Escape Books

I Am America (And So Can You!)An Inconvenient Book: Real Solutions to the World's Biggest ProblemsOur Dumb World: The Onion's Atlas of the Planet Earth, 73rd EditionI Hope They Serve Beer In HellDave Barry's History of the Millennium (So Far)Sicko (Special Edition)

Of course my life is perfect; the cover got me to take a look! Okay, much to my surprise I found the advice in this mind-blowingly hysterical book helpful, but the laughter was the best medicine! Even if you're almost perfect, like me, you will not be able to stop yourself from flipping ravenously through the pages. Getting to the satirical Q&A pages at the end of each chapter is just the cheery on the cake. I'd give this book to anyone who needs to get motivated in life, but may not want to admit it. The advice is coated in so much humor, they'll soon forget they felt insulted.

This book is hilarious and inspiring. I'm going to go out and live my life to the fullest - laughing all the way!

This workbook will help to prepare anyone, young or old, for success in an America with a rapidly shrinking middle class.

Do you have a wildest dream or a lifelong goal? If cost was no object, what would you like to do with your life? Why don't you start to do something about it? This does not mean abandoning your present life, all at once and starting over, but working, step by step, toward that Ultimate Goal.

No one can change the circumstances under which they came into this world; the only thing that can change is your attitude. Just because you weren't born a rich, white male, blaming Them (whoever Them is) because you are poor, overweight or a minority is a waste of time and effort. If you want your situation to change, you are the only one who can do anything about it.

This book also looks at several aspects of life in today's America that help keep the masses fat, lazy and dependent on the government. Some types of insurance are needed and a good idea, but most types are little more than a rip-off. Have you ever wondered why it is so easy to get into credit trouble, but almost impossible to get out of it? Many physical conditions can be improved, or actually cured, by a simple prescription: exercise and cut out the junk food. Joining a gym or buying one of those exercise devices shown on TV is not necessary; the first step is to shut off the TV (getting rid of the TV is a better idea), get out of your chair, and go for a walk.

If you are one of those who sit back and wait for Mr. Right (and Rich) to sweep you off your feet, and set you up for life, here is a news bulletin: women live longer than men. One day, hubby will be gone, either through death or divorce, and then where will you be? Don't count on lifelong alimony that will cover all your expenses. Having lots of children just to get the child support money is a similarly bad idea.

The rest of this book consists of a workbook for the reader to track their progress, day by day, toward that Ultimate Goal. The process described in this book is not rocket science; it's simple and easy to read. This book can be used by anyone, regardless of age or income. It's recommended.

This book is written by a former lawyer, Anderson, and zoologist, Kelsey. The back of the book tells you what it is all about better than I could. This novel gives lessons on:

Building success from obsession

My government / My dealer

The competitive edge of facial warts in the workplace

Reclaiming America for future generations

Journaling your way into a new life (Journal and note pages included already and waiting for your input.)

Why politicians can't be trusted to handle their own er*ctions! (Yes, you read that correctly.)

***** One thing is for sure, you will find yourself laughing while you learn and/or work your way through this book. *****

Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.

Keeping the Masses Down: How to Escape the Vicious Downward Spiral of Poverty & Tyranny is a motivational, consumable self-help book filled cover to cover with a positive-minded messages and advice to break out of poverty. Each of the twelve chapters offers a different "lesson" in the form of an obstacle to be conquered, from taxes to feelings of entitlement to bad credit, insurance, negativity, and more. Sample worksheets, checklists, and self-test quizzes designed to wean the reader from feeling sorry for oneself and get fixated on the future enhance the simplistic yet forceful text. Half of Keeping the Masses Down consists of a 100-day journal designed to help one break out of one's rut and change one's life for the better. Above all, Keeping the Masses Down emphasizes that focus on a positive attitude is critical to building the life of one's dreams. Keeping the Masses Down offers simple, clear-cut messages ("marriage/alimony/welfare/waiting for your parents to die is not a career plan") that desperately needs to be heard in today's entitlement-saturated world.

