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

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The definitive and surprising true story of one of history’s most notorious prisons—and the remarkable cast of POWs who tried relentlessly to escape their captors, from the New York Times bestselling author of The Spy and the Traitor

In this gripping narrative, Ben Macintyre tackles one of the most famous prison stories in history and makes it utterly his own. During World War II, the German army used the towering Colditz Castle to hold the most defiant Allied prisoners. For four years, these prisoners of the castle tested its walls and its guards with ingenious escape attempts that would become legend.

But as Macintyre shows, the story of Colditz was about much more than escape. Its population represented a society in miniature, full of heroes and traitors, class conflicts and secret alliances, and the full range of human joy and despair. In Macintyre’s telling, Colditz’s most famous names—like the indomitable Pat Reid—share glory with lesser known but equally remarkable characters like Indian doctor Birendranath Mazumdar whose ill treatment, hunger strike, and eventual escape read like fiction; Florimond Duke, America’s oldest paratrooper and least successful secret agent; and Christopher Clayton Hutton, the brilliant inventor employed by British intelligence to manufacture covert escape aids for POWs.

Prisoners of the Castle traces the war’s arc from within Colditz’s stone walls, where the stakes rose as Hitler’s war machine faltered and the men feared that liberation would not come soon enough to spare them a grisly fate at the hands of the Nazis. Bringing together the wartime intrigue of his acclaimed Operation Mincemeat and keen psychological portraits of his bestselling true-life spy stories, Macintyre has breathed new life into one of the greatest war stories ever told.

368 pages, Hardcover

First published September 13, 2022

About the author

Ben Macintyre

36 books3,460 followers
Ben Macintyre is a writer-at-large for The Times (U.K.) and the bestselling author of The Spy and the Traitor, A Spy Among Friends, Double Cross, Operation Mincemeat, Agent Zigzag, and Rogue Heroes, among other books. Macintyre has also written and presented BBC documentaries of his work.

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 788 reviews
Profile Image for Marquise.
1,882 reviews1,048 followers
June 5, 2024
I initially wondered if this would be about the famous escape by Allied prisoners from Stalag Luft III that was told by Paul Brickhill in his memoir, and later fictionalised for the film "The Great Escape." But no, this is about a similar situation in a different POW camp, Oflag IV-C, commonly known as Colditz Castle.

I'm not sure why the author assumes this camp and its escapee POWs are famous like the other camp, though. Outside of historians and WWII connoisseurs, I'd be surprised if anyone has a clear memory of Colditz, whereas Stalag Luft III is pop culture by this point, thanks to Hollywood. Neither are the prisoners at Colditz as interesting, or their experiences as riveting or engrossing, compared to the others. This may be an issue with the storytelling, because for what it aims to tell, this was a very tedious book about rather self-aggrandising officers and the anecdotes nowhere as colourful as the bar set up by Brickhill's book. So very disappointing!
Profile Image for Anne .
457 reviews422 followers
October 14, 2022
The Great Escape is a fairly well-known movie with a star-studded cast. It is set in a POW camp in Poland and portrays the real-life audacious escape attempt of 76 Allied airmen during WWII. A different POW camp in Germany was Colditz Castle. It was supposed to be the most secure German POW camp so was specifically used as the prison of last resort for Allied officers who had previously attempted escape or were otherwise high risk. Despite the designation of "escape proof," Colditz turned out to be the ideal camp for escape-inclined Allied prisoners. With so many escape-prone prisoners housed together it was inevitable that they would plan escapes. They organized and created an "escape committee" which arranged the details of each escape, including who would produce or procure money, tools, maps, disguises or any other required materials. They also organized the dates of escapes so that one group did not interfere with another.

Solitary confinement was the only consequence for escape attempts. Though that is bad enough, the Geneva Convention laws were followed at Colditz so there were no summary executions. The German security officers recognized that it was the duty of the Allied POWs to try to escape and that their own job was to try to stop them. This respectful attitude permeated everyone's life at the camp including prisoner-guard interactions.

I found the ingenious and audacious escapes fascinating and often humorous. But getting out of the camp was only half of the battle. Getting across the German border undetected was a whole other matter. Accounts of the escapees who got beyond the gates read like real-life thrillers. A WWII camp in which German officers treat Allied officers with decency is a world I am glad to know about. I can't quite say that this is a feel-good or fun book but relative to anything else I've read about WWII it is both of those at times. Simply reading the Wiki page about Colditz and the incredible number of inventive schemes is enough to put a smile on my face.
November 30, 2022
With Prisoners of the Castle we learn about the wily World War II prisoners of Colditz, and their ceaseless breakout attempts - told with the adulation and humor only warranted by a vivaciousness such as theirs. Astonishing triumphs of industry and inventiveness are clarified. For example, we learn some of methods this group of clever men utilized to spy on the Allies from prison.
Naturally, despondency is always close at hand, as efforts to escape backslide, hopelessness lingers. In addition, as WWII continues to rampage, profound severances of class, religion, race and rank frequently shape an environment which makes living behind bars even more punishing. Be that as it may, these men never allow their spirts to be completely snuffed out. The ways in which they frequently worked in unison - in lieu of diversities and any misgivings - provides many lighthearted and inspiring moments for the listener/reader.
With Prisoners of the Castle, Mr. Macintyre does a superlative job in bringing a very important moment in history to the forefront. I learned so much without feeling like I was being taught - thanks to his talents as a gifted wordsmith. He also does a phenomenal job as narrator, and is clearly one of those rare authors who shines as both writer and voice of his novels. Much thanks and kudos.
Profile Image for Jill Hutchinson.
1,551 reviews102 followers
November 2, 2022
Colditz, the medieval castle, located in the state of Saxony in Germany, is probably the most famous of the Nazi's POW camps in WWII..........so well known that films have been made about it (although usually fictional). Those Allied prisoners held there were known as "difficult" because they had escaped or attempted to escape from other camps. Colditz was meant to be totally secure and the Nazis were sure that no one would ever break those bonds. Oh, were they wrong!

