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Zero Night: The Untold Story of World War Two's Most Daring Great Escape
Oflag VI-B, Warburg, Germany: On the night of 30 August 1942 - 'Zero Night' - 40 officers from Britain, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa staged the most audacious mass escape of the Second World War. It was the first 'Great Escape' - but instead of tunnelling, the escapers boldly went over the huge perimeter fences using wooden scaling contraptions. This was the notorious 'Warburg Wire Job', described by fellow prisoner and fighter ace Douglas Bader as 'the most brilliant escape conception of this war'. Months of meticulous planning and secret training hung in the balance during three minutes of mayhem as prisoners charged the camp's double perimeter fences.
Telling this remarkable story in full for the first time, historian Mark Felton brilliantly evokes the suspense of the escape itself and the adventures of those who eluded the Germans, as well as the courage of the civilians who risked their lives to help them in enemy territory. Fantastically intimate and told with a novelist's eye for drama and detail, this is a rip-roaring adventure story, all the more thrilling for being true.
Telling this remarkable story in full for the first time, historian Mark Felton brilliantly evokes the suspense of the escape itself and the adventures of those who eluded the Germans, as well as the courage of the civilians who risked their lives to help them in enemy territory. Fantastically intimate and told with a novelist's eye for drama and detail, this is a rip-roaring adventure story, all the more thrilling for being true.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2014
176 people are currently reading
1205 people want to read
About the author
Mark Felton
32 books160 followersBritish military historian and author. For more information visit www.markfelton.co.uk
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews
January 11, 2021
Another interesting World War 2 escape read about a lesser known (but just as daring) escape in the league of The Great Escape. The escapees were mostly British Army officers and their exploits reads much in line as those of the RAF airmen from Stalag Luft III. Each of the individuals covered in the book had very colorful lives as POW's and the books reads like a novel at times. Recommended to readers interested in daring escapes.
September 13, 2014
In late 1941 several hundred allied prisoners of war, mostly British and Australian, were taken to Oflag V1-B POW camp in Warburg. Many had been prisoners since Dunkirk and included a hardcore of men who had attempted escape before, such as Major Tom Stallard, Major Albert Arkwright, Captain Doug Crawford, Captain Rex Baxter and Lieutenant Jock Hamilton-Ballie. There were many great characters amongst the prisoners, including a young Jewish officer who had taken the identity of a dead friend in order to fight and who risked immense danger if his identity was uncovered.
The men marched into the new camp to find the huts dirty, freezing cold in winter, full of vermin and with meagre rations offered . However, they were also immediately aware that others were far worse off than they were. Even on arrival, they witnessed Russian prisoners being beaten and shot . The allied prisoners had access to Red Cross food parcels, which they attempted to pass on to the Russian prisoners – so starved that they resorted to cannibalism – and eventually they were given new accommodation and improved conditions; including a library, netball pitches and a football ground, plus more adequate food. However, they were still prisoners and escaping became an obsession with many of them.
Every POW camp had their own escape committee and there were the usual plans of prisoners trying to bluff their way out and tunnels snaking towards the perimeter fence. However, the discovery that the floodlights and searchlights around the camp could be cut, evolved into a plan for a mass breakout of men to go over the wire. This, detailed and well researched book, takes us through that breakout; through the planning stages, the organisation of food, clothes and equipment, and the Zero hour, which saw Operation Olympia go into action. It was an audacious plan, well organised and saw men training intensively in order for the escape to succeed.
Of course, escaping is only the first part of a successful breakout. Once outside the camp, the men had to cope with cold, hunger, exhaustion and the threat of being discovered and captured. Although the majority of men who made it over the fence were captured, not all were, and you will have to read this wonderful book to discover what happened to everyone concerned. Indeed, the book does list all the main characters at the end and let you know what happened to those involved. This reads almost like a Boy’s Own adventure at times, but it was very much a real event, undertaken by brave men – with the threat of capture and death a reality. This is a well researched and interesting account and I enjoyed it greatly. Lastly, I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, for review.
