The Traitor of Colditz: The Untold Story of Britain’s Bravest Double Agent THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER
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THE GRIPPING SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER
‘A vastly entertaining tale, bursting with astonishing stories and extraordinary characters … A fascinating read’ Sunday Telegraph
‘Brilliant … An amazing story, one I hadn’t heard too much about’ Dan Snow
IT IS THE DEPTHS OF THE SECOND WORLD WAR.
The Germans like to boast that there is ‘no escape’ from the infamous fortress that is Colditz.
The elite British officers imprisoned there are determined to prove the Nazis wrong and get back into the war.
As the war heats up and the stakes are raised, the Gestapo plant a double-agent inside the prison in a bid to uncover the secrets of the British prisoners. Captain Julius Green of the Army Dental Corps and Sergeant John ‘Busty’ Brown must risk their lives in a bid to save the lives of hundreds of Allied servicemen and protect the secrets of MI9.
Drawn from unseen records, The Traitor of Colditz brings to light an extraordinary, never-before-told story from the Second World War, an epic tale of how MI9 took on the Nazis and exposed the traitors in their midst.
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Additional information
| Publisher | Welbeck (16 Mar. 2023) |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Paperback | 320 pages |
| ISBN-10 | 1802795197 |
| ISBN-13 | 978-1802795196 |
| Dimensions | 13 x 19.6 x 2.4 cm |
by LAW
This book is amazing. Lots of information and details.
Excellent read
by Tone
Interesting story about facts, spies and perils, I did not know anything about …!
by Non Sequitur
It’s interesting how, as time moves further away from the period portrayed, an author/historian is able to drill down deeply into specific subjects, whereas previously, closer to the date, secrets were not so forthcoming. The declassification of military records and ready access to them at the National Archive in Kew have changed the face of the researching and the recording of history. Thus is the case with Traitor in Colditz.
While the story of Walter Purdy’s twisty odyssey from Mosely Blackshirt to condemned Prisoner is infinitely fascinating, for this reader, it wasn’t especially well told.The tone is less Guardian/Independent and more Mail on Sunday/Daily Express. The authorial voice suggests a particular desired moral response from the reader, rather than letting her make her own mind up about things. Mixed in with this is a subtle disdain for the regard in which ex-Colditz PoWs are held. I’ve seen this phenomenon before in other PoW histories, notably The Barbed Wire University. But whereas that work was characterised by a wry wit, this one is rather earnest in its efforts to be taken seriously. I was gripped by the story, but I didn’t feel engaged by the author’s telling of it.
And sadly, the Content Error facility on my Kindle App got a lot of use, especially in the picture section regarding the Colditz group picture. Some of the identification was eccentric. I was also curious as to why a picture of the fateful Attic was included, but a photo of the location of the tunnel entrance was not, especially as the writer visited both. I would also have liked to have seen a picture of the document in which Willie Tod’s written evidence appears to have been altered, as this is an important element in the conclusion.
All in all, despite my criticisms, I’m glad this work is out there and I acknowledge the depth and reach of the writer’s research. This book is a worthy addition to any Colditz oriented library.
by Amazon Customer
An excellent text, well told, well written. True story and with ‘cliff hanger’ ending! One question, why were the photographs included twice!
by Simon Lawson
Though I haven’t yet finished the book, it’s a very interesting narrative.
by Norman
This account has not been told before about the traitors of Colditz and is very well researched and keeps the interest all the way through . Delves into discrimination and class elitism that was practiced by the officers incarcerated in the Colditz prison . A few officers were willing to collaborate and spy for the Germans against the Allied cause in return for various favours thinking that Germany would win the war . Some backed the loser and paid the ultimate price . I enjoyed reading this book and recommend it .
by Andrew
An excellent read. Well researched. Very interesting.
by Lady Dido
This is essentially a very well-researched history book.
Anyone interested in the behind-the-scenes machinations of both sides in the second world war will find it fascinating and informative. Don’t expect a thriller. Although there are adventures, this is fundamentally a factual account of actual events rather than a semi-fictional page-turner.
There is a lot of information in this book and it takes concentration to keep up with all the players. The title suggests that it is all about Colditz, but actually the majority of the book is set in other locations and prison camps.
The story is set in the dying months of the war. It is very interesting to discover what a dangerous time this was for those held captive by the Nazis. Quite a few leading Nazis feared for their own lives and had nothing to lose as the end approached and the recriminations begin. The more influential prisoners were held as bargaining chips and the others were never sure from whom betrayal might come. This book really showed how impossible it was – and still is – to discern traitors.
This is a tour de force by a very determined and tireless researcher. Excellent.