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Great Escapes #1
Nazi Prison Camp Escape
In spring 1942, Royal Air Force pilot Bill Ash’s plane was shot down by Germans, who captured and eventually brought him to Stalag Luft III, a notorious camp for prisoners of war. The Germans boasted that the camp—which was isolated, heavily guarded, and surrounded by wire fences—was escape proof.
But Ash was ready to prove them wrong. He, along with other POWs, would dig tunnels, hide in shower drains, or jump on trucks—all in the name of freedom. Because resisting the Germans was their mission, and escaping was their duty.
But Ash was ready to prove them wrong. He, along with other POWs, would dig tunnels, hide in shower drains, or jump on trucks—all in the name of freedom. Because resisting the Germans was their mission, and escaping was their duty.
128 pages, Hardcover
Published April 28, 2020
23 people are currently reading
3046 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
April 14, 2020
Impressive, well-crafted tale of a pilot from Texas who does not give up. Bill Ash is a marvel. He joins the RAF via Canada (after being rejected the first time for being underweight, he borrows money and eats for two weeks straight before trying again), gets show down over France, and joins up with the Resistance hoping to escape back to Great Britain via Spain. The Gestapo captures Bill in Paris and puts him in a POW camp. Before being rescued at the end of the war, Bill makes a dozen attempts to escape from the camp he was currently assigned to. Every time the Germans caught him, he was thrown in the cooler and/or sent to yet a different camp. An amazing tale that will appeal to kids who love the "I Survived" series. I was not a fan of the illustrations, but the rest of the package was spot on. Looking forward to reading more Great Escape books!
Thank you to HarperCollins and Edelweiss for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to HarperCollins and Edelweiss for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.
September 3, 2025
Insightful and admirable although heartbreaking. I was wonderful that he found those kind, brave souls who risked their lives to help him when he landed in German occupied France.
January 26, 2022
5 out of 10
ревью на русском/review in russian
Too short and dry. Also too blockbuster-esque for a real story. No sad feelings, no anything. Maybe I'm too used to heart-wrecking fiction about WWII? No idea. But I didn't like this one. It was only okay.
May 9, 2020
You can read my full review on my blog, The Bookwyrm's Den, here.
Many thanks to Edelweiss and HarperCollins for a review copy in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.
This was comped to the I Survived series, which made it a must-read for me, because our patrons love that series.
Nazi Prison Camp Escape is a fictionalized account of something that really happened, and would be great for kids looking for nonfiction about World War II.
So was the comp apt? Ehhh … not completely. Unfortunately, this read more like nonfiction. I assume it had to be categorized as fiction, because it fictionalizes some events in instances where we can’t know what happened, but I think this was a poor choice of marketing. I wouldn’t recommend this to kids looking for a historical fiction read, but those who want something more akin to World War II nonfiction.
My Thoughts:
- Everything about this screams MG nonfiction … except for the brief fictionalized encounters and dialogue. Bill Ash was a real person. The story about him in the book is based on his life. Unfortunately, this book walks a real fine line, because obviously, the dialogue attributed to him was fictional, etc. However, most of it is very much in the flavor of nonfiction, complete with little blurb asides filled with facts about World War II and what Bill Ash is going through in that chapter. It would make an interesting enough nonfiction book for those interested in World War II, but as a fiction book? It makes for a disappointing story.
- If a reader picked this up as historical fiction, I imagine they would be quite disappointed. This doesn’t read like historical fiction. If you’re looking for a complete novel, with a beginning, middle, and end, rising action, and daring feats of adventure along the way, look elsewhere. The narrative in this is very dry and hits straight to the facts. There’s not much flavor or personality like one might expect in historical fiction. This is where I think the comp to I Survived falls down, because where that series succeeds in taking a fictional character and throwing them into a historical event, this just didn’t have the same narrative power. As I’ve said, it reads more like nonfiction, so this book has more of a niche audience. The great thing about I Survived is that anyone can pick them up, even if they have no interest in that particular event. Not the case here. Someone who wasn’t interested in World War II might really struggle to get through this. For someone who’s interested in World War II, though, this would be a fantastic read.
- Where this book really shines is making nonfiction more accessible and fun to read. I wish this had been more marketed as much, because it does that well. It’s not as dry as nonfiction, and there is a sort of plot in this. Not as adventurous or exciting as I’d anticipated, but Bill Ash’s life and struggle in the prison camp is important and a view of World War II that readers don’t often get. Concentration camps, sure, but I like how this peeled back the curtain on a completely different aspect of the war. There weren’t any big or deep thoughts in this book. It was sort of a 10,000-foot view of it, which can be good or bad. For younger MG readers, I think this might be a challenging read, but it would spare them the real brutality of the war while still introducing them to some of it.
