Nancy S. - , reviewed Escape From Germany: The Greatest POW Break-Out of the First World War on + 63 more book reviews
This book is an amazing insight into the lives of the POW's: of the cruelties inflicted on them by an absolutely insane Commandant who found fault with the the most trivial matters in order to punish them -- from solitary confinement to bayoneting them; the ingenuity of the prisoners in outwitting him time and time again. Some of their antics are actually hilarious -- how they amused themselves to stay sane. Then there is the tunnel --how they dug for about ten months undiscovered -- of how they made or stole whatever they needed to prepare for escape and beyond (homemade tools, compasses, clothes, etc.) Hanson has done a lot of research for this book, and has many instances of survivor comments to back it up. The book starts out a little slow (to build an understanding of the prison), but stay with it, and you won't regret it. It turns into a very exciting read.