The men marched into the new camp to find the huts dirty, freezing cold in winter, full of vermin and with meagre rations offered . However, they were also immediately aware that others were far worse off than they were. Even on arrival, they witnessed Russian prisoners being beaten and shot . The allied prisoners had access to Red Cross food parcels, which they attempted to pass on to the Russian prisoners – so starved that they resorted to cannibalism – and eventually they were given new accommodation and improved conditions; including a library, netball pitches and a football ground, plus more adequate food. However, they were still prisoners and escaping became an obsession with many of them.
Every POW camp had their own escape committee and there were the usual plans of prisoners trying to bluff their way out and tunnels snaking towards the perimeter fence. However, the discovery that the floodlights and searchlights around the camp could be cut, evolved into a plan for a mass breakout of men to go over the wire. This, detailed and well researched book, takes us through that breakout; through the planning stages, the organisation of food, clothes and equipment, and the Zero hour, which saw Operation Olympia go into action. It was an audacious plan, well organised and saw men training intensively in order for the escape to succeed.
Of course, escaping is only the first part of a successful breakout. Once outside the camp, the men had to cope with cold, hunger, exhaustion and the threat of being discovered and captured. Although the majority of men who made it over the fence were captured, not all were, and you will have to read this wonderful book to discover what happened to everyone concerned. Indeed, the book does list all the main characters at the end and let you know what happened to those involved. This reads almost like a Boy’s Own adventure at times, but it was very much a real event, undertaken by brave men – with the threat of capture and death a reality. This is a well researched and interesting account and I enjoyed it greatly. Lastly, I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, for review.
September 22, 2014
A fast paced action story of the first ‘great escape’ where instead of tunnelling, the prisoners boldly went over the huge perimeter fences.
I thought I knew quite a bit about World War 2 Pow escapes but “The Warburg Wire Job” was completely unknown to me and I resisted looking it up on Wikipedia until I had finished the book. Even though the escape was a very imaginative and well planned operation there are surprisingly very few accounts of it both online and in books.
The author knits together in an exciting and pacey style a compelling story of Allied wartime bravery, amazing ingenuity and incredible, even reckless, daring and courage. The first 2 thirds of the book cover the planning and actual escape with the final third detailing in the evasion techniques of the prisoners and also how the Dutch, French and Belgian resistance escape lines operated.
The ebook review copy I read would have benefitted from more diagrams and photos of the escapers and their techniques.
The book will appeal to all fans of the Great Escape and other POW escape movies as well as those who interested in the triumph of human spirit over adversity.
I thought I knew quite a bit about World War 2 Pow escapes but “The Warburg Wire Job” was completely unknown to me and I resisted looking it up on Wikipedia until I had finished the book. Even though the escape was a very imaginative and well planned operation there are surprisingly very few accounts of it both online and in books.
The author knits together in an exciting and pacey style a compelling story of Allied wartime bravery, amazing ingenuity and incredible, even reckless, daring and courage. The first 2 thirds of the book cover the planning and actual escape with the final third detailing in the evasion techniques of the prisoners and also how the Dutch, French and Belgian resistance escape lines operated.
The ebook review copy I read would have benefitted from more diagrams and photos of the escapers and their techniques.
The book will appeal to all fans of the Great Escape and other POW escape movies as well as those who interested in the triumph of human spirit over adversity.
November 10, 2017
During World War II, the first mass escape of POWs from German control took place in August 1942 from Warburg. This is the story of of the 77 attempted escapes from Oflag VI-B in an over the wire mass effort and tracks the 32 escapees as they attempted to reach freedom. This is an interesting read of a little known event of the war.
