The big break : the greatest American WWII POW escape story never told
(Book)

Book Cover
Status
Clifton Springs Library - Adult Nonfiction
940.547 Dan
1 available
Marion Public Library - Adult Nonfiction
940.547 DAN
1 available

Description

Loading Description...

Also in this Series

Checking series information...

Copies

LocationCall NumberStatus
Clifton Springs Library - Adult Nonfiction940.547 DanAvailable
Marion Public Library - Adult Nonfiction940.547 DANAvailable

More Like This

Loading more titles like this title...

Syndetics Unbound

More Details

Format
Book
Physical Desc
xvii, 252 pages, 8 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations, maps ; 25 cm
Language
English

Notes

Bibliography
Includes bibliographical references and index.
Description
"Oflag 64, a World War II prisoner of war (POW) camp based in Schubin, Poland, was speculated to be one of the only POW camps set up exclusively for U.S. Army ground component officers. About 150 American officers lived in the camp in 1943, and by 1945, that number had expanded to 1,500. When the German commandant Colonel Fritz Schneider received orders to march all of his prisoners to west Germany to escape the Russians in January 1945, that number declined rapidly as the American officers put into place long-existing escape plans that would make history. In The Big Break, we follow famous POWs, such as General Eisenhower's personal aide, General Patton's son-in-law, and Ernest Hemingway's eldest son, as the first American escapes via a tunnel in a stinking latrine, with almost 250 US officers following closely behind in a mass break. The Schubin escapes are by far the largest Allied POW escape of the second World War, surpassing even The Great Escape of 1944. Historian Stephen Dando-Collins chronicles the gripping story of irrepressible Americans determined to be free, brave Poles risking their lives to help them, and dogmatic Nazis determined to stop them"--,Provided by publisher.
Description
"The story opens in the stinking latrines of the Schubin camp as an American and a Canadian lead the digging of a tunnel which enabled a break involving 36 prisoners of war (POWs). The Germans then converted the camp to Oflag 64, to exclusively hold US Army officers, with more than 1500 Americans ultimately housed there. Plucky Americans attempted a variety of escapes until January, 1945, only to be thwarted every time. Then, with the Red Army advancing closer every day, camp commandant Colonel Fritz Schneider received orders from Berlin to march his prisoners west. Game on! Over the next few days, 250 US Army officers would succeed in escaping east to link up with the Russians--although they would prove almost as dangerous as the Nazis--only to be ordered once they arrived back in the United States not to talk about their adventures. Within months, General Patton would launch a bloody bid to rescue the remaining Schubin Americans. In The Big Break, this previously untold story follows POWs including General Eisenhower's personal aide, General Patton's son-in-law, and Ernest Hemingway's eldest son as they struggled to be free. Military historian and Paul Brickhill biographer Stephen Dando-Collins expertly chronicles this gripping story of Americans determined to be free, brave Poles risking their lives to help them, and dogmatic Nazis determined to stop them"--,Provided by publisher.

Citations

APA Citation, 7th Edition (style guide)

Dando-Collins, S. (2017). The big break: the greatest American WWII POW escape story never told (First U.S. edition.). St. Martin's Press.

Chicago / Turabian - Author Date Citation, 17th Edition (style guide)

Dando-Collins, Stephen. 2017. The Big Break: The Greatest American WWII POW Escape Story Never Told. New York: St. Martin's Press.

Chicago / Turabian - Humanities (Notes and Bibliography) Citation, 17th Edition (style guide)

Dando-Collins, Stephen. The Big Break: The Greatest American WWII POW Escape Story Never Told New York: St. Martin's Press, 2017.

MLA Citation, 9th Edition (style guide)

Dando-Collins, Stephen. The Big Break: The Greatest American WWII POW Escape Story Never Told First U.S. edition., St. Martin's Press, 2017.

Note! Citations contain only title, author, edition, publisher, and year published. Citations should be used as a guideline and should be double checked for accuracy. Citation formats are based on standards as of August 2021.

Staff View

Loading Staff View.