What a wonderful book! In addition to being a terrifically exciting story, Jackson, the author, vividly creates a sense of time and place. One is transported to America at the turn of the century - a period of transition and change in which Frank Grigware, the protagonist, is innocently and irreparably caught. This book succeeds on every level. Outstanding!

I picked this book up on a whim and once started I couldn't put it down. It is a great true story of the real old west. Young men seeking adventure, train robbers, unjust imprisonmemnt, daring escapes and more. You should really give this one a try!

I cannot recommend this book highly enough! I loved every single page, and I hated to see it end. (For me, that's rare.) Action, adventure, excitement, and suspense...all set in, to quote the book's subtitle, "the vanishing west."

Well worth the money and well worth reading. In fact, I think I'll read it a second time.

In 1906, the twenty year old Frank Grigware announced to his family that he was going to see the world. They had been living in eastern Washington for years, and he wanted to see more of the West than Spokane. His mother understood completely; it is not an uncommon occurrence for a young man to want to roam before settling down to respectable ways. He hooked up with his best friend Frank Golden, and they figured they would do some prospecting in northern Idaho. A tough life loomed, but Grigware had no idea that he would as a result be accused and convicted of a crime he did not commit, incarcerated in the toughest prison in existence, escape from the prison, and remain on the lam from his country for the rest of his life. The astonishing story of Grigware's life is told in _Leavenworth Train: A Fugitive's Search for Justice in the Vanishing West_ (Carroll & Graf) by Joe Jackson, who shows that Grigware was guilty of nothing but naïveté when he associated with train robbers. He was, however, found as guilty as the rest of them, and a quick decision gave all the defendants life imprisonment, at Leavenworth, the first US federal penitentiary.

It was only six months into his sentence that Grigware, who the prisoners could tell was not really one of them, was let in on an escape by four other prisoners. Using the classic ploy of threatening with guns skillfully crafted of wood from one of the shops and blackened with shoe polish, they hijacked a train that regularly supplied the prison. Grigware was the only one not captured quickly, and for the next 24 years was one of America's most wanted men. The trail was long cold, even after President Woodrow Wilson commuted the sentence of the other robbers because the evidence in the case was so lacking. The FBI refused to back down, and it spied on members of Grigware's family, which was sadly fractured by his escape. Grigware in sorrow knew he could communicate with none of them, but set up a respectable life in Canada, becoming a Canadian citizen and a well-liked member of the community of Jasper, Alberta. He was not found until 1934, and what happened afterwards is of great charm. There was a groundswell of Canadian public opinion against any sort of extradition; even the game warden circulated a petition. The mild Grigware had made many friends, and he was the sort of reliable citizen Canadians wanted. Grigware's wife (who had not known of his past), when the press reported her simple statement, "Nothing will ever break up our home," made up the minds of any Canadians that had doubts on the issue. It became an international incident, and a clash of redemptive versus retributive justice.

Grigware was reunited with his family, which had long thought him dead; the meeting with his aging mother could not have been sweeter. But he could not return with her to the US, nor return for her funeral. President Roosevelt waived extradition, but no pardon was ever issued, so if he ever came back to the US, he could land right in Leavenworth again. That result would seem preposterous as the decades went by, but in 1957, J. Edgar Hoover was still sending out directives that insisted that agents monitor Grigware's relatives in case he were to show up. Every FBI memo issued about him screamed that HE WOULD KILL OR BE KILLED RATHER THAN BE RECAPTURED, a rumor that had arisen in 1911 and which still headlined Hoover's directives about Grigware, who was then seventy-one years old. This exciting and frustrating story, crammed with period detail, reminds us that courts are not always right and that as much justice as was available in this case came from the hearts of ordinary women and men.

Veteran Virginia crime journalist Jackson strips bare a capricious justice system as "the servant of time and place and ambition." In that, this book is a philosophical sequel to his Pulitzer-nominated "Dead Run," a contemporary exploration of Death Row.