This book covers, not only the successful escapes but also the many unsuccessful attempts (and there were many). The prisoners were determined and some of their efforts were quite daring, inventive, and amazing. The author delves into the lives and personalities of these brave men and those of the Nazis who were in charge of the camp. The treatment of the prisoners was fairly humane except for solitary confinement and boredom was basically the worst part of the experience.

The population was comprised of Americans, Dutch, French and Polish and the groups tried to keep each other informed of their escape plans and shared ideas. At one point they even constructed a glider but the camp was liberated before it could be used.

There is so much more in this book that it can't all be covered, nor should be, in a review. Needless to say, it is extremely interesting and well written. I highly recommend it
Profile Image for Julie.
2,213 reviews35 followers
December 22, 2022
I listened to the audiobook with Simon. They say that truth is stranger than fiction.... This is an amazing book full of incredible true stories of escape, or many attempted escapes of prisoners of war from the notorious castle prison of Colditz. I'm not sure that Colditz is as well know in the U.S.A. In the U.K. it was entrenched in our culture and truly inspired fear.

Ben Macintyre has written a truly gripping account of the inhabitants of Colditz both the German guards and the multi-national prisoners. Narration is also provide by the author, and is amazing. We enjoyed our time listening together over many evenings and remained enthralled throughout.

Quotes:
"Of the 35,000 Allied troops who made their way to safety from captivity or after being shot down about half were carrying one of Hutton's maps."

"Christopher Clayton Hutton's bizarre achievements prove that war is not solely a matter of bombs, bullets and battlefield bravery. They also serve who work out how to hide a compass inside a walnut."

About Douglas Bader: "Each Camp Commandant was deluged with requests from local bigwigs who wanted a chance to see him. A German poster was printed describing his distinctive stiff legged gait in case he should escape again. He was a captive of his own notoriety. Bader was [...] an incorrigible prisoner and a valuable propaganda prize. Germany's highest security prisoner of war camp was the obvious place to put him. This then was the warrior celebrity saluted by the admiring German sentries as he clumped into Colditz on the 18th of August, 1942. A man with legs of tin, a heart of oak and feet of clay."

"After two and a half years, the Whermacht reached the belated conclusion that it was a mistake to cram all the most recalcitrant prisoners of every allied nation into one place. Instead of dampening rebellion, the chemistry of international competition and collaboration had made the place even harder to police."
Profile Image for Faith.
2,047 reviews608 followers
December 28, 2022
For four years during WWII, Colditz Castle in Germany was a prison for Allied officers (and some lower ranking prisoners who served as their orderlies). These officers were the incorrigible ones - the ones who had escaped before and intended to do so again. The head of the prison was a former school teacher, who knew that putting all of the bad boys in the same class was not a good idea, but he followed the rules for the treatment of military prisoners. His job was to keep them imprisoned and their job was to escape. There were constant, and very creative, escape attempts utilizing tunnels, disguises, forged papers and even hiding in a mattress. Many escaped but most were returned to the prison. Many of the prisoners also found inventive ways to get under the skin of their captors. The end of the book explains what happened to a lot of the people featured in the book.

There was a definite cinematic feel to this book. That is understandable since the story of Coldwitz has been the basis for movies and a TV series. Interviews that were recorded with survivors for the TV series were an invaluable resource for the author. He also used autobiographies written by many of the survivors and also by the head of the prison. This was a very interesting and entertaining book, and the author did a very good job narrating the audiobook.
Profile Image for Lisa Vegan.
2,856 reviews1,290 followers
November 27, 2022
I knew about this prisoner of war camp from having read and reread and loved Reach for the Sky, a book about Douglas Bader. He not surprisingly makes an appearance in this book and not a flattering one. There is an entire chapter about him and he’s also included in some of the rest of the narrative. It turns out that the book I loved (and still own though maybe not for long) was full of propaganda along with the truth. Almost all this book’s contents were new to me. I learned a lot. I was flabbergasted by a lot of the information.

This is a comprehensive book about its subject. I can’t imagine any more details could be included. I have to give it 5 stars since it’s such a perfect book about Colditz. A half star off because even though it sometimes read like a thriller and was mostly interesting, at times it read slowly and was close to boring with all the minutiae. 4-1/2 stars The account is given (almost) chronologically and I think doing that was a good choice.

Included are wonderful photos and maps and drawings! The book wouldn’t feel as complete without them. This is a superb book.
Profile Image for Chris Lee .
195 reviews148 followers
November 17, 2023
We first meet the POWs of Colditz as they try their hand at an escape attempt they have been cooking up for several months. The false German uniform had been made, the travel passes had been created, and photographic passports had been produced by clever means. All that was left to do was complete the plan and walk through the gates of one of the most daunting prison camps in the world.

Author Ben Macintyre writes this heavily laden prisoner escape book with great detail, putting you in the mind of the POW’s, their captors, and those trying to help from the outside. This book is packed to the brim with escape attempts, so I thought I would just list some clever things to look out for if you were curious about reading it.

