Colditz
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4.5 • 79 Ratings
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- £7.99
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- £7.99
Publisher Description
Brought to you by Penguin.
In a forbidding Gothic castle on a hilltop in the heart of Nazi Germany, an unlikely band of British officers spent the Second World War plotting daring escapes from their German captors. Or so the story of Colditz has gone, unchallenged for 70 years. But that tale contains only part of the truth.
The astonishing inside story, revealed for the first time by bestselling historian Ben Macintyre, is a tale of the indomitable human spirit, but also one of class conflict, homosexuality, espionage, insanity and farce. Through an astonishing range of material, Macintyre reveals a remarkable cast of characters, wider than previously seen and hitherto hidden from history, taking in prisoners and captors who were living cheek-by-jowl in a thrilling game of cat and mouse.
From the elitist members of the Colditz Bullingdon Club to America's oldest paratrooper and least successful secret agent, the soldier-prisoners of Colditz were courageous and resilient as well as vulnerable and fearful -- and astonishingly imaginative in their desperate escape attempts. Deeply researched and full of incredible human stories, this is the definitive book on Colditz.
© Ben MacIntyre 2022 (P) Penguin Audio 2022
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
Accounts of infamous Second World War prison camp Colditz tend to be painted in broad strokes. Boys’ own stories tell of dashing Allied heroes, nasty Nazis and feats of derring-do as they tunnel out of the high-security hilltop castle and into the history books. Now broadsheet columnist Macintyre brings a journalistic eye to the legend and unearths hidden depths. His meticulously researched account of the day-to-day routines, social divides and internal politics bring prison to vivid life. Charismatic characters leap off the page, jailbreak bids are pacy and pulse-racing—while just as riveting are the games of psychological cat-and-mouse they play with their captors. Their fortitude is incredible, their ingenuity inspiring. There’s gallows humour, high emotion and even romance. Full of quirky details and human drama, these untold tales are also far more diverse than the hoary old Colditz myths. Several of Macintyre’s previous books, notably Operation Mincemeat, have been adapted for film and TV. The thrillingly cinematic Colditz is surely destined for the screen treatment too.
Customer Reviews
Absorbing stuff. The most incredible tale.
I couldn’t put this down for any second. When will they make the most of this with a modern 10 part series?! I mean, they built a glider in the loft in complete secrecy! A genius and heroic generation indeed. Brilliantly authored and narrated.
Excellent
I wasn’t familiar with the Colditz story at all, fascinating and so brilliantly told.