Customer Reviews

The Great Escape: The Full Dramatic Story with Contributions from Survivors and Their Families

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There are quite a few books out on the Great Escape. This one repeats most previously-written information, but also has some novel items. A fair amount of biographic detail is devoted to "Big X"-Roger Bushell. There is a picture of him on the British ski team in 1932. Several other pictures, apparently not found in any other book on the Great Escape, are also in Gill's book. This book is also relatively unique in that it has short blurbs of paragraphs, written by individual ex-POWs, interspersed within the main text. There are also brief commentaries by some of the relatives of the 50 murdered escapees.

Much detail is devoted to the processes wherein documents and papers were forged. It is amazing to read that the camp artists could actually paint letters to closely resemble typewritten ones, complete with typos and other typed idiosyncrasies. The need to construct a makeshift theodolite (surveying telescope), as opposed to using a real one, is identified as a major source of error in measurement of the distance that the tunnels had to go in order for their exits to be in the woods. This helps explain why Harry was some 20 feet short of the pine treeline.

The discovery of the escape in progress from tunnel Harry, at just before 5 AM on March 25, 1944, is presented as one that took place when a German guard patrolling the wire perimeter noticed one of the escapees moving through into the forest. According to other versions of this event, the guard was initially attracted to the column of steam coming out of the exit shaft of tunnel Harry, and only noticed the escapees when one of them yelled "Don't shoot!" in German. Mention is made of the fact that the stiff wind periodically helped dissipate the column of steam through the night.

Gill discusses the German people's reaction to Nazi rule, almost tacitly suggesting that the Germans had no choice in the matter. No mention is made of the fact that 89% of the German population voted for the Nazi Party in earlier free elections. Gill also devotes some attention to the hunt for the German war criminals responsible for the murder of 50 of the 73 recaptured escapees.

We all know the story: US GIs and British Tommy POWs at Stalag Luft 3 staged, during World War II, probably the greatest escape operation of all time. This is the true story of what went on, and it is a great story.

The reader will appreciate the courage and perhaps even more, the ingenuity of the soldiers who managed to turn the POW camp's "operational purpose" to be to conduct escape attempts. The basic notion was that by focusing on escape, the captive Allied soldiers could contribute materially to the war effort by tying down a disproportionate amount of German military and police forces. This they did do.

The "Great Escape" largely ended in tragedy, but this in no way detracts from the heroism of the men who conducted it. This is a fascinating and engaging read to which the discerning reader will return many times.

I am somewhat a WWII history buff, so I am not objective, but I really liked this book. I remember seeing a movie about this when I was a kid with Steve McQueen jumping fences with his motorcycle... This is the real story, not the stylized Hollywood tale. The thought of being in a small diameter tunnel, hundreds of yards from the opening in the barracks and digging with rudimentary tools makes one shudder. The odds that these guys faced between detection and tunnel collapse, are amazing.

Anto Gill's book on the Great Escape is a cleverly written version
about the well known prison camp break from Stalag Luft 111 on the night
of 24th March 1944. Few who are interested in the second war are
unfamilliar with the events that led to the cold blooded murder
of fifty RAF allied officers including the mastermind of the
escape, Sqn. Ldr. Roger Bushell. What Gill's book gives us are the
detailed facts coupled with often highly moving stories from surviving family
members of the escapers and the views of the surviving RAF officers that took part in
those momentous events. He also sets the narrative in such a way
that the story is far from a repeat of other accounts known so well
to enthusiasts. Black and white photos help the reader put a face to a
name. All in all a very good read about a group of men from a generation whose
bravery and resoursefullness make the modern reader wonder in awe.
Highly recommended!