❖ Most of the POW’s had skills to contribute to the daily escape attempts. There were magicians, card sharks, pole vaulters, theater actors, famous ace pilots, electricians, rugby players, charmers, and more.
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❖ Some clever bits include stealing a key, pressing into a bar of soap, and melting tin gathered from the roof to fashion keys to help them in their escape attempts.
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❖ The French had the first few successful attempts. Some vaulted over the wire and climbed the walls, while others dressed up and walked out during a large sporting match.
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❖ It was quite obvious at first that the flaw of Colditz was not in the architecture but in the humans that occupied it.
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❖ As attempts mounted, so did the security. Roll call was confirmed more frequently to stimy tunnel digging, extra lights were added, and gun placements were moved to areas of high activity.
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❖ Since mail was allowed, there was a marriage that took place using photos and vows sent over the wire.
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❖ The prisoners started to devise new ways of combating the constant stifling of their escape attempts by attacking the guard’s psychology. They would roam around the grounds, acting like they were walking dogs or pushing around rocks using their noses. The captors thought they were a bit contrived, but even a slight bit of misdirection would help conceal an attempt in another area.
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❖ A radio was produced so they could keep up-to-date with what was happening on the outside. Magazines of the front were pilfered from guards. This gave the POWs ideas on how others were trying to escape from their respective prisons.
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Food was used as a bartering chip, and they used some of the rations to make drinks. Alcohol production was made using the strangest of ingredients. One of them was a batch flavored with aftershave. It was said to have eaten a hole in the bottom of the plastic container it sat in overnight. Most officers could stomach this variety, but they succumbed to cataclysmic headaches, blurred vision, discolored teeth, and so on. It was not discouraged because it kept morale up, and any prisoner who was inebriated was easier to manage.

|| "Our cross is the curse of waiting." ||

Some chapters are short and filled with details on attempts of varying degrees, while others dig deep into those who had a great impact on their success in escaping. One of those heroic people was Mrs. Markowska.

Mrs. Markowska, also known as Jane Walker, was an agent of British intelligence and a lead associate in the Polish underground. She would shelter escaped British POWs and help smuggle them to safety. She was extremely intelligent and a supreme asset because she spoke German, French, and Polish. Her intolerant and sympathetic behavior was endearing to the escapees, and she treated each one like her own children. She was known for giving the POW’s pep talks, medical treatments, and formal dinners. The POW’s adored her and often times said they loved her.

Another was Douglas Bader, a double-amputee flying ace who inspired the RAF and was deemed by the Daily Mirror as “The Greatest Hero of Them All.” He was courageous and famous, and he became a poster boy for inflight antics. It shined a beacon of light on what is possible and how one can help with the war effort, even if they have a disability. On an offensive, Bader’s plane was hit, and the fuselage tore away from the back. As the plane careened toward the Earth, he removed the Spitfires canopy, but he was not able to get out because his prosthetic leg was caught on the controls. Right before he lost consciousness, he ripped the parachute, and the force disconnected his leg. He floated to the ground with only a few broken ribs. The German captors were so enamored with his condition that they asked the RAF to send them a new leg so he could walk again. After approval from the higher-ups, they named it “Operation Leg.” Now with functioning legs, Bader tried to escape multiple times but always had issues with his leg. He would then find himself in Colditz, where his disregard and insolence for authority kept on.

I would recommend this book to history buffs and WW readers alike. It tells quite a few enduring and humbling stories about those poor, brave souls who had to endure the camps for years.

|| "The day of freedom is not set by judge or jury, but by events in a distant theater of conflict." ||

🎵| Soundtrack |🎵

❖ Iron Maiden – Run to the Hills
❖ Black Sabbath – War Pigs
❖ Elmer Bernstein – The Great Escape Theme
❖ Hans Zimmer – The Village

⭐ | Rating | ⭐
❖ 4.5 out of 5 ❖
Profile Image for Boudewijn.
767 reviews152 followers
May 11, 2024
Survival and escape from the Nazi fortress prison

I don't know if non-fiction thriller is a legitimate genre but if it is, Ben MacIntyre would be the Stephen King of it. In this book MacIntyre takes on the iconic nazi-castle of Colditz, where high ranking Allied prisoners or prisoners that tried repeatedly to escape, were guarded by the Wehrmacht, which mostly abided by the rules of the Geneva Conventions. In one instance, after succesfully escaping to France, the Germans dutifully sent his suitcase after him.

It is a strange paradox that the Germans decided to lock up the prisoners in a medieval castle, full of unknown passages, drains, cellars and abandoned sections, where medieval doors could be easily picked.

Most of the time therefore is devoted to escape attempts in which creative prisoners tried all sorts of ways to escape - but almost all failed. Not only the attempts itself, but also the perilous journey to the Swiss border, some 400 miles away, gets it due attention.

The prisoners self, almost exclusively English, although there were also some small contingents of Polish, French and Dutch prisoner, were mostly all upper class, who treated the enlisted man who served them with disdain. The French were antisemitic and preferred Pétain to de Gaulle. The Dutch, clean and orderly, were described by the Germans as model prisoners but in fact this was al a calculated sham - no Dutchman would ever bow to the Germans and in fact they were the most successful in their escape attempts, probably aided by the fact that they all spoke German.

Prisoner abuse was rare, and in fact the German prison guard tended to be older non-combatants of World War I. In the later war years, the prisoners were actually better fed than the guards, thanks to the Red Cross packages being sent to them.

MacIntyre writes an entertaining story but sticks to the facts. The prisoners were fed, well treated and - especially compared to other POW camps - had a better chance of survival. He doesn't romanticise the story, which perhaps happened in the Colditz folklore immediate after the war, but also points out the negative aspects of the prisoners and the hardships they endured.

