Escape From Germany: The Greatest POW Break-Out of the First World War

by Neil Hanson

The greatest WWI escape story from Germany's most notorious prisoner-of-war camp.

There have been many accounts of escape during the Second World War -- stories of brave, daring, resourceful prisoners of war desperate to break out of their confines. But what about POWs of the First World War?

Escape attempts did take place in WWI; their stories just haven't been told or have long been forgotten. But now, Escape from Germany tells the story of the greatest POW break-out of the First World War, from Holzminden -- the most escape-proof prison. In terms of both numbers who escaped from the camp and those who crossed the border safely, this was the greatest escape of this period.

This is an era that, in its beliefs and attitudes, seems impossibly remote from the society in which we now live. It was a world where a gentleman's honour was his most prized possession, where class and rank dictated a soldier's status in prison, and where it was considered the duty of POW to escape if he could, though also a cardinal offence in the prison camps to attempt to do so.

In this book, Neil Hanson also takes us through the other escape attempts from the prison, which range from the daring to the eccentric and the downright farcical. These are stories of daring, resourcefulness and persistence. These were men who allowed no obstacle, however huge, to deter them, and who with quick wit and apparently inexhaustible good humour, performed miracles of improvisation, adaptation, courage and endurance.


From the Trade Paperback edition.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, World War I, War

560 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2011

About the author

It's been a long and winding road... since graduating with a degree in philosophy (now that's useful...) I've been by turns plasterer's mate, holiday camp redcoat, ice cream salesman, exhibition organiser, art critic, rugby league commentator, freelance journalist, editor of the Good Beer Guide, owner of the highest pub in Great Britain and - finally! - a full-time author. It may not be an ideal career path, but it's given me a wealth of experiences that I draw on constantly in my own work.

I'm the author of over 50 published books. Under my own name I usually write narrative non-fiction a.k.a. popular history (though my sales figures suggest that it's never quite as popular as I'd like it to be...), but I have also written a serious novel, a few thrillers, two screenplays, travel writing and even a play-script for a musical as well. And in my day job as a professional "ghostwriter" I've written over forty other books, including a New York Times Number One best-seller.
I've spoken about my work at lectures, writers' festivals and other events all over the world and, when not writing, I'm often to be found riding my bike in the country around my home on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales.

Reviews

[Wataru · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is intriguing and really makes you want to carry on reading, once you have started you cannot end. It is about a Prison camp in Germany of 1915 when war broke out a year before. They are trying to escape from the camp because of how filthy and horrible it is. They are treated badly and often don't get fed.

[Clinton Sweet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Always good to read an almost "forgotten" account of prison escape during wwi. Could never see myself in a position where I'd demonstrate the patience, ingenuity or determination to achieve what these men did. A detailed and well researched book!

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good book there are not many books on the subject of ww1 PoW escapes and in tried allied fashion it is done in style and to the irritation of the axis power well worth a read!

[Martin Poblete · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a really interesting book and gave so much detail to their lives and how they escaped

[Steve Shilstone · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fairly detailed account of life in a World War One German prison camp.