Many thanks to Edelweiss and HarperCollins for a review copy in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.
This was comped to the I Survived series, which made it a must-read for me, because our patrons love that series.
Nazi Prison Camp Escape is a fictionalized account of something that really happened, and would be great for kids looking for nonfiction about World War II.
So was the comp apt? Ehhh … not completely. Unfortunately, this read more like nonfiction. I assume it had to be categorized as fiction, because it fictionalizes some events in instances where we can’t know what happened, but I think this was a poor choice of marketing. I wouldn’t recommend this to kids looking for a historical fiction read, but those who want something more akin to World War II nonfiction.
My Thoughts:
- Everything about this screams MG nonfiction … except for the brief fictionalized encounters and dialogue. Bill Ash was a real person. The story about him in the book is based on his life. Unfortunately, this book walks a real fine line, because obviously, the dialogue attributed to him was fictional, etc. However, most of it is very much in the flavor of nonfiction, complete with little blurb asides filled with facts about World War II and what Bill Ash is going through in that chapter. It would make an interesting enough nonfiction book for those interested in World War II, but as a fiction book? It makes for a disappointing story.
- If a reader picked this up as historical fiction, I imagine they would be quite disappointed. This doesn’t read like historical fiction. If you’re looking for a complete novel, with a beginning, middle, and end, rising action, and daring feats of adventure along the way, look elsewhere. The narrative in this is very dry and hits straight to the facts. There’s not much flavor or personality like one might expect in historical fiction. This is where I think the comp to I Survived falls down, because where that series succeeds in taking a fictional character and throwing them into a historical event, this just didn’t have the same narrative power. As I’ve said, it reads more like nonfiction, so this book has more of a niche audience. The great thing about I Survived is that anyone can pick them up, even if they have no interest in that particular event. Not the case here. Someone who wasn’t interested in World War II might really struggle to get through this. For someone who’s interested in World War II, though, this would be a fantastic read.
- Where this book really shines is making nonfiction more accessible and fun to read. I wish this had been more marketed as much, because it does that well. It’s not as dry as nonfiction, and there is a sort of plot in this. Not as adventurous or exciting as I’d anticipated, but Bill Ash’s life and struggle in the prison camp is important and a view of World War II that readers don’t often get. Concentration camps, sure, but I like how this peeled back the curtain on a completely different aspect of the war. There weren’t any big or deep thoughts in this book. It was sort of a 10,000-foot view of it, which can be good or bad. For younger MG readers, I think this might be a challenging read, but it would spare them the real brutality of the war while still introducing them to some of it.
July 29, 2020
Great Escapes is a debut series and it is getting off to an exciting start with Nazi Prison Camp. Presenting Bill Ash's story in this short, but action-packed historical fiction novel is a great way to get reluctant readers reading as well as giving kids interested in WWII stories something different. After all, most kids know about Nazi concentration camps, but not much about what happened to POWs, and may have even just assumed they were immediately killed.
There are sidebars to Bill's story in the first three chapters with information about The Depression, Concentration Camps, Spitfires and Other Aircraft of World War II, The Resistance to German Rule, andThe POWS of World War II. These are all topics readers will encounter throughout the novel. Sometimes I find sidebars intrusive in historical fiction. It was nice to read them at the beginning of Bill's story so that the exciting escapes weren't interrupted with information and readers already know what they need to know. And since it is a story about POWs, it is also a good way to introduce them to the Geneva Conventions that "spelled out how countries would treat prisoners of war."
There is a Selected Bibliography and an Author's Note in the back matter. A map is included at the beginning, but I wish it were a more detailed map to give young readers a sense of place and distance. Descriptions of Bill's escape attempts are detailed and riveting. Bill Ash's story is a survival story par excellence.
This book is recommended for readers age 9+
This book was an EARC gratefully received from Edelweiss Plus
My full review can be found HERE
There are sidebars to Bill's story in the first three chapters with information about The Depression, Concentration Camps, Spitfires and Other Aircraft of World War II, The Resistance to German Rule, andThe POWS of World War II. These are all topics readers will encounter throughout the novel. Sometimes I find sidebars intrusive in historical fiction. It was nice to read them at the beginning of Bill's story so that the exciting escapes weren't interrupted with information and readers already know what they need to know. And since it is a story about POWs, it is also a good way to introduce them to the Geneva Conventions that "spelled out how countries would treat prisoners of war."