What rests is a vivid portrayal of the iconic castle and its inhabitants. An enjoyable read for everyone, even if you are not a World War 2 buff.
Profile Image for Stephen.
1,977 reviews431 followers
November 23, 2022
Interesting new book looking at the history of Colditz when it was home to various different POW's during WW2 and the characters involved some well known others not so. learnt some new things about the castle which didn't know beforehand
Profile Image for Steven Z..
628 reviews153 followers
October 7, 2022
If one is interested in spy craft and traitors during World War II and the Cold War there are few authors that have produced more satisfying works than Ben Macintyre. Macintyre is a writer-at-large for The Times (U.K.) and has written monographs whose narratives include the history of the British SAS; deceptions that encompass plans to misinform the Nazis in the lead up to the invasions of Sicily and D-Day; well-known spies such as Kim Philby, Oleg Gordievsky, the woman known as Agent Sonya, Eddie Chapman; and his latest the escapees from the Nazi fortress, Colditz. Whether describing and analyzing the actions of double agents loyal to the United States, Britain, or Russia or other topics, Macintyre’s approach to conveying espionage history is clear, concise, entertaining, and remarkably well written. All books are based on sound research and his readers will welcome his latest effort PRISONERS OF THE CASTLE: AN EPIC STORY OF SURVIVAL AND ESCAPE FROM COLDITZ, THE NAZIS FORTRESS PRISON.

As in all of his books. PRISONER OF THE CASTLE tackles subject matter with gusto and goes beyond the conventional story that may have been told before. In his latest effort he breathes new life into one of the greatest war stories ever told as over a period of four years allied prisoners tried to escape the impregnable Nazi fortress. Macintyre traces the evolution of World War II from within the prison to the point of liberation when inmates feared their rescue would not come quickly enough to save them. As described by the author, the prisoners were an amalgam of self-identified “communists, scientists, homosexuals, women, aesthetes and philistines, aristocrats, spies, workers, poets, and traitors” who created their own replica of pre-war society and culture within the prison as a means of survival.

There are two components that dominate Macintyre’s monograph; the replica of the British social class structure that dominated prison life, and the integration of an eclectic and diverse group of prisoners whether British, Dutch, French, Polish, or American. There are other themes that the author introduces that include the Nazi leadership that ran Colditz, the ebbs and flows of the war which prisoners were able to keep up with by building a surreptitious radio, the planning of escapes and what happened to the escapees, the plight of Prominente – a group of influential and famous prisoners whom the Nazis sought to maximize a return, and how Berlin reacted to what was occurring in the prison.

Running through the heart of Colditz ran a wide and almost unbridgeable social class divide. This was a camp for captured officers, but it also consisted of a fluctuating population of orderlies, and prisoners of other ranks who performed menial tasks for the Germans, but also served as personal servants for officers. Only officers were allowed to take part in escape attempts and orderlies were not expected to assist them. No orderly tried to escape because if caught the consequences could be devastating. If an officer was caught he was returned to the prison usually unharmed. There was a working class of soldiers and orderlies, and an upper class of officers, reflecting the class structure of the time.

The officers had a British “boarding school mentality.” They tried to recreate the traditions of Eton and other private schools coopting behaviors such as bullying, enslaving individuals on the lower rung of society, “goon-baiting” Germans, and diverse types of entertainment. Those who did not attend a boarding school were rarely included.

Macintyre describes the prison infrastructure that the prisoners studied assiduously to determine weak points and when they might escape. For most prisoners escaping became their life’s work and interestingly the different nationalities kept a score card highlighting successful escapes. The food was abysmal, but edible and it was offset by Red Cross packages of food, clothing, toiletries and other important items. Many packages contained objects hidden in food and other articles that might assist an escape. Prisoners cooperated in digging tunnels, one of which was known as Le Metro dug mostly by the French, performing logistics, obtaining and making tools, and often attempted an escape that involved a substantial number of men. On the other hand, there were prisoners who worked alone and wanted no part of being in a group. The prisoners created numerous committees to regulate prisoner life and tried to produce a sense of normality. One in particular was most important – if a prisoner wanted to try to escape he needed the approval of an Escape Committee headed by the highest ranking officers.

Macintyre’s attention to detail is a strength of the book. He delves into strategies developed and objects needed, i.e.; the “arse keeper,” a cylinder to hide money, small tools and other objects in one’s anatomy was most creative. The prisoners were geniuses in developing tactics to confuse their captors, and instruments that were used to make their escape attempts possible, including a glider that was completely built, but never used.. The author also includes how prisoners tried to keep themselves sane by developing their own entertainment. They set up theater performances, choirs, concerts, bands, jazz ensembles, plays etc. Sanity was a major issue and for those who remained at Colditz for years PTSD was definitely an issue.

