Prisoners of the Castle: An Epic Story of Survival and Escape from Colditz, the Nazis' Fortress Prison

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In this gripping narrative, Ben Macintyre explores one of history's most famous prison stories during World War II, focusing on Colditz Castle, where the German army held defiant Allied prisoners. Over four years, these inmates executed legendary escape attempts, but the tale encompasses more than just escapes. The castle's population mirrored a miniature society, filled with heroes, traitors, class conflicts, secret alliances, and a spectrum of human emotions. Macintyre highlights notable figures like Pat Reid alongside lesser-known yet remarkable characters such as Indian doctor Birendranath Mazumdar, whose hunger strike and escape read like fiction; Florimond Duke, the oldest American paratrooper; and Christopher Clayton Hutton, a brilliant inventor aiding British intelligence in creating covert escape tools. The narrative captures the war's progression within Colditz's walls, where the stakes heightened as Hitler's regime weakened, and prisoners feared a grim fate at the hands of the Nazis. Combining wartime intrigue with psychological insights, Macintyre revitalizes this extraordinary war story, blending elements from his acclaimed works on espionage and military strategy.