| Publisher |
Context |
| ISBN-13 |
9789360450762 |
| ISBN-10 |
9360450766 |
| Binding |
Hardcover |
| Number of Pages |
272 Pages |
| Language |
(English) |
| Weight (grms) |
488 |
| Subject |
History |
AN EXPLOSIVE—AND LARGELY UNTOLD—TALE OF COURAGE, SURVIVAL AND THE INCREDIBLE 500 INDIAN PRISONERS OF WAR WHO ESCAPED THE CLUTCHES OF THE NAZIS.
On 11 May 1944, just four weeks before D-Day, sixty-seven American heavy bombers dropped 168 tons of bombs on the sunlit French town of Épinal on the Moselle river. Unbeknownst to the aircrew of the ‘Mighty Eighth’, this was the temporary home of over 3,000 Indian prisoners of war—and these bombs had just taken down the walls.
The escapees took food and clothes and set off for the border. If they could make it to Switzerland, neutral territory, they would be safe. But between them and their goal were thousands of Nazis, collaborators and over 100km of French countryside.
The Great Épinal Escape is the incredible story of the most successful escape of the Second World War. It is the story of how, during a period showcasing the worst of humanity—a period marked by brutality, bloodlust and fascism—ordinary people were able to demonstrate the best of humanity: resilience, support and a warm welcome. Ultimately, it is a story of hope.
Ghee Bowman
Ghee Bowman is a historian, teacher and storyteller based in Exeter, England. During his six decades, he has worked in the theatre, for NGOs and in education in the UK and around the world. This book, his first, sprang from research he undertook to explore Exeter’s multi-cultural history, three photos of Indian soldiers wearing pagris in Devon leading him to The National Archives, an MA at Exeter University and then a PhD. His five-year-long study of the Second World War’s Indian contingent took him to five countries. Ghee is a Quaker and a lifelong learner. He has two daughters and a small garden where he tries to grow vegetables.
Ghee Bowman
Context