Jackson is an immensely appealing writer and a graceful reporter. "Leavenworth Train" is meticulously documented, but the engaging narrative flows seamlessly. Grigware was dead long before Jackson took up his story, but the haunted fugitive comes alive in these absorbing pages, a headlong flight into justice and mercy.

I love this book! I think this is the last well written book Jamie S. wrote. Bye Middle School was okay... but, that could have been better! I thought it could have been better if Jessica went to the Ice Cave!

what a book!one of the BEST.so cool i could not even put it down.if you all dont read it you really are missing something./ natalie

This was a good book. The sixth graders are going on a spelunking trip. Before they can go they have to listen to a lecture and pass a test. Jessica and Lila want to go to the opening of a new store on the day of the lecture and test, so they get their older friends to take the test with them. Elizabeth does well on the test and ends up in the highest group with Maria, Winston, Aaron, and Lila. Elizabeth's backpack gets mixed up with Jessica's and Jessica didn't pack any of the stuff they were supposed to, and neither did Lila because they didn't go to the lecture. There is an earthquake and Elizabeth's group gets stuck in the cave and their tour guide is unconcious. Then Elizabeth finds out that Aaron and Winston cheated off her on the test, and Lila didn't take the test, so her and Maria are the only ones who know what to do. There is a river going through the cave and the water is rising, so they have to find a way to get out before its too late.

This book was so awesome! It is a really good book for a long rainy, summer day. It was so good that I good not put it down until I finished it! The book is about twin sisters who are going on a "cave" field trip. They are told to pack certain things. Elizabeth the smart "professional" packs everything she will need for the hard course. Jessica the ditzy not so smart ametuer packs things you can't use. The girls bags get mixed up and the are in different caves. Something happens and Elizabeth needs her bag, but she gets a bag with nothing she can use. Will Elizabeth ever get out alive?

Read the book to find out, you will love it I guarantee!!

I read this book because I wanted to read the SVJH books and i thought that I should read this first. It was actually really good. She sixth grade is going cave exploring for an end of the year trip, only, you have to take a test to see if you're capable of going. Elizabeth, of course, passed with flying colors, and so did Lila and Jessica. Now that might need some explaining. You see, they didn't take the test. They got two other Unicorns to take it for them, so they could go to the GRAND OPENING of a store. Also, there is Aaron, who is acting like such a know-it-all! It ends up that the people going in the most challenging cave are Aaron, Elizabeth, Winston, and ... Lila! So they follow their guide into the cave and he leads them to a beautiful opening, with a bridge. Everyone crossed the bridge and just when Elizabeth, the last person, is crossing there is a mini-earthquake. The bridge collapses! Now we have Elizabeth in the water, Aaron acting like a know-it-all, Lila having no idea in hell what to do, and... their guide is uncountious! Read the book and find out what happens!

While taking an African American literature course in college I was introduced to this novella written by William Craft. It is a must-read for American and African American history classes. The novella is a quick and easy read, with the capacity for great discussion and in-depth analysis. Humor, suspense, mystery and action is all provided in this wonderful tale of escape and hypocrisey.

Ellen and William Craft were a young (mid-20's) slave couple who made a daring escape to freedom. Light-skinned Ellen cut her hair short and dressed in the suit and tophat of a white planter. Since she was illiterate, her husband William made a sling for her arm, so she had an excuse not to sign hotel registers. And since she had a womanly voice, the couple devised a poultice tied around her jaw indicating she had a bad toothache and could not speak. William played the role of his white massa's slave. And the couple traveled by train, steamship, and wagon to their destination in the north. They soon became popular lecturers in the United States and Europe. This is a remarkable story of daring and bravery and should be read by everyone. Anyone who wants to introduce their children to good historical fiction should get them The Journal of Darien Duff, an Emancipated Slave, The Diary of a Slave Girl, Ruby Jo, and The Journal of Leroy Jones, a Fugitive Slave.