December 24, 2015
I have read many books about POW's escaping from prison camps during World War 2. Most of us are familiar with The Great Escape and Colditz due to the movies made about these events. This book documents an equally amazing escape and it amazes me that its story has never found it's way to film. Although it is worth noting that some of the events and characters in this story were incorporated into The Great Escape movie.
This book documents the story of the first mass escape from a German POW camp, Oflag V1-B in Warburg in 1942, prior to the mass escape from Stalag Luft III in The Great Escape. With escape tunnels being discovered before they can be used, a group of British officers conceives a scheme to use a ladder-like apparatus to escape over the wire. It follows the development of their idea, testing the idea and then planning for the escape. The entire plan is endangered when the Germans announce a plan to close Oflag V1-B and transfer the POWs to other prisons. The prisoners act quickly and 40 escape. The book follows their harrowing journey to get of Germany. All but three are recaptured, but the book follows those three as they escape via the famous Comet Line through occupied Holland, Belgium, and France.
Thank you to my GoodReads friend Beatrix for recommending this book!
This book documents the story of the first mass escape from a German POW camp, Oflag V1-B in Warburg in 1942, prior to the mass escape from Stalag Luft III in The Great Escape. With escape tunnels being discovered before they can be used, a group of British officers conceives a scheme to use a ladder-like apparatus to escape over the wire. It follows the development of their idea, testing the idea and then planning for the escape. The entire plan is endangered when the Germans announce a plan to close Oflag V1-B and transfer the POWs to other prisons. The prisoners act quickly and 40 escape. The book follows their harrowing journey to get of Germany. All but three are recaptured, but the book follows those three as they escape via the famous Comet Line through occupied Holland, Belgium, and France.
Thank you to my GoodReads friend Beatrix for recommending this book!
December 5, 2025
I have been a fan of historian, documentary maker and writer Mark Felton on YouTube for over twelve years. Dr. Felton is an exceptional World War II storyteller who dives into topics other historians gloss over or simply ignore. Zero Night is one of those ignored stories. Perhaps in his native UK the story of how 32 British officers ingeniously escaped from a German POW camp with over 600 captives in 1942 is well known. I suspect that is true across the pond – given the number of post-war MBEs and military service medals given to the survivors. Unfortunately, for many here in the states all we know about is The Great Escape, Stalag 17 and Hogans Heros, at best. Yet, who doesn’t love a good and true WWII POW prison break story? Here is a true story of patriotism, determination, cunning, discipline, valor, tragedy and triumph. A fast paced read that I could not put down. You will be traveling in fear, desperation and a sincere longing for home right along with these evaders deep inside paranoid Nazi Germany – where capture lurks in every breath you take. Of the 32 British officers who escaped – how many evaded captures? No spoilers, you got to read Zero Night. Enthusiastically 5 stars for Mark Felton. Thank you.
June 26, 2023
This was a well-written and researched story of a grand escape masterminded by mainly British and Australian prisoners of war from a German camp close to the end of WWII. I learned a lot, including how the Geneva Convention expected (required even, I believe) these prisoners to attempt escaping, so the camp was almost an entire cat-and-mouse game, with death definitely a possibility. I admired the indefatigable spirit and ingenuity of these men in their planning and training and building. Truly incredible.
September 3, 2019
Love all things Brene
November 26, 2017
In August of 1943, more than 3 dozen officers performed one of the most challenging prison escapes of World War II. The officers from Great Britain and either faces death in a cell, or escape from the Germans, and have freedom. In order to make this escape perfect, it took months of planning and secret training so everyone would be prepared for anything that happens while the plan was in effect. The inmates thought that a plan like this needed a nickname. In order for the mission not to be compromised, they came up with the name “Operation Olympia”. Many people called this the smartest escape plan of any war. The prisoners built tunnels underground, built later with materials they found in the sheds where they had free time once every day. They performed these tasks in groups of four that made it easier for them to carry out the tasks needed in their plan. This plan helped free over 3 dozen prisoners but once out of the prison where they recaptured again or did they finally escape from the hands of the Nazis?