The characters Macintyre describes are a diverse and fascinating group. The following stand out. Alain Le Ray, a French Lieutenant in an elite mountain infantry force, and a self-contained individual who planned and tried to execute numerous escapes. Captain Pat Reid, a gregarious member of the British Royal Service Corps who shared his plans and was involved in many escape attempts. Joseph Ellison Platt, a self-righteous Methodist preacher tried, and usually failed to keep prisoners on the straight and narrow. Airey Neave, wounded at Calais used planning escapes as a tool to ease his depression. He would finally escape and work for MI9 to assist other prisoners. Birendranath Mazumdar, an Indian doctor and an officer who was treated poorly by his British “allies” reflecting the racist attitudes of British officers. He turned down working for the Germans but was still a victim of his compatriots. Giles Romilly, a nephew by marriage of Winston Churchill, was a journalist and communist captured in Norway. Christopher Layton Hutton designed and developed numerous escape kits and other inventions for prisoners. Michael Sinclair escaped from Poland who was obsessed with escaping and reuniting with the Anglo-Polish Society, a secret resistance network – he would make seven escape attempts, dying on the last one. Julius Green, a Jewish dentist from Glasgow developed the most prolific code-letter system and treated Nazi patients who disclosed valuable information that he was able to forward to the right authorities. Checko Chalovpka, a Czech pilot whose affair with Irmgard Wernicke, a dental assistant in town who was a spy who fed information provoked awe. Walter Purdy, a British supporter of Oswald Mosley turned against his fellow prisoners and made radio speeches condemning the allies – his fellow prisoners wanted to lynch him. Wing Commander Douglas Bader, a double amputee fighter pilot who was held in high esteem by most prisoners. Lee Carson, a beautiful and fearless journalist who traveled with American troops, who was known as the “Rhine Maiden.” There are also important Nazi figures highlighted by Lt. Reinhold Eggers, the Supreme Security Chief at Colditz who tried to be fair to the prisoners and was often overruled. Eggers is extremely important in that he maintained a written history of the camp that Macintyre had access to. Eggers appears almost as a background narrator of the story presenting his battle with prisoners and the thinking of the German occupiers.

The turning point for prisoners came after D-Day. As long as the German Army was in charge of the camp treatment was palatable. However, as the war turned after D-Day and the July 1944 Plot that failed to assassinate Hitler more and more the SS and the Gestapo under Heinrich Himmler took over the camp. Escapees were warned, if you were captured you would be shot, not just returned to the barracks as before.

I agree with Andrea Pitzer’s September 29, 2022, Washington Post review as she writes, “Macintyre tells the story of the POW camp that had more escape attempts than any other during World War II. He parades a brigade of officers, some of whom have since been lionized or found postwar fame through film, television and multiple books. Ultimately, Macintyre offers a more complete and complex account than is typical in popular histories from the Nazi era. Read in that light, this is less a fairy tale than an honest account of heroic but fallible men in captivity, made more compelling through the acknowledgment of their flaws and failures.”

The strength of the book lies with Macintyre’s unique ability to weave a story involving so many different characters, not allowing individuals to get in the way of his material. Macintyre writes as if he is aware that his story is not a literary one, but a recounting the stories of many important men and stitching together their experiences from the disparate historical record.
Profile Image for Susan.
2,862 reviews584 followers
December 2, 2022
This is an excellent account of Colditz, a special prisoner of war camp for special prisoners. These included those who had escaped from other camps, as well asthose who could be used as possible bargaining chips (minor members of the Royal Family, Churchill's nephew and others). Colditz was meant to be completely safe, impregnable and impossible to escape from. Of course, this did not quite work out to be the case.

Although this has incredible accounts of those who tried to escape, often successfully, it is also the story of a very unique prisoner of war camp. It held many officers, who could not be forced to work for the Reich, and whom often imposed their own class rules and public school ways onto those inhabitants of the camp. There are theatre shows, tunnels, coded letters, M19, bizarre escape attempts and many wonderfully erratic and eccentric prisoners. Many are well known - such as Airey Neave, Pat Reid and Douglas Bader. I found the incredibly rude and rather unpleasant Bader curiously moving. When he was shot down, the Germans allowed the RAF to deliver a new leg, which seemed an incredible allowance during wartime. Once he had two prosthetics, he immediately hoisted himself out of a window and hobbled off - even the Germans, who he aimed endless venom at, seemed impressed.

As time passed, power shifted and you felt the German officers balancing the best way to get out of the war alive. As such, this is an incredible tale, not only of a unique place and time, but of a world in minitature, with all its postive and negative aspects. The best and worst of mankind is here, from snobbery and racism, to incredible bravery and kindness. Ben Macintyre always tells a wonderful tale and I enjoyed this book as I have enjoyed all the others I have read by him.
Profile Image for Max Gwynne.
151 reviews9 followers
September 21, 2022
Ben Macintyre returns here, with his devilishly absorbing writing style, to examine one of the legendary POW camps used by the Germans to house Allied officers during the Second World War, Colditz Castle.

Flowing chronologically, Macintyre effortlessly weaves a fascinating narrative of prisoner relations, (both between nationalities and the enemy ‘goons’ that held them captive), the effects of captivity on their mental health, prisoner rations and diets, and of course the ingenious escape methods cooked up by the plucky chaps detained there. All of which are explored in fascinating first hand accounts and rid of any biased viewpoints.

An impeccably readable and enlightening read, ‘Colditz’ is undoubtedly now one of the most authoritative accounts of the legendary gothic castle and its residents throughout the war.


Profile Image for Tony.
181 reviews40 followers
May 11, 2024
While clearly war and prisoners of war are serious subjects, and Ben Macintyre covers them extremely well, he has also managed to write a funny book with a very British sense of humour. Fortunately Macintyre can write history which is hugely entertaining, while also being informative and intelligent. He covers not just the increasingly risky escape attempts, but also gives a sense of day to day life including goon-baiting, monotony, hunger, and the British obsession with social class.
Profile Image for Elizabeth.
486 reviews50 followers
April 16, 2023
War stories are usually about what happened. The story of Colditz, by contrast, is largely a tale of inactivity, a long procession of duplicate days when little of note occurred, punctuated by moments of intense excitement.

Absolutely fascinating. Well researched and written, this book was a treasure trove of information on not only the history of the camp but also the psychology of the prisoners and the guards. The bravery of all the prisoners of Colditz is astonishing, as well as their maintained sense of humor. I appreciated how the author used nationality as a guiding point but not a definitive personality guide. The differences between the German and British minds (and of course American, Dutch, Polish, the list goes on) is shown in stark contrast - but it's not all-absorbing.

