It was also the only way the prisoners could feel they were still making some kind of contribution to the war effort. The astonishing inside story, revealed for the first time by bestselling historian Ben Macintyre, is a tale of the indomitable human spirit, but also one of class conflict, homosexuality, espionage, insanity and farce.

To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Much caricatured by the prisoners, not least by Airey Neave, and hated by some for his efficiency as a security officer, this anglophile English teacher turned wartime soldier, who had never been a member of the Nazi party, emerges from Macintyre’s book as a fundamentally decent man. Colditz was the last stop for Allied prisoners who had been caught escaping from other, less secure camps around Germany.On to the text, a quick trip through the publisher’s press release promises a tale of the indomitable human spirit, but also one of snobbery, class conflict, carnality (an issue addressed by Padre Ellison Platt in his work), bullying, espionage, boredom, insanity and farce.

Watched by several of the former prisoners of war who worked on the original, it was test flown at RAF Odiham during 2000. The climax of the book and the final liberation of Colditz is told by Macintyre in a gripping, page-turning style.

One British lieutenant, Michael Sinclair, felt this so strongly that he attempted seven breakouts, more than any other individual. Bestselling author Ben Macintyre tells the astonishing true story of one of the Second World War’s most infamous prisoner-of-war camps. Here Ben MacIntyre reveals the real story of Colditz - one not only of bravery, ingenuity and resilience, but also of snobbery, racism, homosexuality, bullying, treachery, insanity and farce.

Forests, empty meadows, and farmland were settled next to the pre-existing Slavic villages Zschetzsch, Zschadraß, Zollwitz, Terpitzsch and Koltzschen. During 1999, a full-sized replica of the glider was commissioned by Channel 4 Television in the UK and was built by Southdown Aviation Ltd. The title to be read and discussed is sign-posted and on sale for the whole of the previous month (with a discount for those who make it known they intend to come) and everybody is welcome, whether first-timer, part-timer or regular-timer. Several of his books have been made into films and television series, including Operation Mincemeat , A Spy Among Friends and SAS: Rogue Heroes .As for Bader his extraordinary courage and skill are not undermined despite the discovery, for those who did not previously know, of what an arrogant and unpleasant man he was when not in the cockpit of a fighter plane. To roll back the years for a moment, for an older generation the Colditz story was one about jolly good British chaps outwitting heavy handed, humourless and often dim-witted German guards.