This book is a captivating account of the injustices of slavery and a amazing story of two fugitives running for there freedom. This book is a great story that should be taught in schools and should not be ignored in American History classes. It opened my mind to the horrors slavery actually caused. It represents a part of our history that should never be repeated. 5 plus stars.

I read this for a college history survey course before it was mistakenly announced that the book was out of print. The book was dropped from the syllabus, but I am glad I read it anyway.

The first and shortest part of the book is William Craft's powerful account of how he and his wife Ellen executed a daring escape from servitude in Georgia. Their plan was remarkable in its ingenuity: The almost white Ellen, outfitted with a master's clothes and a poultice on her face to prevent incriminating speech with strangers, and her husband William, disguised as a servant, escaped to freedom in the north. Travelling by rail, the pair exultantly crossed over into Canada and from thence headed for England.

The second part of the book is a third person summary of the couple's travels after their ambitious escape. It follows them from Georgia through the slave and free states, in which they were well received and protected (especially in Boston), up to Halifax and across the water to England. I found the final two thirds of the book the most enjoyable, as it treated of foreign travel, in which I have a keen interest. Both portions of the book are beautifully written and often gripping. I hope a few of my classmates read this before that announcement. This book is both pleasurable to read and historically vital.

Running a Thousand Miles for Freedom is a must read for all American history students and should be required reading at least at the high school level. This book gives the reader a first-person view of that "Peculiar Instition" known as slavery and to what lengths one will go to achieve personal freedom. This book will change your view of slavery forever.

THIS WAS A SWEET BOOK! . Must read. 2 thumbsup. THRILLING. I recomend you read the first two books and the last who knows how many after that!

I don't have much to say about this book accept that it is AWSOME and a MUST HAVE if you like this series or John Peel, the author. I haven't read the 5th book - MELTDOWN - yet but out of the first four i think this one is the best. I look forward to reading MELTDOWN and can't wait to read other books by John Peel.

this was a great book in john peels (fear the year 2099) series. I dont think this was the best bok in the series. But it still was a great book

I just finnished reading this book. I loved the first two so I decides to try this one out. I was amased that this author can write so many good books. This book is his most thrilling and cool yet. I got this book from my teacher at school in first period. I kept reading this book through homeroom 1st period 2ed period 3ed period till finaly my teacher told me to put it away. Lucky for me she did not take it away. At lunch all I could do was read this book. I complettly forgott to eat lunch. Tristan has the most exciting adventure in this book than in any of the other one I have read. He team up with Genia and they try to break out of the "Ice" do they make it?how do they make it? Read this wonderfull book to find out.

Tristan has been wrongly accused of setting loose the deadly Doomsday virus. Now he's in Ice -- the only prison in the world, in the cold and treacherous Antarctica. Surprisingly, a punk rebel girl named Genia, is in nearly the same situation as Tristan. She makes several shocking discoveries about herself in Ice, and storms into action trying to escape. The two may not be friends , but they realize if they're going to get out, they're goinig to have to be on the same side. Can the impossible be possible?

This is a hero. Really. Anybody that can come through all he did-and laugh about it-MUST be a hero. I rather expected to be bored when I saw how long it was going to take him to actually get to the prison camp. Uh uh. Not at all.

As a member of the younger generation, I take off my hat (if I wore one) to Bill Ash. He has a brilliant sense of humor-and yet doesn't belittle or diminish the severity of his situation. Something that could very accurately be called a fire, despite the clichedness (word?) of that phrase, is conveyed, very modestly, as burning inside of him. Somehow he gives some of it to the reader-that calmness, that strength. If he can go through all of that-and not be bitter-surely I won't complain about all the little molehills bothering me. Right?

However, even all of this might not be enough to commend a book, some books that should by all rights be amazing aren't. But Bill Ash and Brendan Foley together make something magnificent.

In summation:
Amazing book. Couldn't put it down. Don't miss it.

I was ill and needed some light reading and found this on the cheap rack at my local bookstore. As one who's best memory growing up was reading The Great Escape I'd read most accounts of those involved. I didn't think a peripheral player in that drama would have anything new or give much insight but I was wrong. His strength was escaping but you read where he probably lacked a bit on the other side of the wire. It's to the readers' benefit.

