Colditz : the full story

Reid, P. R.

ISBN 10: 0333342690 / ISBN 13: 9780333342695

Published by London : Macmillan, 1984

About this Item

Fine cloth copy in a near-fine, very slightly edge-dulled dust-wrapper, now mylar-sleeved. Remains particularly well-preserved overall; tight, bright, clean and strong. Physical description: xii, 346p[16]p of plates : ill, coats of arms,maps, 1plan, ports ; 23cm. Subjects: Schloss Colditz (Colditz, German) History. World War, 1939-1945 ; Personal narratives. Genre: Biography. Language: English. 1 Kg.

Seller Inventory # 370727

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Colditz : the full story
• Publisher: London : Macmillan
• Publication Date: 1984
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0333342690
• ISBN 13: 9780333342695
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition: First Edition.
• Weight: 1 kilogram

About this title

Synopsis

Daring escapes, ingenious plans and heroic feats are revealed in Major Pat Reid’s classic Second World War history of Colditz, the infamous prisoner-of-war camp.The great fortress was supposed to be escape-proof and Reid was one of only a few men who successfully broke out. Now, in The Full Story , he draws on extensive research to evoke life in the German camp. He recounts how prisoners from the British Commonwealth, America, Belgium, France, Holland, Czechoslovakia, Germany and Poland were incarcerated in suffocating intimacy – and yet, amongst them, loyalty and generosity thrived. As did plots to escape, most of which were unsuccessful.From his own experience as one of the first captives to be imprisoned in the camp, he reveals the code systems between the War Office and Colditz; shows how he obtained information on Germany’s secret weapons; and investigates the existence of traitors and the situation of non-collaborators. This is a vivid and fascinating account that pays tribute to the bravery of the men living under enemy control who refused to give up the fight.‘Highly recommended reading’ New York Times

About the Author

P.R. Reid (1910–1990) was a British Army officer who was held captive at Colditz Castle when it was designated Oflag IV-C during the World War II era. Reid was one of the few to escape from Colditz, crossing the border into neutral Switzerland in late 1942 after two years as a prisoner of war. After the war ended, Reid became a diplomat and administrator before eventually returning to his prewar career in civil engineering. He is the author of several books on his time at Colditz Castle, which together were the basis for movies, television series, and a board game.