Another important contrast is the treatment of Jews vs POWs. The Jews and other "undesirables" sent to concentration camps like Auschwitz had it much, much worse than the prisoners of Colditz. But the POWs still faced hunger & food shortages, near-constant supervision, and of course the danger of being powerless in enemy hands. Yet prisoners of Colditz were among the better-treated POWs - the main men in charge of the camp actually (mostly) adhered to the Geneva Convention of 1929. Which naturally didn't stop the prisoners from attempting to escape. Some of the most comedic bits of this book are during escapes. Their creativity and courage was indomitable.

The book focuses partially on the history of the castle during WWII (including some information about the village outside it), the systems the Germans used to spy on the prisoners and the prisoners used to spy on the Germans, the methods by which items & information were smuggled into Colditz and information was smuggled out, and of course the numerous escape attempts. With plenty of humor but also grave sadness, Prisoners of the Castle is not only factual but emotional.

In all, Macintyre did an excellent job chronicling both the good and the bad of Colditz. Unfortunately, though I did enjoy this book, I can only recommend it to a mature audience. The author did not shy away from the harsher sexual reality of prison life and some bits go into more detail than I was comfortable with. Nevertheless, on the whole Prisoners of the Castle is an excellent book on a difficult and saddening topic.
Profile Image for Marco.
261 reviews29 followers
December 23, 2023
Lessons in how to (not) escape from a medieval, gothic castle. A game they called it. A serious game, by still, a game. And eventually a game of life and death. Sore losers, those Nazis.

Not one of Mac's very best books. I guess not enough has been documented to turn this into a smooth narrative. It lacks a bit of focus, feels like a collection of anecdotes at times. Still a valuable read, though.

The war prisoners are great. Such an eccentric bunch. If this were fiction, you wouldn't believe these guys were there.

Also great; the way one of the main security officers, Reinhold Eggers, responds to all these crazy inmates trying to escape in the most bizarre ways.

Not only did he respect them, he was impressed. Amazed. Stupefied. And so was I.
Profile Image for QuietlyKat.
616 reviews
October 13, 2023
War stories are usually about what happened. The story of Colditz, by contrast, is largely a tale of inactivity, a long procession of duplicate days when little of note occurred, punctuated by moments of intense excitement.

I honestly could not have asked for a more perfect summary of the feel of Prisoners of the Castle.

While POTC offers a fascinating glimpse into the lives of the prisoners within the walls of the Colditz castle POW camp as well as those of some of the more prominent guards of the castle, at times, it was a bit of a slog. As I mentioned in one of my status updates, the content is well researched & entertaining but the storytelling could have benefitted from more critical editing and paring down of some of the extraneous detail. The individual stories within this book are fascinating, enlightening and engaging but interspersed between and within these stories are trivial, extraneous details that bog down the narrative. Not even 50%, I began to feel the drag to the point I low key wanted to quit. Forging on was absolutely worth it though as POTC is filled with information and stories that are surprising, shocking, inspiring and humorous as well as those that are heartbreaking, enraging and saddening.

Having read many WWII books and memoirs, Prisoners of the Castle is a new and unique addition to my WWII library that helps to broaden my perspective and understanding of the war and lives of those touched by it.

I tend to prefer to read a book before listening to the audiobook but in this case, I think I would have preferred to listen to the audiobook from the outset. The audio sample sounds good and I may return to it some day.

3.75 -4 stars
Profile Image for Brandon Forsyth.
914 reviews171 followers
September 20, 2022
Ben Macintyre has done it again. At this point, I should stop being surprised. Generally speaking, I’m more of a fan of his espionage tales than the broader war histories he’s done, but this takes all of those elements and boils it down to one incredible pressure-cooker of a story. Macintyre has always been a fantastic storyteller who makes history come alive, but you can almost feel the walls of Colditz closing in on you while reading this, and I think he’s outdone himself in conveying how history feels to its participants. I loved the way he explores the culture of the camp as well, looking at the ways race and sexuality and class defined the war experience of so many. Absolutely brilliant.
Profile Image for Ben.
969 reviews113 followers
October 26, 2022
Some great stories, but it can also be a bit slow. The perspective is also very limited.

> the Germans thought they had escaped. In fact, they were hiding in a secret compartment under the chapel pulpit that had once been part of the great French tunnel. At night, they would emerge and be replaced by two other prisoners, while Harvey and Best slept in the vacated beds: the Germans sometimes conducted head counts of sleeping prisoners. They both took the names of other officers, in case they happened to be intercepted by the guards, and circulated like normal prisoners, until the next roll call: Harvey was “D. E. Bartlett” and Best became “Bob Barnes.” After an escape, a ghost would take the place of an escaper, to buy time, before disappearing back into the hole.
Profile Image for Kay.
1,015 reviews206 followers
January 18, 2023
What joy -- a new Ben Macintyre book!*

I don't think I'm the only one that looks forward to a new book from Macintyre's pen, and this book has rightfully garnered glowing reviews. What strikes me here, as in a previous book on, Rogue Heroes: The History of the SAS, Britain's Secret Special Forces Unit That Sabotaged the Nazis and Changed the Nature of War, is his refusal to whitewash or sugarcoat anything. In Rogue Heroes, as I recall, the French Resistance came in for some less than flattering portrayal at times, and here Macintyre demonstrates the characters and actions of both the POWs and their German keepers with admirable even-handedness.

