for officers， and one could fault the author for making light of their treatment （as opposed to regular POW camps）。 Say 'Hogan's Heroes' with a rough edge to it？Treatment was probably more honorable due to the Geneva Convention rules （rules？） The escape episodes were harrowing， and lifted my heart when they were successful。 The entire episode grew particularly horrible as the Germans were losing the war， and it was uncertain if prisoners would be used as pawns for negotiation， or just killed out of spite。 Ben Macintyre has turned me into a reader of history。 。。。more
Alexis（Andra）
，
4。5。 Excellent 。 Best of the ones I’ve read by this author 。 Learned so much。 Solidified other understandings 。
Jason
，
Fascinating history and a sometimes surreal story full of brave and often eccentric characters during World War Two。 The juxtaposition between the horrors of war and the sometimes genteel approach to a prison camp for mainly officers and other “special” prisoners is almost unbelievable。 I love Macintyre’s storytelling - and this is on of my favorites by him。
Aletha Pagett
，
This is an amazing story of POW's， their bravery， their incredible ingenuity， and their brotherhood。 This book was received from Goodreads。 This is an amazing story of POW's， their bravery， their incredible ingenuity， and their brotherhood。 This book was received from Goodreads。 。。。more
Liz
，
I devoured this book。 The number of remarkable stories it contains is incredible， the pacing is fast and taut， and the inclusion of original recollections from the prisoners and one of their captors adds tremendous texture。 Transfixing。
Doug Phillips
，
For those of you who like their reviews short and sweet， let me just say that this book is excellent。Now， for anyone who wants a bit more detail， know that this book is well researched and written in a style that brings the reader in to the action with a narrative based upon that research。The subject of the Colditz castle （prison） has resurfaced as a somewhat higher profile topic these days。 Having known very little of the subject， I devoured this book from cover to cover。 I have since learned t For those of you who like their reviews short and sweet， let me just say that this book is excellent。Now， for anyone who wants a bit more detail， know that this book is well researched and written in a style that brings the reader in to the action with a narrative based upon that research。The subject of the Colditz castle （prison） has resurfaced as a somewhat higher profile topic these days。 Having known very little of the subject， I devoured this book from cover to cover。 I have since learned that a number of prison survivors from World War II have written memoirs of their Colditz experience over the years。 I plan to learn more about the topic。 I suspect that Mr。 Macintyre would be pleased that he's sparked more interest on my part。 I rarely give five-star reviews （reserved for only the books that leave an indelible impression on me） and this title deserves the ranking in my opinion。 The book is full of interesting real characters and the author provides a nice update of what happened to the individuals after the end of the war。 Like most stories of confinement in the second World War， the conditions and spirit of escaping the harshness is central to this particular book。 Very interesting。 Time well spent reading this one。 。。。more
Mark Adkins
，
This was an interesting book describing life inside the Second World War prison camp that was housed inside Colditz castle。 What I found interesting about this book is not only do you hear about things from the allied prisoners but you also hear about things from the German guards' point of view。 This is something that you don't really get in a lot of books and it made for a more interesting read。 This was an interesting book describing life inside the Second World War prison camp that was housed inside Colditz castle。 What I found interesting about this book is not only do you hear about things from the allied prisoners but you also hear about things from the German guards' point of view。 This is something that you don't really get in a lot of books and it made for a more interesting read。 。。。more
Wendy
，
When I think of World War II prisoner of war camps， I think of The Great Escape。 I think most people know about that story。 I did not know about Colditz until this book。 Colditz is a medieval castle converted into a prison housing the most troublesome POWs。 These are the ones who have repeatedly attempted escape from other prison camps。 As such， it housed many colourful， interesting characters。 There are a variety of countries represented， such as Britain， France， Poland， American。 The Nazis see When I think of World War II prisoner of war camps， I think of The Great Escape。 I think most people know about that story。 I did not know about Colditz until this book。 Colditz is a medieval castle converted into a prison housing the most troublesome POWs。 These are the ones who have repeatedly attempted escape from other prison camps。 As such， it housed many colourful， interesting characters。 There are a variety of countries represented， such as Britain， France， Poland， American。 The Nazis see Colditz as impossible to escape from。 But， that does not stop the prisoners from trying repeatedly。 And actually， there are some who successfully escaped to freedom。 This book is interesting in that aside from the Allied point of view， the author also gave us the German prison guards' perspectives and recollections。 We also see how even in prison， the POWs collected and supplied information back to Allied intelligence。 We also see how confinement affected different people in varied ways。 Overall， for one interested in WWII history， this is a good informative book。 。。。more
