Colditz: Oflag IV-C

(Paperback)

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Description

Immortalized in film and literature, the 15th century castle of Colditz is remembered not for tales of medieval chivalry or withstanding withering sieges but for its darker past, when it was converted by the Nazis into a prisoner-of-war camp called Oflag IV-C. A natural choice for a prison, Colditz had been used successfully during the First World War and had gained a reputation for being impossible to escape from. But this reputation was dramatically shattered by the ingenuity of the prisoners interned there. This book examines the history of Colditz, the methods used to keep prisoners inside her formidable walls, and the techniques by which her prisoners attempted to escape.

Reviews

"The text in the book is well written and extremely detailed ... It details the history of Colditz castle from its construction to its use today." --Randy Harvey, Armorama

"The illustrations by Peter Dennis are well done and cover the periods of the castle's early history up to its use during World War II. He has included some cutaway illustrations showing details of the castle as well as a tunnel system that was dug by the prisoners." --Randy Harvey, Model Shipwrights

"... the stories are very interesting since the attempts [to escape] involved everything from tunneling to simple attempt to walk out of the castle." --J. E. Kaufmann, Site O

Author Bio

Michael McNally was born in London in 1964. With an enduring interest in military history, his previous titles for Osprey include Campaign 160: The Battle of the Boyne (2005) and Campaign 180: Easter Rising 1916 (2007). He is currently researching a history of the Wild Geese and hopes shortly to commence work on a PhD concentrating on the development of strategy and tactics in 17th-century Ireland. He is married with three children and lives in Germany where he works for a major insurance company. Peter Dennis was born in 1950. Inspired by contemporary magazines such as Look and Learn he studied illustration at Liverpool Art College. Peter has since contributed to hundreds of books, predominantly on historical subjects, including many Osprey titles. A keen wargamer and modelmaker, he is based in Nottinghamshire, UK.