There is a Selected Bibliography and an Author's Note in the back matter. A map is included at the beginning, but I wish it were a more detailed map to give young readers a sense of place and distance. Descriptions of Bill's escape attempts are detailed and riveting. Bill Ash's story is a survival story par excellence.
This book is recommended for readers age 9+
This book was an EARC gratefully received from Edelweiss Plus
My full review can be found HERE
January 28, 2020
If your middle-grader eats up the “I survived...” series, they will readily pick up Great Escapes; Book 1 Nazi Prison Camp Escape. Quite short, but completely absorbing, it is a good addition to WWII historical fiction collection.
January 18, 2022
I bought this because I grew up reading my Dad's collection of POW escape stories and often played games with my friends and older sister about escaping from POW camps. This book is geared to readers age 8-12. It starts with a map, which is nice to see and it does include historical information in side bars to perhaps make the story fuller for readers who don't have a lot of background knowledge on the subject. It has a decent selected bibliography at the book end as well. For me as an adult, it wasn't enough but I suspect it might catch the interest of a young reader. I will pass it on to one.
February 26, 2020
This is a great historical fiction story. It reminds me very much of the "I Survived" books. It reads like an adventure story, yet depicts the events William Ash experienced during WWII as a POW.
Overall, it was an enjoyable quick read - suitable for kids in grades 3+.
Overall, it was an enjoyable quick read - suitable for kids in grades 3+.
October 5, 2019
Review copy courtesy of Edelweiss.
A good alternate and a step up for the “I Survived” series of historical fiction for middle grade readers.
A good alternate and a step up for the “I Survived” series of historical fiction for middle grade readers.
February 12, 2022
First sentence: On a summer morning in 1942, Bill Ash joined the other prisoners trudging across the sandy ground toward a small concrete building. The men were being held at a German prisoner of war (POW) camp called Stalag Luft III.
Premise/plot: Nazi Prsion Camp Escape is the first in a new series called Great Escapes. Each book, I believe, will be a stand alone, but all books will feature...'a great escape.' This first book stars real life RAF (Royal Air Force) pilot, Bill Ash. (This American--like some others--joined the War before the United States and volunteered their services to the Allies.) After his plane went down, he was captured and sent to a Prisoner of War Camp. This book doesn't feature one "great escape." But multiple maybe-not-so-great escapes. He was good at escaping, maybe not so great at avoiding capture afterwards. Regardless, the book contains his adventures/misadventures in a war-torn Europe.
My thoughts: The book is too fiction-y to be purely nonfiction. And it is too non-fiction-y to be purely fiction. It is packed with facts. For the right reader, those facts are fascinating. You might even find readers say more please. For the wrong reader, well, those facts might come across as "dry" or "boring." Though the plot is action-packed, so there's that. Still, you can't deny that the text is full of info-dumps. Again, to the right reader these facts are interesting/fascinating. The info dumps are mostly necessary in my opinion. Especially with the audience of the target reader. You need background information for context, context, context. You can hardly talk about the Second World War without explaining all these layers.
It has been pushed--in the jacket copy at the very least--as being for fans of the I Survived series. Is this fair? Yes. No. Maybe. See, it depends on if you are talking about narrative style/approach OR if you are talking about subject--big events from history.
There are obviously differences. The I Survived stories are very fiction-y. They feature young protagonists. There's almost always inserted back story that has very little to do with the actual I Survived event. (Like in the Blizzard book, there was a flashback to him encountering a snake.) The chapters are written in such a way to keep you turning pages.
I haven't read the others in the series. But this one is mostly nonfiction. It is packed with information. It is written in a more engaging/appealing style than a history text book. But it isn't necessarily a page-turner UNLESS (and this is key) history is one of the things that excites you. For some readers, history is EXCITING and FUN. I know that is a novel thought. But some people actually enjoy it.
If you read I Survived because you have an interest in HISTORY and the BIG EVENT in the story, then, yes, this series might appeal.
January 25, 2021
A slightly fictionalized story of real WWII pilot Bill Ash and his numerous escape attempts from Nazi POW camps.