David Seymour
，
A truly outstanding book from Ben Macintyre。 It had clearly been well researched and is probably the definitive account of wartime life and times in Colditz castle。 Whilst many escape attempts were extremely interesting， the life and relationships of the prisoners held here， was equally fascinating。 The skill and ingenuity of certain POW’s was amazing。 The prisoner class divide was another major factor from start to finish。 The three people that stood out for me were Indian Dr Birendranath Mazum A truly outstanding book from Ben Macintyre。 It had clearly been well researched and is probably the definitive account of wartime life and times in Colditz castle。 Whilst many escape attempts were extremely interesting， the life and relationships of the prisoners held here， was equally fascinating。 The skill and ingenuity of certain POW’s was amazing。 The prisoner class divide was another major factor from start to finish。 The three people that stood out for me were Indian Dr Birendranath Mazumdar， escape tool inventor Christopher Hutton and Swiss arbitrator Rudolph Denzler。Ben is my favourite war writer and this book documents one of the most famous stories of WW2 which will be historic in its own right。 。。。more
Raelle
，
In this riveting war story， Ben Macintyre recounts the epic accounts of the hundreds of prisoners locked in Colditz。 Dozens of men successfully escaped this Nazi fortress prison， while others never got the chance。 Either way， these men’s lives were always on the line。 The bravery and insane perseverance told in this remarkable tale is incredible。 The author makes this history come alive for his readers and keeps you locked into this epic battle。 I highly recommend this book for adults and high s In this riveting war story， Ben Macintyre recounts the epic accounts of the hundreds of prisoners locked in Colditz。 Dozens of men successfully escaped this Nazi fortress prison， while others never got the chance。 Either way， these men’s lives were always on the line。 The bravery and insane perseverance told in this remarkable tale is incredible。 The author makes this history come alive for his readers and keeps you locked into this epic battle。 I highly recommend this book for adults and high schoolers。 。。。more
Peg Albrets
，
Really interesting and lots that I did not know。
Michael Kerr
，
Macintyre has done it again。 The myth of Colditz is treated to the author's objective scrutiny teasing apart unexpected aspects of the fortress POW camp such as the snooty class distinctions evident amongst the prisoners。 Who knew that "other ranks" weren't permitted to escape？ And the arrogance of some members of the upper crust is breathtaking。 The pretty astonishing escape attempts make for a core theme here， and his depictions of the main players really sparks up the narrative--as Macintyre Macintyre has done it again。 The myth of Colditz is treated to the author's objective scrutiny teasing apart unexpected aspects of the fortress POW camp such as the snooty class distinctions evident amongst the prisoners。 Who knew that "other ranks" weren't permitted to escape？ And the arrogance of some members of the upper crust is breathtaking。 The pretty astonishing escape attempts make for a core theme here， and his depictions of the main players really sparks up the narrative--as Macintyre has achieved in his earlier works。 The author also provides a good view of the differences in German military factions， contrasting the Wehrmacht with the SS and so on。 This is a good read。 。。。more
Steven Z。
，
If one is interested in spy craft and traitors during World War II and the Cold War there are few authors that have produced more satisfying works than Ben Macintyre。 Macintyre is a writer-at-large for The Times （U。K。） and has written monographs whose narratives include the history of the British SAS; deceptions that encompass plans to misinform the Nazis in the lead up to the invasions of Sicily and D-Day; well-known spies such as Kim Philby， Oleg Gordievsky， the woman known as Agent Sonya， Edd If one is interested in spy craft and traitors during World War II and the Cold War there are few authors that have produced more satisfying works than Ben Macintyre。 Macintyre is a writer-at-large for The Times （U。K。） and has written monographs whose narratives include the history of the British SAS; deceptions that encompass plans to misinform the Nazis in the lead up to the invasions of Sicily and D-Day; well-known spies such as Kim Philby， Oleg Gordievsky， the woman known as Agent Sonya， Eddie Chapman; and his latest the escapees from the Nazi fortress， Colditz。 Whether describing and analyzing the actions of double agents loyal to the United States， Britain， or Russia or other topics， Macintyre’s approach to conveying espionage history is clear， concise， entertaining， and remarkably well written。 All books are based on sound research and his readers will welcome his latest effort PRISONERS OF THE CASTLE: AN EPIC STORY OF SURVIVAL AND ESCAPE FROM COLDITZ， THE NAZIS FORTRESS PRISON。As in all of his books。 PRISONER OF THE CASTLE tackles subject matter with gusto and goes beyond the conventional story that may have been told before。 In his latest effort he breathes new life into one of the greatest war stories ever told as over a period of four years allied prisoners tried to escape the impregnable Nazi fortress。 Macintyre traces the evolution of World War II from within the prison to the point of liberation when inmates feared their rescue would not come quickly enough to save them。 