P.O.W.

by Douglas Collins ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 17, 1968

Douglas Collins, now a Canadian television journalist, spent his World War II days seeing a lot of action -- ten escapes from P.O.W. camps; ten re-capturings all over Europe. His twentieth birthday found him in his original birthday suit being punished after his first attempt, and ignominious return. ""Idioten!"" . . . . ""Where do you think you can go?"" Obviously he and his collaborators weren't sure and were plucked out of trains, farmhouses, ditches and off roadways but they sometimes came so close. In fact Mr. Collins escaped from Germany on his fourth attempt and from Hungary on his seventh. In Rumania, with his friend Ted Lancaster, he managed a phenomenal getaway from the Secret Police headquarters in Bucharest and by this time had gained such a reputation that the Rumanians set up a special camp for the two of them. The details of camp life -- mining; stealing potatoes; combating lice, blood poisoning, boredom; camping with the Aussies or the rowdies of the Ninth U.S. Air Force are quite marvelous, as were the escapes (yes, even a tunnel at one point). And as were the men who never lost their determination to have one more go. The Great Escape ten times over.

Pub Date: Oct. 17, 1968

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Norton

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 1968

Categories: NONFICTION