This is only categorized as fiction because the author had to imagine the dialogue and emotions of Bill in some circumstances. I am actually debating going ahead and shelving it as biography in our library because honestly, it has more facts than some other biographies I could name. All the events included are true. All the characters are real people. And even the emotions are based on what the author read in Bill Ash's own autobiography and other writings. The style of writing seems more biography-like than fictional too. The only reason I might shelve it in fiction is that the next book in the series is based on characters from Uncle Tom's Cabin and not real people so that will definitely go in fiction and it might confuse kids. I like all the text boxes that inform readers about historical WWII tidbits. I have watched the movie The Great Escape several times so I knew some of the events of one of Bill Ash's last POW locations, and I can't imagine that Steve McQueen's character wasn't based on Bill Ash even though Burgan seems unconvinced. I have a lot of kids who ask for WWII books and "short, easy books" and this seems perfect for them.
Notes on content: No language issues. No sexual content. Ash faces torture during a Nazi interrogation that is somewhat related. Deaths of prisoners caught trying to escape are related (not described). Deaths in WWII battles related.
This is only categorized as fiction because the author had to imagine the dialogue and emotions of Bill in some circumstances. I am actually debating going ahead and shelving it as biography in our library because honestly, it has more facts than some other biographies I could name. All the events included are true. All the characters are real people. And even the emotions are based on what the author read in Bill Ash's own autobiography and other writings. The style of writing seems more biography-like than fictional too. The only reason I might shelve it in fiction is that the next book in the series is based on characters from Uncle Tom's Cabin and not real people so that will definitely go in fiction and it might confuse kids. I like all the text boxes that inform readers about historical WWII tidbits. I have watched the movie The Great Escape several times so I knew some of the events of one of Bill Ash's last POW locations, and I can't imagine that Steve McQueen's character wasn't based on Bill Ash even though Burgan seems unconvinced. I have a lot of kids who ask for WWII books and "short, easy books" and this seems perfect for them.
Notes on content: No language issues. No sexual content. Ash faces torture during a Nazi interrogation that is somewhat related. Deaths of prisoners caught trying to escape are related (not described). Deaths in WWII battles related.
May 1, 2022
The story about him in the book is based on life of Bill Ash. The book is called “Nazi Prison Camp Escape written by Michael Burgan. This is relate to the Great Escape. He was originally from Texas, USA. He reads newspaper about Nazis and Hitler were emlinate Jewish to camps so on. He hates Nazis. He decides to fight and he joins RAF via Canada (after being rejected the first time for being underweight. He borrowed money to eat food for two weeks straight to fatted him up to try again and he did. His plane was shot down by Germans in France in the spring of 1942. He was hidden from his helpers and joined the resistance. He was captured, tortured, beaten and was taken to Stalag POW camp. He tried to make escape attempts 13 times along with other POWs, would dig tunnels, hide in shower drains, or jump on trucks—all in the name of freedom. Every time the Germans caught him, he was thrown in the cooler and/or sent to yet a different camp. He doesn’t give up. He was ready to prove them wrong as a result. Did he survive? You can decide. This book is an opening page turning, difficult to put down as a result because it is a short book author wrote to keep simple details including illustrations pictures for the younger readers will able to understand about RAF as a result and I’ve enjoy YA books.
December 14, 2021
Opening lines from the book …
On a summer morning in 1942, Bill Ash joined the other prisoners trudging across the sandy ground toward a small concrete building.
WHAT I LIKED ABOUT THIS BOOK…
1) The book starts with an exciting escape. Bill Ash goes through quite of few of these escapes from the various POW camps where he was prisoner. And the prison tends to move him around a lot, so we get to see lots of prison-break attempts.
2) I loved the theme of the importance of freedom. Ash knows he can sit out the rest of the war and be treated relatively well as a POW (Prisoner of War). And yet he doesn’t do that. He does make the risk of trying to escape. I found that pretty fascinating.
3)
4) That cover art … I was rooting for the men to escape! You can just feel the tension in that cover.
FINAL THOUGHTS
This will appeal to those interested in non-fiction and World War II. I love the history behind it all. Having watched the movie (the book does reference it), reading this book brought that viewing experience back to me.
On a summer morning in 1942, Bill Ash joined the other prisoners trudging across the sandy ground toward a small concrete building.
WHAT I LIKED ABOUT THIS BOOK…
1) The book starts with an exciting escape. Bill Ash goes through quite of few of these escapes from the various POW camps where he was prisoner. And the prison tends to move him around a lot, so we get to see lots of prison-break attempts.
