Reviews

The Great Escape by Robert Whitfield

cmcrandell's review against another edition

4.0

I am not a history buff but this book is so inspiring from the way the men kept their senses of humor to the things they made from nearly nothing to their endurance.

professorfate's review against another edition

adventurous informative tense medium-paced

4.5

lukey49's review against another edition

adventurous hopeful sad tense fast-paced

3.75

calvnlawrnc's review against another edition

emotional informative medium-paced

5.0

quillbot's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny informative inspiring sad medium-paced

5.0

Hands down my favorite nonfiction book, and an excellent example of a true story more extraordinary than fiction

terpgirl42's review against another edition

5.0

Wow.

alext8086's review against another edition

adventurous medium-paced

4.25

This book is just as entertaining as the movie it inspired. I loved reading about all the ingenuity and craftiness of the POWs and it was surprisingly gripping for a book all about a single tunnel escape. It makes it seem almost fun to have been a POW in Germany, and there are definitely some humorous moments in it. Two issues I had with it were that it’s basically impossible to remember all the names and know who’s who, and also the last two chapters, while still interesting, were a lot drier than the rest of the book.

paulcosmith's review against another edition

5.0

I read this book because I really enjoy the movie The book is even better and it turns out the movie downplays the complexity of what the prisoners had to go through to make their escape. Highly recommended.

papidoc's review against another edition

5.0

I thoroughly enjoyed the movie "The Great Escape," being a fan of many of the actors in that movie (especially Steve McQueen!). As has happened from time to time, upon learning that there was also a book about those events, I went in search. Awesome book! It started me on a minor sideways venture into escape non-fiction, and I read a number of accounts of escapes, from military confinement (as in The Great Escape), prison escapes (e.g., Escape From Alcatraz and Papillon, also a McQueen movie), and others. The Great Escape is still my favorite by far, though, and one that I read several times as a teenager. The heroism and amazing efforts these men went to in order to befuddle the Germans and accomplish their goal of escape are nothing short of miraculous. That only three men ultimately escaped for good is almost irrelevant. It is a gripping tale of courage, sacrifice, adventure, and patriotism, made even more compelling by the fact that it really happened.

nelson5190's review against another edition

emotional funny informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

4.5

Wonderful and sad true story.