The Latter Days at Colditz [Paperback]

P. R. Reid (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 1983

In THE COLDITZ STORY, Pat Reid told the story of the escape academy that sprang up inside the most impregnable German POW camp of the Second World War, ending appropriately with his own incredible escape from Colditz. But Reid's own break-out was by no means the last. In this enthralling sequel, he follows the fortunes of the escape academy right up until the arrival of the allied forces in April 1945. Here are the tales of fantastic bravery and stunning ingenuity every bit as mesmerising as the original.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Pat Reid was one of the first captives to be imprisoned at Colditz in the Second World War. The tale of how he escaped the prison is one of the classics of twentieth century literature. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Coronet Books (June 1, 1983)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0340011807
• ISBN-13: 978-0340011805
• Product Dimensions: 7.2 x 4.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,265,552 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars "Escaping from prison camps is no longer a sport!", May 27, 2011

By 

J C E Hitchcock (Tunbridge Wells, Kent, United Kingdom) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Latter Days at Colditz (Cassell Military Paperbacks) (Paperback)

In "The Colditz Story", Pat Reid told the story of his own experiences as a prisoner-of-war in Colditz Castle, Germany's most notorious POW camp, culminating in his own successful escape to Switzerland in October 1942. (The German occupation of Vichy France meant that Reid was unable to return to Britain until the war was over, and he spent the rest of the war years as a military attaché at the British Embassy in Berne). "The Latter Days at Colditz" tells the story of the camp between 1942 and the end of the war.

"The Colditz Story" is notably light-hearted, and indeed often humorous, a patriotic tale of how gallant British officers, together with their French, Dutch, Polish and Belgian allies, managed to carry on the good fight against the enemy despite being incarcerated. There is much of the same in "The Latter Days", and Reid again celebrates the ingenuity of the prisoners in devising escape stratagems. The French dug a tunnel of particularly complex construction, but perhaps the most audacious plan was the British one to escape by launching a glider from the castle ramparts, using a pulley system based on a falling metal bathtub full of concrete. The glider was actually designed and built, hidden in one of the attics under the noses of the Germans, who never succeeded in locating it; only liberation of the camp by the American army in April 1945 prevented its use in an escape attempt.

Nevertheless, "The Latter Days" is, overall, often more serious in tone than its predecessor. In the second half of the war successful escape attempts were less common than they had been during the first half. There were several reasons for this. The Germans were becoming more adept at foiling escapes, especially after listening devices were installed to detect the sound of tunnelling, and each unsuccessful attempt gave them clues as to how future escapes could be prevented. The Nazis were no longer as scrupulous as they once had been in their adherence to the Geneva Convention on the treatment of POWs; the execution of 50 prisoners who had taken part in the "Great Escape" from Stalag Luft III acted as a deterrent to some would-be escapers. (As Nazi propaganda had it; "Escaping from prison camps is no longer a sport!") Finally, by 1945 even German censorship could no longer hide from the prisoners the fact that the war was coming to an end, and many prisoners preferred to wait for liberation rather than risking their lives in an escape attempt. There were, in fact, plans for a final mass breakout in case the Gestapo or SS attempted to use the prisoners as hostages, but in the event these were not needed.

Reid also gives more attention to the darker side of prison-camp life, something skated over in "The Colditz Story". In September 1944 Lieutenant Mike Sinclair, known as the "Red Fox", became the only man to be shot dead during an attempt to escape from Colditz. (Reid devotes a whole chapter to Sinclair's exploits; he had made several earlier escape attempts). There is also more attention paid to the mental suffering of those imprisoned, some of whom became mentally ill. Reid criticises the Germans for their reluctance to repatriate such men, perhaps unfairly given that some British officers were not above feigning the symptoms of mental illness in an attempt to secure their release.

Given that Reid was not actually present in Colditz during this period, "The Latter Days" lacks the personal touch of the earlier book. Nevertheless, it is well-researched and is an interesting source of information about this aspect of Second World War history. It is also an inspiring testament to the courage and resourcefulness of the prisoners.

0 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Other Books, September 3, 2007

By 

Blue Tyson "- Research Finished" (Legion clubhouse) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Latter Days at Colditz (Cassell Military Paperbacks) (Paperback)

After the author of the Colditz story hightailed it out of the facility there were still men left imprisoned there.

In this books he talks about those left behind, and what happened and went on there until the end of the second world war, and the need for the prison was gone.