Prisoner of War in Germany

Description

During World War II, German prison camps swelled with Allied Prisoners of War, captured during fierce conflicts, from the Battle of France in 1940 to the bomber offensives over Germany from 1943. This book looks in intimate detail at the life of average private soldiers, beginning with their capture, through the long days as prisoners and hard labourers, to the readjustment to home life after their release. Illustrated with original materials, postcards, and photographs, the author reveals their personal experiences in this intriguing account, including letters to and from home, which disclose some surprising attitudes towards the POWs.

Peter Doyle is a scientist and military historian, and was in charge of the recent archaeological dig at the site of Stalag Luft III, which identified one of the three escape tunnels. His father, Pte Leslie Doyle, spent five long years as a POW in Germany. In addition to numerous scientific books and papers, his books include: The British Soldier of 1914-1918 (Shire, 2008) and The Home Front 1939-1945 (with Paul Evans) Crowood, 2007.

"Germany is not known for its hospitality during World War II. Prisoners of War in Germany is a look at prisoners of war who were captured during World War II, as the result of many bloody conflicts along the German border. This is the story of these American and BRitish soldiers who lived their lives being forced into hard labor by their enemies, hoping their allies would eventually come to their aid. Illustrated with full color photos, and cartoons from the time, Prisoners of War in Germany is a vivid picture of the lives these men faced. Highly recommended." --Small Press Bookwatch (April 2009) "Copiously detailed and illustrated, by an archaeologist who led a dig at Stalag Luft III." --World War II Magazine (May 2009) "...Prisoner of War in Germany is a great primer for those not familiar with the experience of the WW2-era prisoners of war in Germany, and it makes this reader speculate whether there would be a similar title about the experience of British, Commonwealth, and American POWs in Japanese camps." --C. Peter Chen, World War II Database, ww2db.com (February 2009)