The True Story of the Great Escape
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The True Story of the Great Escape
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Summary
Key work built on interviews with dozens of former prisoners and relatives of the 50 prisoners of The Great Escape who were shot. Updated for the 75th anniversary of the mass breakout
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The True Story of the Great Escape by Jonathan Vance
It shows the variety and depth of the men sent into harms way during World War II, something emphasised by the population of Stalag Luft III. Most of the Allied POWs were flyers, with all the technical, tactical and planning skills that profession requires. Such men are independent thinkers, craving open air and wide-open spaces, which meant than an obsession with escape was almost inevitable'- John D Gresham Between dusk and dawn on the night of March 24th-25th 1944, a small army of Allied soldiers crawled through tunnels in Germany in a covert operation the likes of which the Third Reich had never seen before. The prison break from Stalag Luft III in eastern Germany was the largest of its kind in World War II. Seventy nine Allied soldiers and airmen made it outside the wire - but only three made it outside Nazi Germany. Fifty were executed by the Gestapo. Jonathan Vance tells the incredible story that was made famous by the 1963 film, The Great Escape. The escape is a classic tale of prisoner and their wardens in a battle of wits and wills.The brilliantly conceived escape plan is overshadowed only by the colourful, daring (and sometimes very funny) crew who executed it - literally under the noses of German guards. From their first days in Stalag Luft III and the forming of bonds key to such exploits, to the tunnel building, amazing escape and eventual capture, Vance's history is a vivid, compelling look at one of the greatest 'exfiltration' missions of all time.
Professor Jonathan Vance teaches military history and Canadian history at Western University, Canada. He is the author of more than 10 acclaimed works, including Maple Leaf Empire: Canada, Britain and Two World Wars (Oxford University Press) and The Great War: From Memory to History. (Wilfrid Laurier University Press)
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9781784384388 |
| ISBN 10 | 1784384380 |
| Title | The True Story of the Great Escape |
| Author | Jonathan Vance |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Paperback |
| Publisher | Greenhill Books |
| Year published | 2019-03-04 |
| Number of pages | 392 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |