A towering fortress perched high above a rocky outcrop with thick medieval walls of stone, Colditz Castle was strategically selected by the Nazis as their prison-of-war camp for the most defiant Allied prisoners. What chance could these men have to flee under the watchful eye of their German captors? And yet, the POWs of Colditz engineered some of the most ingenious—and utterly reckless—methods of escape that could be imagined.
For his new book, Prisoners of the Castle: An Epic Story of Survival and Escape from Colditz, the Nazis' Fortress Prison, Ben Macintyre shines a light on an unforgettable group of men who occupied the infamous Nazi prisoner of war camp—and their incredible attempts to escape their captors. Macintyre will be joined in conversation by Spy Museum Advisory Board Member Phil Froom, author of Evasion and Escape Devices Produced by MI9, MIS-X, and SOE in World War II, and Spy Museum Curator of Special Projects Dr. Alexis Albion.
They’ll discuss the never-before-seen material Macintyre uncovered, his insights into the psychology of individuals at war, as well as the indomitability of the human spirit in the face of even the greatest odds. From class conflicts to secret alliances and even farce, this dive into the world of the prisoners will reveal boredom and derring-do, heroes and traitors, and most of all their cunning escape attempts that became legend. Following their discussion, you’ll be able to ask questions via our online platform.
Auto-generated closed captioning will be available for this program.