Ash doesn't waste the readers time with unnecessary personal history but that which he shares is interesting - especially the parts about riding the rails as a college graduated hobo. He was one of the earliest Americans to go to Canada and volunteer. His perspective of his training is unique and you get an Americans perspective of what life was like living in England during the darkest days of WWII. When he finally gets shot down he gets very lucky then unlucky. His account of his interrogation/torture is more detailed than what I've read in most other POW stories.

His time as a POW though is the real meat and potatoes of the story. What's truly insightful and interesting are his profiles of the early escapers. I was fascinated with his description of the original Big X (Pre-Roger Bushell), Jimmy Buckley who was unfortunately killed - it's touched on in the Great Escape. Getting the idea that escape would be easier from an NCO POW camp, he made the switch and his account there provides some original and amazing stories. I thought the NCO's would not have been as resourceful as the officers but this book proved me wrong. The NCO's were some of the most colorful and inventive escapers of the war. Certainly more needs to be written on their experience. Particularly the story of the incredibly heroic George Grimson was worth the book alone. I've had to re-read his story in the book a few times.

One mass escape at the NCO camp was amusing. The POW's fooled the Germans into believing none had escaped, then only those caught were missing and so on until the Germans became thoroughly confused. The POW's even fooled the Gestapo many times without serious recrimination.

Ash's final days as a POW are some of the best, most descriptive I've read and he ends to book perfectly. I enjoyed the easy prose and his is a story that deserves all the acclaim it gets.

"Under The Wire" by William Ash (with Brendan Foley). Sub-titled, "The World War II Adventures Of A Legendary Escape Artist And `Cooler King'". St. Martin's Press, New York 2005.

William Ash was raised in Depression-Era Texas, where he learned the hard way that life is rough. Those lessons stood him in good stead when he became an expert escape artist from the POW camps of Nazi Germany. As he said, on page 22, his "twilight actives" prepared him by: "...being an unwelcome nonpaying passenger, learning how to avoid the attention of guard dogs or the authorities, sharing food and political discussions with men just as badly off as myself , and sometimes just learning to laugh in the face of everything the world could throw at me." He calls his younger days as "An Apprenticeship In Escapology".

Building on the first two chapters, he then relates the story of his decision to fly for the RAF, his aviation training, first in Canada, and then in the actual combat zone in England during the Blitz. Because of his flying for the RAF, he had to renounce his American citizenship. There are vivid descriptions of London under the bombs, with destruction and fire seemingly everywhere. Then comes the chapter that changes everything: "The Day Of Reckoning". (page 85): "I cut my engine, since it was clearly full of holes and not doing much good".

Shot down over occupied France, William Ash is helped by some French farmers, who struggle with his high school French but help him to find the underground resistance. He is, however, captured in Paris in June 1942, but not before he was able to enjoy the city of Paris as any tourist would do. The bulk of the book, from page 101 (the capture) to page 307 (his return to London) deals with his experiences with German Prisoner Of War system. The Gestapo threatens to shot him as a spy, as he is in civilian clothes, etc. He is "rescued" from the Gestapo by the Luftwaffe, as the German Air Force claimed all air force type POWs as their responsibility. Ash then relates his travels from camp to camp, through bombed out German cities, and finally arriving in a POW camp about as far East as the Reich went. His escape attempts are recorded in detail and his punishments, each time he was re-captured, made him, as the book flap recounts, the "real-life `cooler king'". This book documents a real-life "Great Escape" story.

The subject matter for this book sounds grim: Ash starts off talking about life in the Great Depression, and ends up talking about his experiences being thrown into (and escaping out of) German POW camps. In fact, though, this is one of the most thrilling, funny, suspenseful and inspiring books I've read in some time. Ash's optimism, indomitable spirit, and wonderful sense of humor got him through the war, and they're all on display on just about every page.

