Collecting Colditz and Its Secrets

Forty years of research has resulted in this exceptional photographic history of life within the 'Sonderlager' of Colditz castle, the famous prisoner of war camp in Germany during World War Two, which housed such illustrious names as Douglas Bader, Lorne Welch and Jack Best.

Michael Booker has amassed a wealth of information on the subject, from talking to ex-prisoners of war, as well as the German commandant Prawitt and the head of security Captain Eggers. He relates stories of British, Polish, and French prisoners, and their many and varied attempts to escape. In addition he has amassed a large and priceless collection of artifacts and memorabilia from the castle, some of which never seen before, many of them reproduced throughout this book.

Personal recollections abound, and characters such as Pat Reid, Dick Howe and Sir Rupert Barry offer their insight into the activities at the camp, shaping the impression of life there.

As we celebrate the sixtieth anniversary of the liberation of Colditz, this book stands as a testament to those who were incarcerated there and is a valuable reference on the subject.