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There's No Escape
This is a fast-moving adventure story set in wartime Europe and featuring parachutes, codes, and inventions. Peter Howarth is angry at being told to parachute into enemy territory to rescue a vanished scientist because he thinks he is being taken for granted. The mission is very dangerous and the scientist is no help at all.
224 pages, Paperback
First published December 1, 1950
About the author
Ian Serraillier
105 books97 followersIan Serraillier was a British novelist and poet. He was also appreciated by children for being a storyteller retelling legends from Rome, Greece and England. Serraillier was best known for his children's books, especially The Silver Sword (1956), a wartime adventure story which was adapted for television by the BBC in 1957 and again in 1971.
He was born in London, the eldest of four children. His father died as a result of the 1918 flu pandemic when he was only six years old. He was educated at Brighton College, and took his degree at St Edmund Hall, Oxford and became an English teacher. He taught at Wycliffe College in Gloucestershire from 1936 to 1939; at Dudley Grammar School in Worcestershire from 1939 to 1946; and at Midhurst Grammar School in West Sussex from 1946 to 1961. As a Quaker, he was granted conscientious objector status in World War II.
In 1946 his first children’s novel was published. It was followed by several more adventure stories of treasure and spies. His best known work, The Silver Sword, was published in 1956 and has become a classic, bringing to life the story of four refugee children. Three of the children are siblings: Ruth, Edek and Bronia. Jan is another of the many Warsaw war orphans who somehow had met their father, and then fainted near the bombed out basement which served as home for the siblings, and was taken in by them. The four joined together in their search for the siblings' parents in the chaos of Europe immediately after the Second World War. In the United States the book was published under the title Escape from Warsaw.
As well as children’s novels and poetry, Serraillier produced his own retellings of classic tales in prose and verse, including Beowulf, Chaucer and Greek myths. Together with his wife, Anne Margaret Rogers, he founded the New Windmill Series in 1948, published by Heinemann Educational Books, which set out to provide inexpensive editions of good stories. He continued as co-editor of the series until the onset of Alzheimer's disease in the early 1990s. The illness finally contributed towards his death in November 1994 at the age of 82.
He was born in London, the eldest of four children. His father died as a result of the 1918 flu pandemic when he was only six years old. He was educated at Brighton College, and took his degree at St Edmund Hall, Oxford and became an English teacher. He taught at Wycliffe College in Gloucestershire from 1936 to 1939; at Dudley Grammar School in Worcestershire from 1939 to 1946; and at Midhurst Grammar School in West Sussex from 1946 to 1961. As a Quaker, he was granted conscientious objector status in World War II.
In 1946 his first children’s novel was published. It was followed by several more adventure stories of treasure and spies. His best known work, The Silver Sword, was published in 1956 and has become a classic, bringing to life the story of four refugee children. Three of the children are siblings: Ruth, Edek and Bronia. Jan is another of the many Warsaw war orphans who somehow had met their father, and then fainted near the bombed out basement which served as home for the siblings, and was taken in by them. The four joined together in their search for the siblings' parents in the chaos of Europe immediately after the Second World War. In the United States the book was published under the title Escape from Warsaw.
As well as children’s novels and poetry, Serraillier produced his own retellings of classic tales in prose and verse, including Beowulf, Chaucer and Greek myths. Together with his wife, Anne Margaret Rogers, he founded the New Windmill Series in 1948, published by Heinemann Educational Books, which set out to provide inexpensive editions of good stories. He continued as co-editor of the series until the onset of Alzheimer's disease in the early 1990s. The illness finally contributed towards his death in November 1994 at the age of 82.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
December 4, 2015
Since this book on Goodreads has no description here is the storyline from the first page of the book:
It was wartime and Peter Howarth was angry. Angry because Maclaren, the desk-bound Chief of the secret agents, was coolly arranging to parchute him into enemy territory in Silvania, where he had to seek out and rescue the brilliant scientist, Dr. Helpmann, before the enemy caught him and extracted information about his vital discoveries.
Peter was angry because he hadn't been consulted, and no one likes being taken for granted, especially when he is risking his life. Besides, it would be like looking for a needle in a haystack to find the vanished scientist and, even if he succeeded, could they escape, when the enemy held the lowlands to south and east, and other frontiers were closed by rugged mountains and glaciers?
But Howarth's people needed Helpmann and his knowledge, so he went-only to be plunged into a nightmare struggle for a survival with his troublesom charge, implacably purused as they were by the enemy sergeant, de Kretser.
A highly interesting tale that is both intriguing, frightening, and humorous. Besides a couple swear words, this book is completely clean and apprioprate. The only thing I wish had been different was the ending. Somehow they get back to England with no trouble and you wonder how it all worked out.A book that boys would definitely enjoy (but I enjoyed it too so I don't just recommond to boys :)).
It was wartime and Peter Howarth was angry. Angry because Maclaren, the desk-bound Chief of the secret agents, was coolly arranging to parchute him into enemy territory in Silvania, where he had to seek out and rescue the brilliant scientist, Dr. Helpmann, before the enemy caught him and extracted information about his vital discoveries.
Peter was angry because he hadn't been consulted, and no one likes being taken for granted, especially when he is risking his life. Besides, it would be like looking for a needle in a haystack to find the vanished scientist and, even if he succeeded, could they escape, when the enemy held the lowlands to south and east, and other frontiers were closed by rugged mountains and glaciers?
But Howarth's people needed Helpmann and his knowledge, so he went-only to be plunged into a nightmare struggle for a survival with his troublesom charge, implacably purused as they were by the enemy sergeant, de Kretser.
A highly interesting tale that is both intriguing, frightening, and humorous. Besides a couple swear words, this book is completely clean and apprioprate. The only thing I wish had been different was the ending. Somehow they get back to England with no trouble and you wonder how it all worked out.A book that boys would definitely enjoy (but I enjoyed it too so I don't just recommond to boys :)).
November 19, 2011
This was really a trip down memory lane, having read this book as a pre-teen about 40 years ago. I had fond memories of the story, a boys own adventure and this reread did not disappoint. More or less how I remembered it, a page turner, full of escapades in a made up European country at war with its authoritarian neighbour. A really well written book by Seraillier, very enjoyable, so glad to have read it and reminisce, this book had a big influence on my love of reading and storytelling.
July 9, 2022
I just came across this and discovered I hadn't rated it. I remember absolutely loving it and being unable to put it down when I was 13/14, so this rating reflects that. It may not be as good a read now!
January 26, 2023
A primary school book club classic!
September 10, 2012
Wanted to read this again, found it in my bookshelf- result. Entertaining young adult story.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews