Prisoner of War

by P.R. Reid

Hamlyn 1984 hardcover 1st edition 1st printing fine book in fine dw In stock shipped from our UK warehouse

Genres: History

192 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1984

About the author

Major Patrick Robert "Pat" Reid, MBE, MC was a British Army officer and author of non-fiction largely based upon his firsthand experiences during World War II.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pat_Reid

Reviews

[Ali Jon Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bit of a random collection of anecdotes from POWs. Given the scope of the book - 4000 years of history across 4 continents - it perhaps isn't surprising that it is lacking a sense of structure or deep analysis. The sections on ancient warfare I found to be particularly lacking, being more reliant on stereotypes and intuition than actual research. However, there were several interesting aspects brought up that I hadn't come across before: how ransom was paid; the massive logistical challenge of looking after hundreds of thousands of foreign prisoners at a time of crisis; how POWs dealt with, and mostly without, sex for years on end. These made it a worthwhile read.