2) I loved the theme of the importance of freedom. Ash knows he can sit out the rest of the war and be treated relatively well as a POW (Prisoner of War). And yet he doesn’t do that. He does make the risk of trying to escape. I found that pretty fascinating.
3)
4) That cover art … I was rooting for the men to escape! You can just feel the tension in that cover.
FINAL THOUGHTS
This will appeal to those interested in non-fiction and World War II. I love the history behind it all. Having watched the movie (the book does reference it), reading this book brought that viewing experience back to me.
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May 16, 2020I was given a copy of this title, free, in exchange for my honest opinion.
This is Bill Ash's story and his escape from a Nazi prison camp. He was a Royal Air Force pilot who crashed in 1942. German soldiers eventually found him and brought him to Stalag Luft III, a prison camp that was supposed to be escape-proof. Ash had multiple failed escapes ( he got out of the camp but was recaptured). Ash was determined, took risks and never stopped trying to escape. He was at peace with dying while attempting to escape. Ash was not part of the "Great Escape". Honestly, his final -and successful- escape was a bit anticlimatic. His story was still impressive. This would be great supplemental material to use when talking about or introducing WWII to kids. It doesn't give a complete picture but it does provide a real-life perspective.
This is Bill Ash's story and his escape from a Nazi prison camp. He was a Royal Air Force pilot who crashed in 1942. German soldiers eventually found him and brought him to Stalag Luft III, a prison camp that was supposed to be escape-proof. Ash had multiple failed escapes ( he got out of the camp but was recaptured). Ash was determined, took risks and never stopped trying to escape. He was at peace with dying while attempting to escape. Ash was not part of the "Great Escape". Honestly, his final -and successful- escape was a bit anticlimatic. His story was still impressive. This would be great supplemental material to use when talking about or introducing WWII to kids. It doesn't give a complete picture but it does provide a real-life perspective.
February 13, 2020
Good book for older children and young teens to learn about prision camps and WWII. The book has notes explaining things to give context to the story, so anyone that is not familiar with the time period can understand it. It also has some illustrations that might keep kids interested. The story is a little dry and it's not meant to be emotional but it is based on a true story. Overall, great quick read for young ones learning about the time period.
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May 21, 2020I love historical fiction, always have. This book has a great combination of narrative as well as facts throughout the book. Great book for the age group and an introduction to WWII historical novels. I just wish these were available when I was a kid, I would have devoured them!
February 12, 2020
Good book for early teens to understand some of what happened in WWll. Read in one sitting and now handing it to my grandson,
October 23, 2020
Makes the reader take an up close and personal look at war and all the terrible things that man can do to his fellow man.
Depressing.
Depressing.
December 3, 2020
This was an interesting and quick read. (Read it over my lunch hour.)
I added it to the list of items to purchase for the library.
I added it to the list of items to purchase for the library.
January 17, 2021
Bill Ash tries to escape from the Nazi prison camps 13 times. Read to find out how.
Read
February 9, 2021good
October 19, 2021
It’s a quick book about real people and their real escapes during WW2. Educational and good for kids.
July 31, 2024
Great book for children. It moves along, doesn’t have gory details of killings or torture, and is a fun read. Great story and WWII info for kids.
January 7, 2025
This was a good book! It really put things into perspective for me. I’m not a huge fan of historical fiction so it wasn’t my favorite, but it was definitely interesting!
Read
April 6, 2022
ARC provided via the publisher in exchange for an honest review
No rating
As this is middle grade, I feel like I can't properly assign a rating to it given I am not the target market for this, and it is written for someone at least 12 years younger than me.
This is definitely MIDDLE GRADE literature. If an individual who chooses to read this knows nothing of World War II and they have interest in historical fiction, then I think this could be an interesting read.
At age 12 I was assigned to read Elie Wiesel's Night in 8th grade. I much prefer the first hand historical account to sensitive topics such as this one in particular. I think this was written to be far too "heroic" in such a tragic time of history.
No rating
As this is middle grade, I feel like I can't properly assign a rating to it given I am not the target market for this, and it is written for someone at least 12 years younger than me.
This is definitely MIDDLE GRADE literature. If an individual who chooses to read this knows nothing of World War II and they have interest in historical fiction, then I think this could be an interesting read.
At age 12 I was assigned to read Elie Wiesel's Night in 8th grade. I much prefer the first hand historical account to sensitive topics such as this one in particular. I think this was written to be far too "heroic" in such a tragic time of history.
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews