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The Colditz Story Paperback – January 1, 2014

by Major P R Reid (Author)
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 405 ratings
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  1. Language
    English
  2. Publisher
    HODDER STOUGHTON
  3. Publication date
    January 1, 2014
  4. Dimensions
    5.2 x 0.87 x 7.76 inches
  5. ISBN-10
    1444795686
  6. ISBN-13
    978-1444795684
  7. See all details
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Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ HODDER STOUGHTON (January 1, 2014)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1444795686
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1444795684
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.2 x 0.87 x 7.76 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 405 ratings

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  1. John Kennett

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Top reviews from the United States

  • WryGuy2
    5.0 out of 5 stars Thrilling, true-life escape tale from a WW II POW camp
    Reviewed in the United States on November 15, 2010
    Verified Purchase
    "The Colditz Story" by P. R. Reid, tells the story of Mr. Reid's escapes from German POW camps and attempts to get out of Germany during World War II from his initial capture until he finally succeeded in October 1942. Mr Reid was a captain in the British Army and was captured in June 1940. His book is interesting on several levels ... first, it shows how the escapees initially started out very inexperienced but rapidly became more sophisticated in their techniques, as did their German captors. Second, it touches upon some of the stresses and motivations of the prisoners and how they coped (or didn't cope) with being held captive. And finally, it's a rousing good story, well and often humorously told.

    The book, first published in 1952, reads like "we're on a grand adventure" and "never say die" kind of tale, in keeping with stereotypical British tendency to understate problems and difficulties. Colditz Castle was where the Germans started sending the officers of all nationalities who had attempted escapes from other POW camps or were deemed a threat to Germany. Colditz was considered escape-proof by the Germans, although by concentrating the most active and experienced escape artists in one place, the Germans were also unwittingly creating an "escape university", whereby the officers held there could compare notes and use their various skills and experience to the best effect.

    The book itself ends in October 1942 when Mr Reid and another officer reach Switzerland. As an aside, he authored two other books, one dealing with Colditz from the time he escaped until the end of the war, and the second giving full inside story about how the prisoners at Colditz accomplished many of the things that they did, details that he withheld in his earlier books so that they could be re-used by future prisoners.

    I highly recommend this book. Along with "The Great Escape" by Paul Brickhill, it's one of the best books I've read about POW camp life and escape attempts by a one of the participants.
    One person found this helpful
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  • J. Bruha
    4.0 out of 5 stars Was a gift
    Reviewed in the United States on December 8, 2016
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    Got this for a gift, and the recipient says they liked it. Haven't read it myself, so I'll go by their impression and give it 4 stars.
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  • No Names Please
    5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book
    Reviewed in the United States on December 20, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    I highly recommend this book for anyone who is interested in WWII or just likes a good real story tale. The book was used but in good condition. The writing was excellent. It pulls you in and you can't put it down until you finished. Even then, it stays with you. The creativity of the POWs is astounding. You even get a chuckle or two along the way.
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  • Mary B. Vant Hull
    5.0 out of 5 stars AN OUTSTANDING TRUE STORY OF WWII
    Reviewed in the United States on March 31, 2014
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    Well, I wanted to give it the highest rating, but those symbols were so pale, I can't tell which is Excellent. But The Colditz Story is a marvelous book! I've recommended it to countless people.

    It's well-written, fast-paced, authentic history of WWII, dramatic, tragic, and still with humorous moments. The flyers come alive & you will have an amazing ringside seat at an unforgettable time in history.
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  • jdv
    5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent purchase!
    Reviewed in the United States on March 30, 2014
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    I've looked for this book for about forty years! Read it when I was in high school. The condition of the book is nearly perfect. This was an excellent find. Thank you
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  • J C E Hitchcock
    4.0 out of 5 stars The University of Escaping
    Reviewed in the United States on May 27, 2011
    If you ask anyone in Britain to name a German prisoner-of-war camp from World War II, the answer (unless it is "don't know") will almost certainly be Colditz; few, if any, other camps have achieved anything like the same level of fame. Much of the reason for this lies with this book, the film that was made from it in 1955 and the 1970s television series "Colditz".

    The author, Pat Reid, was one of the first British prisoners at Colditz, and he tells the story of his escape from another camp, Laufen, in November 1940, his recapture while trying to make his way to still-neutral Yugoslavia, his detention in Colditz and his eventual successful escape to Switzerland in October 1942. He also wrote another book, "The Latter Days", telling the story of the camp from 1942 until liberation in 1945.

    Throughout the book Reid's main concern is the repeated attempts by the prisoners to escape. There must have been thousands of Allied POWs who never attempted to escape, and may never even have thought seriously of doing so, but they were unlikely ever to end up in Colditz. The camp, officially known as Oflag IV-C, was regarded by the Germans as a "Sonderlager", or "special camp"; it was also referred to by them as a "Straflager", or "punishment camp". Situated in a mediaeval castle in the heart of the Third Reich, it was used to house prisoners- British, Polish, French, Dutch and Belgian- who were regarded as particularly anti-German or who had escaped from other camps before being recaptured. The Germans were determined to house such men in an especially secure, escape-proof camp where the inmates would always be outnumbered by their guards.

    The prisoners, naturally, were equally determined to prove the enemy wrong about the camp being escape-proof, and there were a number of successful escapes. The German plan was, in fact, self-defeating; by concentrating the most determined and skilful escapers in a single camp they had effectively created a "university of escaping". Indeed, so keen were the inmates to escape that each nationality had to set up its own "escape committee" to vet all escape plans and to weed out those judged to have no chance of success.

