Great Escapes

This book comprises thirty-two real life stories of escapes from captivity, organised chronologically from the mid nineteenth century to the present day, and drawn from across the world.

Some of these stories have already been well documented, such as the stories of escape from the infamous prisons of Alcatraz and Colditz. However, the majority are less well known. Many of these stories are about prisoners of war, and the majority take place during the first and second world wars. However other conflicts feature, including the story of Winston Churchill who was captured while working as a reporter during the Boer War and escaped his imprisonment via freight train and hiding in a coal mine.

Most of the escapees are male but there are stories of several notable females too including Susan Travers who became the first woman to join the French Foreign Legion and helped troops evaded capture in the Sahara Desert with her daring driving.

These are stories of bravery but also perseverance and ingenuity – we find out how insignificant objects such as toilet rolls, potatoes or cutlery can be instrumental in the success of an escape mission.

The book opens with the dramatic account of Henry ‘Box’ Brown who was nailed in a crate in a brave effort to escape slavery after separation from his family. Appropriately the book ends with another story of slavery, this time taking place in the twenty first century. We hear the tale of Murad, a Yazidi girl who was captured by Isis in 2014. Slavery is an important theme in the book and Harriet Tubman, who helped so many to escape slavery via the network of safe houses and supporters known as the ‘Underground Railway,’ is also featured.

A few of the stories involve prisoner escapes and the author takes pains to ensure young readers are not encouraged to glorify their crimes but rather recognise their ingenuity in escaping.

The stories are well written with engaging strap lines, and the illustrations are suitably striking and dramatic. It is unfortunate that the editing and book design feel a little rushed. The pagination in the contents is inaccurate for the majority of the book, and the layout is odd with a large number of completely blank pages throughout. With a different layout and design and possibly a smaller format this could have been a more successful book.