Characters
Albert Arkwright- was awarded the military cross for his successful escape from prison and after the war, he became a farmer. Albert was the person in charge of the plan and was the last to escape because he put his friends first before him.
Rex Baxter- was the assistant in planning this escape and after he had escaped he passed away from an illness in 1991.
Jack Champ- after escaping from the prison he married his fiance and started a family. His wife died after having five children and later he remarried. A few years later he passed away in 1998 at the age of 85.
Henry Coombe Tennant- was rewarded with the Military Cross and later was promoted because of the leadership skills that he showed during this time. He was 76 when he passed away in 1989
All of these men were the main people who helped other prisoners escape along with themselves and apart from the few that survived the whole escape plan.
Own experience
All throughout Zero Night I was never bored while reading. There were points when I was reading I didn't want to stop reading. When books get me to feel like that, then the book must be pretty good. I do not normally read books about war, but I really am glad I did because I realized that I should consider reading more books about war. I also realized what life was like in the camps because this book is based off a real story. The author Mark Felton made each character in this book show their true colors. He sold this book to me and I really liked the wording he used. I thought that reading a book about the war would be boring but really it just made me want to read the book even more. In the book when the prisoners escaped the fear he made them sound like they all had was just amazing and he succeeded in getting me into this book even more. I absolutely loved this book. I think it's because the life of the prisoners during the war intrigued me. Reading this book made me realize that there is more to just sports and adventure books that I mainly read. I might read another book about war for one of my next projects.
Big Idea SPOILER
The big idea word for this book would be freedom. In this book, the British officers were captured by the Nazis during world war II. The prisoners were faced with either dying in jail or breaking out to get their freedom back. When people are in jail their freedom to do things is very limited. Throughout the book, the prisoners were working so hard to gain their freedom back that the Nazis had taken away from them. The prisoners worked very hard to escape from the prison. That is why freedom works well for this book because the prisoners worked so hard to gain freedom and did everything possible so they could be free once again from the Nazis.
This was a very good book and I would recommend it and not just this book but any books by this author because he was very good at keeping me interested.
Characters
Albert Arkwright- was awarded the military cross for his successful escape from prison and after the war, he became a farmer. Albert was the person in charge of the plan and was the last to escape because he put his friends first before him.
Rex Baxter- was the assistant in planning this escape and after he had escaped he passed away from an illness in 1991.
Jack Champ- after escaping from the prison he married his fiance and started a family. His wife died after having five children and later he remarried. A few years later he passed away in 1998 at the age of 85.
Henry Coombe Tennant- was rewarded with the Military Cross and later was promoted because of the leadership skills that he showed during this time. He was 76 when he passed away in 1989
All of these men were the main people who helped other prisoners escape along with themselves and apart from the few that survived the whole escape plan.
Own experience
All throughout Zero Night I was never bored while reading. There were points when I was reading I didn't want to stop reading. When books get me to feel like that, then the book must be pretty good. I do not normally read books about war, but I really am glad I did because I realized that I should consider reading more books about war. I also realized what life was like in the camps because this book is based off a real story. The author Mark Felton made each character in this book show their true colors. He sold this book to me and I really liked the wording he used. I thought that reading a book about the war would be boring but really it just made me want to read the book even more. In the book when the prisoners escaped the fear he made them sound like they all had was just amazing and he succeeded in getting me into this book even more. I absolutely loved this book. I think it's because the life of the prisoners during the war intrigued me. Reading this book made me realize that there is more to just sports and adventure books that I mainly read. I might read another book about war for one of my next projects.
Big Idea SPOILER
The big idea word for this book would be freedom. In this book, the British officers were captured by the Nazis during world war II. The prisoners were faced with either dying in jail or breaking out to get their freedom back. When people are in jail their freedom to do things is very limited. Throughout the book, the prisoners were working so hard to gain their freedom back that the Nazis had taken away from them. The prisoners worked very hard to escape from the prison. That is why freedom works well for this book because the prisoners worked so hard to gain freedom and did everything possible so they could be free once again from the Nazis.
