Colditz: The Books, the Escapes and the BBC Television Series

Send Tim a message about this episodeColditz Castle was intended to hold Allied officers who had repeatedly attempted to escape. Instead, it brought together some of the most determined and inventive prisoners of war in Europe.In this episode of Stories Behind the Pages, I explore two remarkable firsthand accounts:📚 The Colditz Story by P. R. Reid  📚 They Have Their Exits by Airey NeaveI also look back at the classic BBC television series Colditz, starring Jack Hedley, Edward Hardwicke, Robert Wagner, David McCallum, Bernard Hepton and Anthony Valentine.This story has a personal connection for me. I have visited Colditz on three occasions: first with my old friend Dave not long after the Berlin Wall came down, again many years later, and most recently when I stayed inside the castle itself, part of which is now a youth hostel.Across those visits, I watched Colditz change enormously. Its museum today is outstanding and brings the ingenuity, courage and audacity of the prisoners’ escape attempts vividly to life.Colditz also became part of the story in my own novel series, The Parallel Six.Join me as we go behind the castle walls, the ingenious disguises and tunnels, Airey Neave’s extraordinary journey to freedom, the legendary Colditz glider and the television drama that introduced the story to a generation.Have you read either of these books or watched the BBC series? Perhaps you have visited Colditz yourself. Let me know in the comments.Find my books and more from Stories Behind the Pages at:https://timheale.ukPlease subscribe, click the notification bell and share the video with anyone interested in military history, escape stories and the books behind them.#Colditz #MilitaryHistory #WW2History #StoriesBehindThePages #AireyNeave #PatReid #PrisonerOfWar #BookReviewDiscover The Parallel Six series, Letters from Afghanistan and The Empty Return at https://timheale.uk. Discover Tim Heale’s books—including The Parallel Six series, Letters from Afghanistan and The Empty Return—along with his films and broadcasts. Visit https://timheale.uk and join Tim’s Despatch to keep in touch.https://timheale.ukSupport the show