As described by the author， the prisoners were an amalgam of self-identified “communists， scientists， homosexuals， women， aesthetes and philistines， aristocrats， spies， workers， poets， and traitors” who created their own replica of pre-war society and culture within the prison as a means of survival。There are two components that dominate Macintyre’s monograph; the replica of the British social class structure that dominated prison life， and the integration of an eclectic and diverse group of prisoners whether British， Dutch， French， Polish， or American。 There are other themes that the author introduces that include the Nazi leadership that ran Colditz， the ebbs and flows of the war which prisoners were able to keep up with by building a surreptitious radio， the planning of escapes and what happened to the escapees， the plight of Prominente – a group of influential and famous prisoners whom the Nazis sought to maximize a return， and how Berlin reacted to what was occurring in the prison。Running through the heart of Colditz ran a wide and almost unbridgeable social class divide。 This was a camp for captured officers， but it also consisted of a fluctuating population of orderlies， and prisoners of other ranks who performed menial tasks for the Germans， but also served as personal servants for officers。 Only officers were allowed to take part in escape attempts and orderlies were not expected to assist them。 No orderly tried to escape because if caught the consequences could be devastating。 If an officer was caught he was returned to the prison usually unharmed。 There was a working class of soldiers and orderlies， and an upper class of officers， reflecting the class structure of the time。 The officers had a British “boarding school mentality。” They tried to recreate the traditions of Eton and other private schools coopting behaviors such as bullying， enslaving individuals on the lower rung of society， “goon-baiting” Germans， and diverse types of entertainment。 Those who did not attend a boarding school were rarely included。Macintyre describes the prison infrastructure that the prisoners studied assiduously to determine weak points and when they might escape。 For most prisoners escaping became their life’s work and interestingly the different nationalities kept a score card highlighting successful escapes。 The food was abysmal， but edible and it was offset by Red Cross packages of food， clothing， toiletries and other important items。 Many packages contained objects hidden in food and other articles that might assist an escape。 Prisoners cooperated in digging tunnels， one of which was known as Le Metro dug mostly by the French， performing logistics， obtaining and making tools， and often attempted an escape that involved a substantial number of men。 On the other hand， there were prisoners who worked alone and wanted no part of being in a group。 The prisoners created numerous committees to regulate prisoner life and tried to produce a sense of normality。 One in particular was most important – if a prisoner wanted to try to escape he needed the approval of an Escape Committee headed by the highest ranking officers。Macintyre’s attention to detail is a strength of the book。 He delves into strategies developed and objects needed， i。e。; the “arse keeper，” a cylinder to hide money， small tools and other objects in one’s anatomy was most creative。 The prisoners were geniuses in developing tactics to confuse their captors， and instruments that were used to make their escape attempts possible， including a glider that was completely built， but never used。。 The author also includes how prisoners tried to keep themselves sane by developing their own entertainment。 They set up theater performances， choirs， concerts， bands， jazz ensembles， plays etc。 Sanity was a major issue and for those who remained at Colditz for years PTSD was definitely an issue。The characters Macintyre describes are a diverse and fascinating group。 The following stand out。 Alain Le Ray， a French Lieutenant in an elite mountain infantry force， and a self-contained individual who planned and tried to execute numerous escapes。 Captain Pat Reid， a gregarious member of the British Royal Service Corps who shared his plans and was involved in many escape attempts。 Joseph Ellison Platt， a self-righteous Methodist preacher tried， and usually failed to keep prisoners on the straight and narrow。 Airey Neave， wounded at Calais used planning escapes as a tool to ease his depression。 He would finally escape and work for MI9 to assist other prisoners。 Birendranath Mazumdar， an Indian doctor and an officer who was treated poorly by his British “allies” reflecting the racist attitudes of British officers。 He turned down working for the Germans but was still a victim of his compatriots。 Giles Romilly， a nephew by marriage of Winston Churchill， was a journalist and communist captured in Norway。 Christopher Layton Hutton designed and developed numerous escape kits and other inventions for prisoners。 Michael Sinclair escaped from Poland who was obsessed with escaping and reuniting with the Anglo-Polish Society， a secret resistance network – he would make seven escape attempts， dying on the last one。 Julius Green， a Jewish dentist from Glasgow developed the most prolific code-letter system and treated Nazi patients who disclosed valuable information that he was able to forward to the right authorities。 Checko Chalovpka， a Czech pilot whose affair with Irmgard Wernicke， a dental assistant in town who was a spy who fed information provoked awe。 Walter Purdy， a British supporter of Oswald Mosley turned against his fellow prisoners and made radio speeches condemning the allies – his fellow prisoners wanted to lynch him。 Wing Commander Douglas Bader， a double amputee fighter pilot who was held in high esteem by most prisoners。 Lee Carson， a beautiful and fearless journalist who traveled with American troops， who was known as the “Rhine Maiden。” There are also important Nazi figures highlighted by Lt。 Reinhold Eggers， the Supreme Security Chief at Colditz who tried to be fair to the prisoners and was often overruled。 Eggers is extremely important in that he maintained a written history of the camp that Macintyre had access to。 Eggers appears almost as a background narrator of the story presenting his battle with prisoners and the thinking of the German occupiers。The turning point for prisoners came after D-Day。 As long as the German Army was in charge of the camp treatment was palatable。 However， as the war turned after D-Day and the July 1944 Plot that failed to assassinate Hitler more and more the SS and the Gestapo under Heinrich Himmler took over the camp。 Escapees were warned， if you were captured you would be shot， not just returned to the barracks as before。I agree with Andrea Pitzer’s September 29， 2022， Washington Post review as she writes， “Macintyre tells the story of the POW camp that had more escape attempts than any other during World War II。 He parades a brigade of officers， some of whom have since been lionized or found postwar fame through film， television and multiple books。 Ultimately， Macintyre offers a more complete and complex account than is typical in popular histories from the Nazi era。 Read in that light， this is less a fairy tale than an honest account of heroic but fallible men in captivity， made more compelling through the acknowledgment of their flaws and failures。”The strength of the book lies with Macintyre’s unique ability to weave a story involving so many different characters， not allowing individuals to get in the way of his material。 Macintyre writes as if he is aware that his story is not a literary one， but a recounting the stories of many important men and stitching together their experiences from the disparate historical record。 。。。more
Phillip Kerrigan
，
This is a thorough look at how prisoners of war lived and survived years of incarceration in WWII。 Their lives were changed forever and their future unknown。 The author goes into the lives of many inmates and makes a very interesting read right up to their liberation and repatriation。Colditz suffered the Hollywood or rather Ealing Studios treatment of being a war flick， albeit an enjoyable one。 This book goes much deeper and gives the prisoners and even their gaolers a human face living through This is a thorough look at how prisoners of war lived and survived years of incarceration in WWII。 Their lives were changed forever and their future unknown。 The author goes into the lives of many inmates and makes a very interesting read right up to their liberation and repatriation。Colditz suffered the Hollywood or rather Ealing Studios treatment of being a war flick， albeit an enjoyable one。 This book goes much deeper and gives the prisoners and even their gaolers a human face living through such a terrible time in 20th century history 。。。more
Bobby Liverettie
，
Great book。 This one was about Colditz prison during World War 2。 Colditz prison was Germany's prison for it's high level inmates。 These inmates would be officers and other higher ups from it's opposing countries。 One Of the things that I enjoyed about this book was that it was a very uplifting true story about a dark place in a dark time in history。 Another thing that I liked was that it showed how not every member of the Nazi party was an evil torturous killing machine。 In fact， most of the of Great book。 This one was about Colditz prison during World War 2。 Colditz prison was Germany's prison for it's high level inmates。 These inmates would be officers and other higher ups from it's opposing countries。 One Of the things that I enjoyed about this book was that it was a very uplifting true story about a dark place in a dark time in history。 Another thing that I liked was that it showed how not every member of the Nazi party was an evil torturous killing machine。 In fact， most of the officers that ran the prison did so with humanity and all the while following the rules of the Geneva Convention on the care of prisoners of war。 A lot of them were basically regular guys just doing their job。 It also had a lot of stories about heroic escapes and the heroic people involved in the planning and execution of the escapes themselves。 The book itself was very intriguing， action packed， uplifting， sometimes sad and even sometimes funny。 It was definitely one of the better World War 2 books that I have read。 I loved it。 。。。more
Michael
，
***I RECEIVED THIS BOOK IN A GOODREADS GIVEAWAY***I have read many a book about World War 2 but I had never heard of the Nazi prison camp that was literally a castle。 This is a memorable tale about the myriad of escape attempts， the inner workings of a POW camp and the stories of the men left to suffer in them。
Muhammad Waseem
，
Such a Nice PostProcrackserialCrackedproAppreciatedMany CamNice PostMovavi Video Suite Crack Such a Nice PostProcrackserialCrackedproAppreciatedMany CamNice PostMovavi Video Suite Crack 。。。more
Morleymor
，
Another exceptional book from Ben Macintyre。 Not all "jolly hockey sticks"。 Another exceptional book from Ben Macintyre。 Not all "jolly hockey sticks"。 。。。more
Gerard Murphy
，
Excellent - the most comprehensive view of one of the great stories of the War。A page turner which explores the characters of both prisoner and those who attempted to stop them from escaping。Not to be missed
Ashley
，