This was a very good book and I would recommend it and not just this book but any books by this author because he was very good at keeping me interested.
June 30, 2017
If there's one thing I love it's World War II escape narratives. Often penned by or involving the British, it involves a certain stiff-upper-lip, devil-may-care, adventurous spirit and (with a few notable exceptions) it's generally less horrifying than any narrative involving prisoners of any other nation. "The Big Zero" is an entertaining version. The largest problem is that the author seems to be taking a self-consciously cinematic approach, transcribing (and editing or recreating, per the author's note at the beginning) entire verbal exchanges which can get a little hokey. Rather than quoting explicitly from a narrative by one of the escapers, for example, he's simply including the dialogue they recorded. It's part and parcel of going for a popular rather than scholarly approach, I guess, but I feel like the author tilts too far in the popular direction. He also doesn't bother with any digressions - we learn next to nothing about the escapers although, for example, one of them was the son of a feminist and spiritualist activist who conceived him through an extramarital affair with the then-Prime Minister's brother in the belief that the baby would be the reincarnation of yet another spiritualist leader, which I learned via Google. I'm fairly certain the book never even gave his first name. Basically the author is writing a straight narrative and nothing more. Good but not great.
January 10, 2019
An interesting and fast read. Zero Night gives and excellent insight into the life of a PoW in Germany and the determination of a sizeable proportion of them to escape captivity and/or selflessly assist others to escape. Mark Fenton, the author, assembled put together the saga very well and certainly kept my interest alight throughout. He also highlighted excellently the dedication and dangers facing those very brave Dutch/Belgium/French etc civilian operators who assisted Allied personnel to seek freedom.
Having thoroughly enjoyed Zero Night, however, he does only get 4.5-stars in the reckoning. It would have been a more complete telling if he had managed to give some feedback of the German perspective of events; I know a lot more difficult to research, but they were the 'other half' of this tale. Having been introduced to the Commandants and their security officer, it's a shame we weren't told of their fates.
I strongly recommend this book.
Having thoroughly enjoyed Zero Night, however, he does only get 4.5-stars in the reckoning. It would have been a more complete telling if he had managed to give some feedback of the German perspective of events; I know a lot more difficult to research, but they were the 'other half' of this tale. Having been introduced to the Commandants and their security officer, it's a shame we weren't told of their fates.
I strongly recommend this book.
October 27, 2021
This was written by a YouTube Channel author who does a lot of WWII lesser know stories. This is one of them. It takes place before The Great Escape (book/movie) and should be made into a movie as well. The Great Escape is a 1963 American epic adventure suspense war film starring Steve McQueen, James Garner and Richard Attenborough and featuring James Donald, Charles Bronson, Donald Pleasence, James Coburn, Hannes Messemer, David McCallum, Gordon Jackson, John Leyton and Angus Lennie. The POWs come up with an ingenious plan to escape and after many months of almost being discovered make their escape. The first half of book is how they put the escape plan together. The second half is what happened after Zero Hour.
July 1, 2023
This book is a deep-dive into one of the most incredible POW escapes in WWII. Involving British and Australian officers, 32 men escaped from Warburg through an ingenious contraption they were able to build using scavenged materials. The first book dealt with the planning for the escape and the last half followed these officers as they tried to make their way out of Germany and into safe countries. It was a bit hard at first to keep track of all the officers involved but the author did a great job of identifying them - and then revealing "life after the war" for those who survived.
August 30, 2024
Upon finishing this book, I immediately thought to myself Surely this is a movie. I have to watch it . It's not. Not yet at least. The film rights have been sold but nothing has come of it yet.
