The Great Escape

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Authors: Paul Brickhill

Tags: #Prisoners of war - Poland - Zagan, #World War II, #Zagan, #Escapes, #World War; 1939-1945, #Poland, #World War; 1939-1945 - Prisoners and prisons; German, #General, #Personal Memoirs, #Personal narratives; British, #Prisoners and prisons; German, #Escapes - Poland - Zagan, #Biography & Autobiography, #Military, #Brickhill; Paul, #Veterans, #Stalag Luft III, #History

BOOK: The Great Escape
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THE GREAT ESCAPE
Paul Brickhill

Copyright

The Great Escape

Copyright © 1950 by Paul Brickhill

Cover art and eForeword to the electronic edition copyright © 2000 by RosettaBooks, LLC

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

For information address [email protected]

First electronic edition published 2000 by RosettaBooks LLC, New York.

ISBN 0-7953-0026-3

Contents

eForeword

Foreword

Prelude

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Aftermath

About this Title

eForeword

One of the most exciting adventure stories to come out of World War II, Paul Brickhill’s
The Great Escape
recounts the inexhaustible courage and ingenuity of Allied prisoners of war in their quest to escape from Germany prison camps. Though it is a novel, The Great Escape is a virtual documentary account of how such an escape was achieved, told by a writer who participated in one. Published in 1950, the novel inspired a hugely popular film in 1963, starring Steve McQueen, that remains one of the most entertaining war films ever made.

Australia’s Paul Brickhill (1916-91) wrote a number of other bestselling books about World War II including
Escape to Danger
(1946),
The Dam Busters
(1951),
Escape or Die
(1952) and
Reach for the Sky
(1954). A Melbourne native, Brickhill was trained as a journalist and began his career in Sydney. When war broke out in 1939, he joined the Royal Australian Air Force and became a German prisoner when he was captured after being shot down in 1943. The following year, he helped organize a mass escape from his German prison camp. After the war, he returned to reporting but the publication of his first book started a new and hugely succesful career.

RosettaBooks is the leading publisher dedicated exclusively to electronic editions of great works of fiction and non-fiction that reflect our world. RosettaBooks is a committed e-publisher, maximizing the resources of the Web in opening a fresh dimension in the reading experience. In this electronic reading environment, each RosettaBook will enhance the experience through The RosettaBooks Connection. This gateway instantly delivers to the reader the opportunity to learn more about the title, the author, the content and the context of each work, using the full resources of the Web.

To experience The RosettaBooks Connection for
The Great Escape,
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List of Illustrations

The North Compound Of Stalag Luft III

“Harry’s” Trap Door

An Air Pump

How The Tunnelers Worked

How The Stooges Protected The Forgers

Map Showing Location Of Sagan And Escape Routes

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