    The most striking thing about the book is the ingenuity which the prisoners displayed in their escape attempts. Getting out of the camp itself was only half the battle. The escaper also had to be prepared for a long trek across German or German-occupied territory to the safety of neutral Switzerland, which meant that he had to be supplied with food, German currency, civilian clothing and travel documents. We learn how the prisoners managed to procure or manufacture these items, as well as how they managed to break out of the castle, generally tunnelling, by surmounting the barbed-wire fences, by picking locks or (as was done on more than one occasion) by impersonating a German. The future Conservative MP Airey Neave, later murdered by the IRA, walked out disguised as a Nazi officer and became the first British officer to make a "home run" back to Britain.

    "The Colditz Story" may be a book about men in captivity, but there is nothing depressing about it. It is, indeed, notable for a light-hearted tone, and it is clear that many of the inmates of the castle responded to their situation with a good deal of wit and humour. Despite his evident patriotism and his equally evident detestation of Nazi philosophy, Reid clearly had no bitterness or hatred towards his German captors, whom he saw as men doing a job as professional soldiers. Often amusing, often exciting, this is a highly readable volume of war memoirs.
    3 people found this helpful
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  • Frank C Johnson
    5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful story.
    Reviewed in the United States on March 7, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    I read this as a young man in 1950s. Enjoyed it then and have enjoyed rereading it again.
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  • T. Weller
    4.0 out of 5 stars A monument to humility
    Reviewed in the United States on March 28, 2008
    This book is an easily read, often light-hearted testament to the ingenuity and perseverance of a large group of would-be escape artists during WWII. It reads like fiction, in that it is somewhat superficial and understated. Nowhere does the reader feel the rigors and deprivation of captivity. Does this reflect artistic license, or the British gift of understatement? You be the judge. The book is a triumph nonetheless.
    One person found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

  • Adrian Mazario Diez
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great story to teach team spirit
    Reviewed in Spain on November 29, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    It describes a story that exemplifies a set of virtues that are more and more difficult to find in our days: team spirit, sacrifice, resistance, imagination... All that in the middle of an unfavourable environment, such as that of being imprisoned in a maximum security camp. Great Book.
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  • DHIRAJ SHARMA
    5.0 out of 5 stars A must read World War-II Classic
    Reviewed in India on November 9, 2023
    Verified Purchase
    The Colditz Story by Maj. P.R Reid is a classic escape story of Allied Officers incarcerated by the Germans at Colditz Castle during World War-II. Years back I had read an abstract of this book in Reader’s Digest.

    The Colditz Castle was considered escape proof and the Germans had put all their bad eggs in one basket as the officers imprisoned there had previously attempted to escape from other prison camps but had unfortunately been caught. They were from all nationalities, British, French, Dutch, Polish and Americans.
    Its’ difficult not to marvel at the prisoner’s ingenuity, perseverance and intelligence to find/dig escape routes/tunnels, the preparations and groundwork done and eventual escape to freedom if they were lucky.

    They were surviving on prisoner’s rations with no means of knowing how long they will be imprisoned. Just imagine after all the pain and efforts you get caught just a few miles from the Swiss border, are brought back and put into solitary confinement back at Colditz.

    In author’s own words (he successfully escaped in 1942) he would not have survived at Colditz till the end of WW-II i.e 1945 without losing his mental balance or words to that effect.

    The escape attempts were filled with adventure, thrill with danger lurking at every corner but you need to read between the lines to understand that this book is a fitting tribute to soldierly spirit, the never say die attitude, the camaraderie and the OLQs (Officer like Qualities) which made these brave men face and survive the extreme odds and still keep on trying to escape from the escape proof Colditz Castle.

    This book is a must read.
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  • Neil Conlon
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great read
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 20, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    This book is a great read made possible by the fantastic never give in attitude and constant planning by the greatest generation of people,the book constantly flows with twist and turns
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  • Amazon Customerpwwatmore
    4.0 out of 5 stars Four Stars
    Reviewed in Australia on March 16, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    A Good Read. History from a personal point of view.
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  • Squeaky Joe
    4.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating and inspiring
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 2, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    During World War Two, Colditz Castle was the last stop for soldiers who had been caught escaping from other Prisoner of War camps. Its location, towering over a rocky crag above the River Mulde, was thought to make escape impossible, yet many men did breakout of the seemingly impenetrable fortress, including the author of this book, Major Pat Reid.

    My introduction to Colditz Castle was via the 1955 film version starring John Mills as Major Reid, so I was delighted to find that most of the scenarios featured in the film are taken directly from the book. First published in 1952 by Hodder & Stoughton, ‘The Colditz Story’ is the first volume of Reid’s story detailing some of the many escape attempts made from the castle. The lengths inmates went to in order to attain their freedom, are quite fascinating, showing the hard work, inspiration and sheer determination that must have been a part of everyday life there.

    As well as being an account of several escapes (including many that failed), the latter part of the book tells of Reid’s own break for freedom in 1942 and his journey to the Swiss border. The book is written in an easy style with lots of humour amid the often very detailed accounts of the preparations made for every escape attempt. My only complaint about the writing, is my usual one of too many exclamation marks (some of them in very strange places). For a book that’s more than sixty years old, it’s a shame no-one at Hodder has bothered to give it a decent edit.
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