Ash is also a keen observer--a trait that no doubt helped him pull off his daring escapes, and one that enables him to bring the characters he met along the way to vivid life.

In short, "Under The Wire" reads like a great thriller. The fact that it's all true makes it all the more gripping and inspiring.

When I began reading UNDER THE WIRE, I expected a story of heroic "derring-do", recalled with a sort of misty, stiff-upper lipped nostalgia by a Grand Lion in the winter of his remarkable life.

Instead, I got so, so much more.

Bill Ash's life is remarkable by anyone's yardstick. From his earliest childhood in Depression-era Texas, he was a hero, ready and eager to take on any bully. While America watched as Europe fell to a maniacal Hitler, he made a decision to personally take on the biggest bully in modern history.

Remarkable? Brave? Courageous? Yes, all of these adjectives describe the heroic life of Bill Ash.

But his life, and his story -- told so extraordinarily well by Ash and his co-writer, Brendan Foley -- is also funny, human and a lesson in living one's life with heart and a true moral compass.

There is as much Huck Finn and Jack Kerouac in Ash's war stories, as there is John Wayne.

Like all great tales of history, UNDER THE WIRE does more than offer adventure after adventure (and WOW, what adventures Bill had!)

The book offers a sense of the times, a sense of the politics, insights into the dangers, the choices, the cat-and-mouse existence of a Prisoner of War.

Bill played cat-and-mouse with the Third Reich, and did it brilliantly.

And I have never read an adventure story with so much genuine humor!

UNDER THE WIRE is a glorious tribute to the sort of person we long for, but never really see anymore: a true hero.

And it's a great, entertaining read.

This book is a great read for people of all ages. Whether your interested in learning more about "The Rock" or need some background information on it, this is the one book for you.

From the colorful pictures scattered throughout the pages to the easy to read layout, you will find yourself immersed in the horrific atmosphere that is Alacatraz.

Few books manage to capture so many elements that make a book sucessful like Breakout! Escape From Alcatraz does. I guarantee you will feel as if you've actually walked through Alacatraz and know exactly why they call it, "The Rock".

I was previewing this book for my 2nd grade classroom and became completely enthralled in it! It's a great adventure/mystery story sure to capture the attention of any child who likes action and suspense! It creates great imagery of Alcatraz and leaves the reader with an eerie feeling of not knowing whether these men made it or drowned in the bay. It's definitely one of my students' favorites in the classroom.

This book outlines in vivid historical detail the legendary escape of three men from the most inescapable prison in U.S. history. The book also explains a brief history of the island of Alcatraz in addition to a brief account of its final days. One of the major themes of this book is that not everyone will be shut up. Out of every prison, or every situation, there is a way out, and there is an escape if one is only willing to take the risks.

Along with colorful illustrations which tell a story by themselves and photographs which provide historically accurate detail, the book also tells an exciting though quite short, true story about the legendary island of Alcatraz. The text is not overrun with needless detail nor is it too general. What I liked best is that by the end of the book, the reader feels as if he or she has just been given a tour of the island prison.

I think Escape From Alcatraz Island was a great book because it had alot of adventure,and I could picture in mind what was going on.also I think it must have been really hard getting chased by a gang through san fransisco near the dwarfs pier,I could probably imagine what it was like locked up in a cell at night in Alcatraz, having to find away to get back home during the morning.

For an interesting plot with twists and turns, for some minutes of sheer terror when a deranged man threatens, for moments of joy and tenderness, for sadness, and acceptance of grief, and for a happy ending, don't miss this charming romance in a setting of wilderness and desert beauty. The dialog is fast-paced and true-to-life. The relief moments when attention is directed to food and the details of preparation create mouth-watering experiences for the reader. Brianna is an excellent cook! She certainly knows the way to a man's heart! There is something for everyone in Brianna's Escape. Don't miss it!