This is one of the greatest stories I've ever read. It's about English and Australian POWs escaping from a German camp in WW2. The ingenuity, elaborate plan, patience; all culminating in a prison break is just as good as it gets. I've watched Prison Break and this is better. Its real. I think the author did a fine job, but the source material he had to work from is fantastic.
This is one of the greatest stories I've ever read. It's about English and Australian POWs escaping from a German camp in WW2. The ingenuity, elaborate plan, patience; all culminating in a prison break is just as good as it gets. I've watched Prison Break and this is better. Its real. I think the author did a fine job, but the source material he had to work from is fantastic.
November 18, 2025
I wanted to read this book because my favourite uncle was captured at St Valery in 1940 and imprisoned for the rest of WWII in Oflag VIId and then Oflag VIIb. He seldom spoke of it, but I do know that he did not try to escape, because he had a wife and young family at home, although he may well have assisted those attempting to do so.
The book is, of course, interesting in this light. However it did not keep my attention, and I just don't feel in the right frame of mind for it at the moment. I have set it aside.
The book is, of course, interesting in this light. However it did not keep my attention, and I just don't feel in the right frame of mind for it at the moment. I have set it aside.
July 10, 2017
If you're a fan of WWII history, this is a must read. Felton does a beautiful job with the narrative, pulling you into the story as if you were there. This story also add a new layer of texture to the film "The Great Escape," as some of the players from that story had their origin in this escape, as well as the book Colditz: The Untold Story of World War II's Great Escapes, by Henry Chancellor. The book was also a pretty quick read, and worth every second of it. Highly recommend!
July 26, 2025
This was a pretty fascinating story of escape from a German POW camp in 1942. Oflag VI-B was built specifically to house officers captured in the war mostly British and Australian, a handful of Scots. Images of the 1960s TV show "Hogan's Heros" came to mind while reading about the incompetence of the German guards and the internal higharchy of the POWs. Author Mark Felton did a good job providing detail while not overwhelming readers who are not war-story fans.
May 5, 2020
A great read. A real page-turner where at the end of each chapter you have to keep reminding yourself this actually happened. Why tunnel when you could build a ladder contraption that allows many many POWS to scale the perimeter fence.
August 24, 2017
An outstanding story of real life courage, bravery and the will to escape. These British officers were pure geniuses in regards to how they crafted their escape from a German POW camp during WW2.
July 23, 2019
Very good, a bit slow at first, but once it gets in it’s stride you can’t put it down.
A good account of a very brave generation
A good account of a very brave generation
April 12, 2020
Very enjoyable book, actually shows one how extensive prep. was required & the actual escape was exceptionallty hard. I'm glad 3 eventually escaped via Spain.
April 4, 2021
A great read about real events in history. Very well written
February 3, 2023
Very good recounting of an escape from a German POW camp in WWII. Reading is a little dry but story moves along well.
March 24, 2023
A fascinating read
The book is well written and the author keeps the narrative flowing with ease. A brilliant true war thriller. If you like war stories read this.
The book is well written and the author keeps the narrative flowing with ease. A brilliant true war thriller. If you like war stories read this.
June 11, 2023
A finely documented and suspenseful POW escape story.
August 16, 2023
Great Book
I loved the way the book read like a novel. The author did a great job of making you feel like you were right there with them. Should be made into a movie.
I loved the way the book read like a novel. The author did a great job of making you feel like you were right there with them. Should be made into a movie.
February 18, 2024
Like reading these WWII stories. The ingenuity and resilience of these men in their escape plans, sometimes over and over again; are fascinating.
February 23, 2024
Well researched, entertaining and informative. Post escape information could have been more detailed but perhaps the material was missing. Great to read about a lesser known escape story.
July 31, 2024
Amazing story!
September 19, 2024
A great ripping yarn! I was surprised I hadn't even heard of this escape, having read a lot of WW2 escape stories in my youth. But it was a great read, thoroughly enjoyed it.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews