Greatest Escapes of World War II

by Robert Barr Smith, Laurence J. Yadon

Throughout WWII, thousands of Allied prisoners dreamed of outwitting their captors and returning to war against the Axis. Their ingenuity knew no they went over the barbed wire surrounding them and under it as well; they built tunnels of enormous length and complexity, often working with only their bare hands. They concealed themselves in their captors’ vehicles and hitched rides to freedom. They became world-class forgers and tailors; they stole anything that might be useful to their escapes that wasn’t actually red-hot or nailed down.

Some of them made it to freedom; some did not. Many of those who failed simply tried again and again until they succeeded. Some of the escapers who were caught were murdered by the Japanese or the German Gestapo. That did not stop others from risking torture or death to gain their freedom. Many men whose break was initially successful would not have survived save for the dangerous, selfless help of civilians, especially in occupied Europe and the Philippine Islands.

The stories in The Greatest Escapes of WWII highlight the courage, endurance, and ingenuity of Allied prisoners, chronicling their ceaseless efforts and the alarm that spread far and wide when one or more escaped. These escapes tied up thousands of Axis soldiers who might otherwise have prolonged the war for many more bloody months. The troops committed to guard the Allied prisoners and recapture escapers numbered in the hundreds of thousands.

Genres: History

264 pages, Paperback

Published October 1, 2016

About the author

Robert Barr Smith, Colonel, USA (ret). senior parachutist; holds Bronze Star, Legion of Merit (x2), other decorations. Service in Vietnam and many years in Germany, where his fiction is laid. German speaker. Otherwise specializes in military and western history, plus several books on trial practice (under his attorney hat). Graduate of Stanford and Stanford Law; member, California Bar. Professor Emeritus, University of Oklahoma College of Law, where he also served as Associate Dean for Academics and Associate Director of the Law Center.

Reviews

[Keith Muehler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short stories about various escapes and characters during WwII. Well worth the read!

[Steve Wegman · Rating 3 out of 5]

A collection of 18 WWII escape stories: from prisons, camps and behind enemy lines. Some pretty amazing and daring attempts with lots of equally daring help from local resistance. Unfortunately, the writing is pretty bad. Good stories, bad writing = 3 stars

[Dan Seitz · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun, if occasionally repetitive, collection of essays. Good for WWII and adventure story buffs.

[Del Canon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting short stories of military escapades during World War II. Author needs to learn, in the military you don’t win medals, they are earned.

[Danny Schlegel · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was okay. I had known about a lot of the breakouts, which helped understand the writing. It felt scattered and jumped around and presumed you had A LOT of prior knowledge like the authors.

[Paul · Rating 2 out of 5]

A number of short stories that just didn't captivate me. I never felt of connection of the people in the stories.

[Joe · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the fact that each chapter was a separate story. Each one was exciting to read and funny at times. Brave and tenacious men and women.