num_pages: 496
description: Breathtaking and mesmerizing, Colditz is a gripping tale of perseverance, heroism, and adventure. Filled with the thrilling never-before-told personal stories of the prisoners of war held within the walls of this medieval fortress turned German high-security prison camp, Colditz offers endlessly intriguing stories of consummate survivors who proved the human spirit to be indomitable. In more than fifty original interviews, the English, French, Dutch, and Polish officers and their guards describe their experiences in the notorious castle. They reveal their boredom and frustrations, as well as the challenges inherent in making maps out of jelly or constructing tunnels with mere cutlery knives. The stories are by turns comic and tragic, as much of their labor and invention ended in failure. But what emerges is a story of breathtaking ingenuity and an intriguing portrait of the fascinating game of wits between captives and captors, who were bound together by mutual respect and extraordinary tolerance.
language: English
title: Colditz: The Definitive History: The Untold Story of World War II's Great Escapes
titlecomplete: Colditz: The Definitive History: The Untold Story of World War II's Great Escapes
genres: Historical, Military Fiction, History, Espionage, World War II, Holocaust, War, European History, Military History, Nonfiction
ratings_count: 281
publisher: Harper Perennial