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Summary: If the Plan Went as Smoothly as the Book . . .
Review: 220 Allied POWs would have been swarming all over the Third Reich before the Germans realized they were missing. Unfortunately, only 76 managed to escape through a tunnel under Stalag Luft III that had taken a year to dig. Of those 76, only 3 managed to make their way back to Britain. Twelve found themselves back in Stalag Luft II in a matter of days. Eight wound up in concentration camps. The remaining 50 were shot by the Gestapo, on orders from Hitler himself. Among the 50 was South African-born RAF Squadron Leader Roger Bushell, a.k.a. "Big X", the originator of the escape plan. The Great Escape is an incredible read. While the book is narrated from third person omniscience, its author was anything but detatched from the story. Paul Brickhill mentions his own role in the escape only very briefly in the foreword to the work. A key element of the escape plan, as Brickhill recounts in great detail, was the forging of official papers required for freedom of movement across the Reich. Brickhill led the gang of "stooges" that warned the forgers when camp guards approached. He found himself barred from participating in the actual escape when Big X learned of his acute claustrophobia. That fear may well have saved his life. After the war, Brickhill interviewed several of his other fellow survivors to assemble the grand narrative. The result is a riveting tale that ranks among the greatest war stories ever written, fact or fiction. You've seen the movie. Now read the book!
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Summary: True Story by POW who was there
Review: A fan of the movie, I wanted to read the book. Knowing that the author was one of the prisoners means you are getting the real story, as they experienced it and remembered it later. It was fun to see just how well the movie did capturing what really happened (even if no Americans really escaped through the tunnel). It was an incredibly entralling book. I followed it with "Stalag Luft III" which was disappointing in that it seems to be more a history of how the Germans took care of those in the camp rather than of those in the camp.
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Summary: True Story by POW who was there
Review: A fan of the movie, I wanted to read the book. Knowing that the author was one of the prisoners means you are getting the real story, as they experienced it and remembered it later. It was fun to see just how well the movie did capturing what really happened (even if no Americans really escaped through the tunnel). It was an incredibly entralling book. I followed it with "Stalag Luft III" which was disappointing in that it seems to be more a history of how the Germans took care of those in the camp rather than of those in the camp.
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Summary: An exceptional piece of histortical literature.
Review: A fascinating account of one of the most interesting events in World War II. I would advise any one interested in WWII or prison escapes to read it.
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Summary: A riveting tale of ingenuity!
Review: An incredible story of raw determination, ingenuity and organization, substantiated with photographs mostly taken by the Germans. Man, is this ever a quick read! I couldn't put it down, and I'm *not* an avid reader. I would have read it faster were it not for so much flipping back to the diagram of the compound to follow along with the text. No one, no matter how imaginative, could have possibly made all this up.There are many parallels with the movie: There actually was a prisoner in posession of a brand new civilian suit (obtained in Prague on a previous escape attempt and smuggled back into camp), someone who took a trunk through the tunnel, and the guards actually did use the prisoners' English word to refer to the "cooler." Also true was that once outside the fence, one was far from being "out of the woods," figuratively as well as literally; one was still deep within the heavily-policed, papers-conscious Reich. There wasn't just one tunnel, though, and here are accounts of absolutely relentless escape attempts and incredibly clever make-do fabrications of fake everything, from gate passes to German uniforms and gun replicas --out of anything they could scavenge, inveigle, connive, beg, borrow, or steal. There is insight regarding the personalities of the Germans as well as the prisoners, and why these POWs, mostly pilots, were placed in a relatively humane camp, and how they built a well-managed intelligence network among themselves. Some of the British slang and military acronyms from a bygone era gave me pause, but it was part of the adventure. A very inspiring tale!
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Summary: A riveting tale of ingenuity!
Review: An incredible story of raw determination, ingenuity and organization, substantiated with photographs mostly taken by the Germans. Man, is this ever a quick read! I couldn't put it down, and I'm *not* an avid reader. I would have read it faster were it not for so much flipping back to the diagram of the compound to follow along with the text. No one, no matter how imaginative, could have possibly made all this up. There are many parallels with the movie: There actually was a prisoner in posession of a brand new civilian suit (obtained in Prague on a previous escape attempt and smuggled back into camp), someone who took a trunk through the tunnel, and the guards actually did use the prisoners' English word to refer to the "cooler." Also true was that once outside the fence, one was far from being "out of the woods," figuratively as well as literally; one was still deep within the heavily-policed, papers-conscious Reich. There wasn't just one tunnel, though, and here are accounts of absolutely relentless escape attempts and incredibly clever make-do fabrications of fake everything, from gate passes to German uniforms and gun replicas --out of anything they could scavenge, inveigle, connive, beg, borrow, or steal. There is insight regarding the personalities of the Germans as well as the prisoners, and why these POWs, mostly pilots, were placed in a relatively humane camp, and how they built a well-managed intelligence network among themselves. Some of the British slang and military acronyms from a bygone era gave me pause, but it was part of the adventure. A very inspiring tale!
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Summary: Spellbinding tribute to the human spirit.
Review: As good as the movie "The Great Escape" is, it's impossible for it to capture in full detail the grunt work, planning, and tedious efforts that went into digging tunnels out of this prison camp. When simply acquiesing to the Germans and spending the time in the POW camp playing ball may have appeared a safer, less strenuous route, scores of these men never ceased making lives hell for the Nazis by constantly digging and preparing for breakouts (and thus often making life miserable for themselves). It is easy to forget that these POWs had every reason to believe that they would be prisoners for 8, 10, maybe 15 years, the prospect of which must have been devesating. Brickhill captures the efforts, personalities (on both sides), and ultimate tragedy in a very readable, tight story. Highly recommended for all ages!
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Summary: Spellbinding tribute to the human spirit.
Review: As good as the movie "The Great Escape" is, it's impossible for it to capture in full detail the grunt work, planning, and tedious efforts that went into digging tunnels out of this prison camp. When simply acquiesing to the Germans and spending the time in the POW camp playing ball may have appeared a safer, less strenuous route, scores of these men never ceased making lives hell for the Nazis by constantly digging and preparing for breakouts (and thus often making life miserable for themselves). It is easy to forget that these POWs had every reason to believe that they would be prisoners for 8, 10, maybe 15 years, the prospect of which must have been devesating. Brickhill captures the efforts, personalities (on both sides), and ultimate tragedy in a very readable, tight story. Highly recommended for all ages!
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Summary: Historical Fact That Reads Like Fiction.
Review: As one who is interested in history and in particular, WW2 history, I was very impressed with this work. This popular nonfiction literature outlines the resourcefulness, ingenuity, desperation and courage of the POWs who desperately desired to gain their own freedom to help the allied war effort; while, conversely showing the darker side of humanity through the cold blooded murders of many of these same men by the Nazis that eventually caught them. The author tells an important historical story with humor and insight. This book shows that you really can accomplish anything that you set your mind to. A great read for all ages.
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Summary: an excellent telling of a truly fascinating escape
Review: Brickhill provides an excellent narrative of the Great Escape, from the constuction of Stalag Luft III and the beginnings of the "X Organization" in Stalag Luft I to the digging of the tunnels, the escape itself and its aftermath. The section on the post-war search for those responsible for the murder of the 50 is also worth reading. When Brickhill tells of his own part in the escape (providing security for the forgers), you can get an idea of how large the X Organization really was. It's not "Hogans Heroes" or the Hollywood movie based on the book - it's the real story and it's well worth the time spent reading it.
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