There were some real surprises for me here, too. Who knew there was a link between one of the prisoners and Audrey Hepburn, for example? (Read most of the book and you'll find out what it was.) Aside from some of the most famous prisoners (a few of whom came in for a scathing analysis, such as flying ace Douglas Bader), the person who most intrigued me was the German security officer and former schoolmaster Reinhold Eggers, who doggedly thwarted many of the escape plans but who also won the admiration of some of the prisoners for his fairness and strict adherence to the Geneva Convention. He wrote a book after the war, Colditz: The German Story, which I think would make an appropriate follow-up to this book.

The only faint criticism I have of this book is that it is, by nature, rather episodic. It does focus on a few of the prisoners, but there are many who come and go - whether by escape, transfer to another POW camp, or death. Still, I had no trouble following the cast of characters and events outside the castle's walls. It certainly made interesting reading after having seen the movie "The Great Escape" any number of times. No motorcycle stunts in this book (or at Stalag Luft III, for that matter), but fascinating nonetheless.

*(Wow, I just looked over my book list and noted that this is the thirteenth book I've read by Ben Macintyre.)
Profile Image for Elizabeth.
315 reviews29 followers
July 15, 2023
Totally gripping and immersive. I hadn't read much about POW camps in WWII, and Colditz in Germany was a unique and fascinating one. The idea of a "gentleman's prison" run in a gentlemanly manner during WWII was new to me, let alone one with an additional built-in culture of escape attempts. It may be counterintuitive to think of a "fun" nonfiction book about WWII, but I did feel that way about this book, largely because of Ben Macintyre's skill in presenting his mammoth amount of research in a highly readable and suspenseful way. I was so impressed and drawn in by this book and will definitely look into more of Macintyre's work now!
Profile Image for Elevetha .
1,868 reviews193 followers
March 1, 2023
This was a really fascinating read. I would recommend it to anyone even the slightest bit interested by WWII or history in general. A German castle prison in WWII dedicated to the troublesome escape-prone, virulently anti-German, or Very Important prisoners, more or less overseen by a head security officer who lived and breathed the Geneva Convention, who was quite taken by British manners and customs. It was weirdly comedic at times, mostly in the early 1940's, with most prisoners in (relatively) good spirits and many of them pettily annoying the guards, making escape attempts on the daily (in the case of one particular summer), and eating pretty well through the good efforts of the Red Cross. By late 1944 things are not quite dismal, dark, and depressing as your average WWII story, but getting far closer to it and I did maybe cry a little at the end.

There is just SO much here to talk about; so many interesting tidbits and stories and individuals, some slimy, others much more heroic. Eggers started a Colditz Museum with foiled escape souvenirs, complete with photos of reenacted escape attempts. They legitimately caught several prisoners attempting escape (one dressed as the Colditz electrician, another dressed as a woman) and requested they pose for a photo for the museum scrapbook. And these are supplied mid-book, which was fantastic. There is too much I could go on about, so just read the book honestly.

Anything related to the sexual exploits or frustrations of the prisoners wasn't really something I was keen on reading, but thankfully, it was kept fairly brief. The author made a bit of a stretch, claiming oh so many of the men engaged in homosexual acts. We know some did from memoirs or whatnot, and I'm not so naïve as to think others didn't and just never came out and admitted it. But the author also claimed that it must have been going on in a fairly large scale, while in the same breath, mentioning that (with the aforementioned exceptions) it was never verified/caught onto by the guards/we don't have proof. Well, then, I guess better to leave it at that.

I'll say it here, Eggers deserved better.
Profile Image for David Highton.
3,272 reviews19 followers
November 17, 2022
An excellent book on Colditz, much more realistic and rounded than some of the previous accounts which seemed to glamourise the legend. Clearly very well researched from German officer sources as well as Allied accounts.
Profile Image for Jonathan Watson.
25 reviews
July 12, 2024
I didn't find this quite as engaging as Ben Macintyre's other books—probably because there are so many different characters. It lacked a coherent narrative and ended up in the 'one damn thing after another' school of history (each 'thing' in this case is an escape attempt). Macintyre's at his best when focusing on specific individuals, as he does in books like 'Agent Zigzag' (Eddie Chapman), 'Agent Sonya' (Ursula Kuczynski) and 'A Spy Among Friends' (Kim Philby). However, I won't forget Reinhold Eggers, Douglas Bader, Birendranath Mazumdar, Frank Flinn, Michael Sinclair and the rest...
Profile Image for Denise.
6,995 reviews123 followers
March 27, 2023
Excellent, well researched and absolutely engrossing account about the infamous WWII POW prison at Colditz Castle, including plenty of tales of resilience, ingenuity and audacity in recounting some of the many escape attempts - some successful, others much less so - undertaken from there.
Profile Image for Liz.
812 reviews
October 10, 2022
I devoured this book. The number of remarkable stories it contains is incredible, the pacing is fast and taut, and the inclusion of original recollections from the prisoners and one of their captors adds tremendous texture. Transfixing.
Profile Image for Jamie Dacyczyn.
1,851 reviews106 followers
April 6, 2023
I'm a bit embarrassed to admit that I'd never heard of Colditz until discussing the events of The Great Escape (movie and real life accounts) with my dad, and he mentioned a POW prison where the inmates had secretly made a glider in the attic. Wait, WHAT? Ok, now the events in the animated film Chicken Run make even more parodied sense. Obviously, I had to find a book about this IMMEDIATELY. To my delight, a new book had just come out, and it was even available on audio.

This was utterly fascinating, not only the escape attempts of the prisoners, but also the politics within the prison, the relationships with the guards, the people on the outside who collaborated to smuggle escape equipment into the prison......

