The Flame Keepers: The True Story of an American Soldier's Survival Inside Stalag 17

by Ned Handy, Kemp Battle

Ned Handy was captured by Germans in April 1944, after his B-24 was shot down. Sent to Stalag 17, the infamous Nazi prison camp, Handy soon led an escape team determined to tunnel to freedom. Along with the unforgettable comrades he vividly describes, Handy worked relentlessly for months on a tunnel that was to prove instrumental in saving the lives of four fugitives sought by the Gestapo. One of those fugitives would become the only American ever to escape permanently from Stalag 17.

The Flame Keepers is a vivid first-hand account of an American soldier's experience as a prisoner of war in Nazi Germany and a poignant portrait of the POWs who worked to survive within the wire and their German captors. Illustrated with original photographs taken inside the camp from a smuggled camera and published for the first time in the trade press, The Flame Keepers recounts one of World War II's great untold stories.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, War, World War II, Memoir, Autobiography

336 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2004

Reviews

[Candy]

The narrator is Ned Handy, who details his day to day psychological survival while imprisoned in Stalag XVII-B, the third largest and most notorious POW camp during WWII. He states he chose to write the book as “I have learned that the past can be unforgiving when unshared, and that some memories, when suffered alone, weaken the spirit…so I choose to remember it all again.”

The writing probably deserves 3 or 4 stars. I had a hard time seeing what he was trying to convey at times, such as some of the mechanical, technical and geographic items. Also, some parts of the story felt unfinished or unexplained fully, at least for my comprehension.

As for the story, it’s Ned’s. I could never convey his dreams, feelings, thoughts or messages, so you need to just read the book.

“Remembering who you were is the way you stay alive.”

“Dreams are fine if you know why you have them, if they help you remember what it is you love best. If a dream reminds you of the face of the woman you love, well, that’s a whole sight better than walking around every day losing the memory of that face bit by bit!”

https://candysplanet.wordpress.com/

[Miranda]

DNF

[Janet Librarian]

Another book of survival, this time in a POW camp (Stalag 17) during WWII. What I appreciate is the author's reflection on seemingly unrelated memories as he experiences bailing out over enemy territory and his capture and internment that show his struggle to integrate chaos into his known experiences. It's also interesting how much this story correlates with the characters in the movie of Stalag 17. Handy chose to analyze himself and the way fellow captives responded to imprisonment rather than dwell on the lurid details of horrible living conditions. One finishes reading with deep respect for the author and other admirable prisoners, esp. for the resolutions he made for the rest of his life as a result of his camp experiences.

[Ellen]

Imagine my surprise when earlier this year, I read the obituary for an old summertime friend of my mother's to discover this gentle Cape Cod sailing family man was also a WWII German POW survivor. I doubt my mother ever knew about this as I'm sure the subject never came up at the cocktail parties she went to on the Cape. Given also the author himself didn't reach out to his military past until about eight years ago, it also seems unlikely. Like many men his generation, he finally opened up about a very hard chapter in his life late in it, and I am certainly glad that he did.
It's a brilliant first hand account.

Naturally, I needed to find a copy of the book. I read an original hardcover edition.
And am I ever glad he wrote it and that I read it. What a gripping first hand look at what it was like to be a POW in a camp where food was a struggle everyday and where only one man ever successfully escaped.

Absolutely recommend.
Have wrapped it up and passed it along to my brother for Christmas.

[Guy]

For WWII history buffs, this is a must read. A non-fiction account of an US airman shot down over Germany and his experiences as a German POW. Written is the style of that generation, the book does a terrific job describing conditions within Stalag 17, their attempts to escape, the hierarchy among the prisoners, interaction with their guards and perhaps most importantly, their will to survive.

[Bev]

Didn't finish because there was too much offensive language

[Ilan Valencius]

Ned Handy was one of the most incredible men in my life. Sometimes the realities of life are more worthwhile than the fascination of fiction.

[Grant]

The hit movie _Stalag 17_ fictionalized the experiences of American enlisted airmen incarcerated in a German POW camp in Austria. Ned Handy was actually there, and his account surprisingly confirms the factual roots of many of the film's events. Handy is at his best in describing the moral and character lessons he learned as the impromptu leader of a tunneling team, while learning to function as part of his barracks crew, and on the long march to the West where he went from prisoner to captor, once the formation of POWs and German guards approached American lines. The memoir, written long after his wartime experience, gets a couple of technical details incorrect, but these never affect the credibility of the narrative. Well worth reading.

[David Hill]

Ned Handy tells the story of being shot down over Germany and his time in Stalag 17. Reads like a novel, complete with dialog. No index, notes, or bibliography. I enjoyed this story of overcoming adversity. I have a generally poor memory and am always amazed when folks can recount tales of decades ago with such clarity. I don't doubt anything he relates, but couldn't help but notice he got one thing wrong - he says they got news of the Remagen Rhine crossing in autumn of 1944 but this didn't happen until April 1945 - a fairly major error I'm surprised a copy editor didn't flag.

[Lynn]

Adult book / mature young adult: I read this mornings during silent reading at school ... not one I would have chosen to pick up on my own, but I'm glad I read it - I learned a lot while reading...

[Jon]

This is a true story about American WWII prisoners in Stalag 17 a large Nazi prison camp.

[Rick C]

Story of life in real Stalag 17

[Daryl Crompton]

A great read.

[Vicky Titcomb]

Amazing memoir of the real story of Stalag 17 told by the man who dug the tunnel. Insightful, thoughtful and real, this is an extraordinary story of survival.