Obviously, this is a war story so most of this is pretty bleak. However, there are plenty of moments of humor, touching humanism, and joy. I got legitimately choked up when the men starting building the glider, despite the extreme unlikeliness that it would work. "...It had more to do with mythical escapism and imagination than with a real escape. It was a dream for the prisoner collective: to fly away to freedom." After years of mostly failed escape attempts, increasing loss of hope as rations and other supplies dwindled, and deep fears that the prisoners might all be murdered if Germany was losing and the Allied powers reached the castle....imagine these defeated men pooling their ingenuity to build something so magnificent, such a beautiful dream of freedom. Ugh, it got to me.

Definitely recommended.
Profile Image for Maine Colonial.
778 reviews189 followers
September 22, 2022
I received a free advance digital galley from the publisher, via Netgalley.

Colditz, a forbidding German castle fortress, was the destination for Allied officer POWs, and some other high-profile prisoners. It’s important to know that Colditz was different from POW Stalags for enlisted men run by the often brutal Gestapo and SS guards. Colditz was staffed by Wehrmacht (regular army) personnel who generally complied with the Geneva Convention. According to the Geneva Convention, captors were allowed to set their enlisted prisoners to work—but not officers. As a result, most of the prisoners at Colditz were at the leisure to go stir crazy, unless they thought of other ways to keep their minds busy—like dreaming up escape plans.

There were dozens of attempts from 1941 to 1945, and Macintyre chronicles them in all their variety, inventiveness, and risk. Despite what you might see in old movies, it was rare that an escape was successful and, even when they were, the escapee still had to make his way across hundreds of miles of hostile territory to get to Switzerland or another border. Few did, but you can imagine the spark it gave to the prisoners when they learned of a successful escape.

The book isn’t just about the escape attempts, though. A closed community tends to have intensified social dynamics. On the positive side, the prisoners threw themselves into cultural pursuits, including putting on concerts, skits and plays. Hilariously, the British chaplain was appalled at prisoners dressing up as women for some of the plays and skits they acted out in the castle’s theater, thinking that even these ridiculously ersatz women would stir the men’s passions.

At Colditz, there were various nationalities, primarily British, French, Dutch and Polish, and they didn’t always work well together. There were also problems with class conflict, racial prejudice, and anti-Semitism among some of the prisoners. Sadly, there were prisoners who shared many of the same fascist and racist attitudes as the Nazis. Some prisoners were communist sympathizers, which foreshadowed the Cold War conflict. These differences caused problems in themselves, but also served to further divide the prisoners when some suspected that there were moles among them tipping off the Germans to escape plans.

A special intelligence operation in the UK, MI9, came up with dozens of ingenious ways of smuggling contraband and information to the Colditz prisoners. MI9 wisely equipped flyers with many hidden escape aids, in case they were shot down and captured. When you read about some of these bits of spycraft, you won’t be surprised to learn that their inventor inspired the creation of the Q character in the Bond films. Amazingly, Denholm Elliott, who played Q, was a POW of the Germans in WW2 (though not at Colditz).

As always, Macintyre’s book reads more like a novel than a history. His research is deep and detailed, but he weaves it smoothly into his storytelling. Just as I hoped, he includes a postscript describing the postwar lives of the most notable characters. This factual story is more gripping and entertaining than any fiction about Colditz could hope to be.
Profile Image for Nicole.
525 reviews1 follower
August 8, 2024
Thank you NetGalley and Crown Publishing Group for an advanced copy of this book.

Ben Macintyre's "Prisoners of the Castle: An Epic Story of Survival and Escape from Colditz, the Nazi's Fortress Prison" is a masterful work of historical storytelling that will captivate both history enthusiasts and casual readers alike. The book is a remarkable blend of thorough research, accessible writing, and fascinating details that bring the Colditz Castle, a symbol of wartime captivity, vividly to life.

Macintyre's meticulous research is one of the standout features of "Prisoners of the Castle." The depth of his investigation into Colditz Castle, a high-security Nazi prison during World War II, is evident on every page. The author has combed through a vast array of sources, including personal letters, diaries, and official documents, to provide a comprehensive account of the prisoners' experiences. His ability to piece together disparate bits of information into a coherent and engaging narrative is a testament to his skill as a historian. The detailed background on the castle's layout, the daily life of its inhabitants, and the various escape attempts offers readers a rich understanding of the historical context.

One of Macintyre's notable strengths is his talent for making complex historical events accessible to a broad audience. "Prisoners of the Castle" is written in a clear and engaging style that avoids overwhelming readers with jargon or excessive detail. Macintyre’s storytelling is fluid and compelling, making intricate historical and technical details easy to grasp without sacrificing accuracy. The book is structured in a way that allows readers to follow the narrative effortlessly, even if they are unfamiliar with the intricacies of World War II or the specifics of Colditz Castle.

What truly makes "Prisoners of the Castle" shine are the intriguing and often surprising tidbits that Macintyre weaves into the narrative. These small details not only enrich the story but also provide a glimpse into the personalities and ingenuity of the prisoners. Whether it's a daring escape attempt involving elaborate disguises or the clever use of everyday objects in ingenious ways, these anecdotes add depth and color to the historical account. Macintyre’s eye for these captivating details helps to illuminate the resilience and resourcefulness of the individuals involved.

In conclusion, "Prisoners of the Castle" by Ben Macintyre is an exceptional work that combines thorough research, clear and engaging writing, and captivating historical details. It offers a profound and entertaining exploration of one of World War II's most intriguing prisons and the remarkable stories of those who endured and escaped its confines. This book is a must-read for anyone interested in history, survival stories, or the human spirit's capacity to overcome even the harshest of adversities.
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