Evelyn Horan - children's author
Jeannie, A Texas Frontier Girl Book One

Being a guy who'd never considered reading a romance novel before, I had no idea what to expect. What I discovered was an engaging story about a woman living her life. I found a depth of detail I really enjoyed, from the genuine warmth of the characters to the descriptions of the Arizona environment. Coming from a large family who always made the time to sit down together for dinner (and having a mother who put a heap of effort into them), I found the mealtime get togethers bringing a smile to my face. A moving read with realistic characters and attention to detail. Well done.

A Friday night book is one I start reading and don't want to put down until I finish it. You can't do that on the other nights of the week. I work in a local library and this is the way I rate books for my patrons. A Friday night book is a five-star book.

The characters in this book are very believeable and remind you of characters in every small town. Emotionally, the characters in this book take you from hurt to sad to angry, then happy and peaceful. Just as real life does.

I do have one suggestion. This author must be a gourmet cook because of all the wonderful food mentioned. I wonder if she would consider putting a few recipes in her next book. A couple of the well-known mystery writers do this and the staff and patrons of our library enjoy trying the recipes, especially the desserts.

Looking forward to more books from this author.

Good Luck!

This is a finely tuned, well-written book for a first-time author. Her characters are believable, all-too-human people who are strong, intelligent and caring. I also liked the locations as I very much enjoy characters who move from a large city to a small location (especially out west) and have a whole new set of problems to solve. The scenes are very descriptive, making you feel you are there, which is what a good book is supposed to do.

Hope she writes many more.

Thank you.

Caribbean Escapes book is the most exclusive travel reference book I've ever seen. I love the colorful and high quality pictures that the publication showcases all over the 400 pages. The stories are really helpful for any Caribbean trip. They recommend dining, activities and shopping for each region. With 22 destinations and 400 pages, this coffee table book is one of a kind.

I can't wait to see more books from this publisher, I'm sure they will be as good as this!

"Caribbean Escapes is a sequence of indulgent experiences in dazzling photographs endorsed by informative and entertaining text. Put it on your coffee table and it will lure you back again and again. Each turning of the pages thrills the senses. Your ability to resist will be nil."

I ordered Caribbean Escapes and was surprised at what I found. I have never seen a publication in an oversized/ coffee table format that focused on high end travel. There's foders, frommers, and lonely planet but they are small and ment to bring along after you figure out where you're going and where you'll stay. Due to its size (11'x13') this one is obviously for trip planning prior to travel. The others also give details on budget dives to luxury resorts. Caribbean Escapes focused on what I was looking for which is indepth detail and experience based information on the best travel options in the islands. This one is for planning before the trip and tells you about the island and then gives you information through articles to pick your hotel. It also recommends the top restaurants and activities as well. It's perfect for those who want to figure out where to go and will spend a few schekels on their vacation. The photos are over the top too. Very impressive.

Are you trying to find the perfect spot to vacation, forget your troubles and lose yourself in a world all your own? If you are you simply must have this wonderful book and experience in word and pictures the world of the Caribbean.
In this work more than 20 writers have taken the time to clue you in on 100 resorts. As you read through this work your eyes will feast upon beautiful pictures of the area, the beaches, the luxurious living quarters of the numerous resorts and will hunger to taste more.
You are given important tid-bits of information on regions that have the best golf, spa, honeymoons, shopping or excitement. Each location is vividly pictured and explained to you. I particularly loved "Musha Cay," a fantasy location, one where you have the ability to own your own island, one week at a time. Wonderful!
I don't believe they left anything out of this work that you would need to know. The only problem I see would be trying to make a decision as to which one to chose to spend your time. This truly is a useful, fun, colorful experience of a read for those planning their getaway to those who would just like to taste of what could be. Very well done.

The book is well written and in many ways even humourous. It is a story of the "Cat & Mouse" games played out by both protagonists under extreme conditions of WW II. The allied Prisoner's of war were obliged to attempt escaping, and conversly, the Germans were determined to thwart any escapes. The Castle of Colditz was formidable and was used to confine the most notorious of the P.O.W.'s who had been somewhat succesful in finding their way out of other P.O.W. camps. The ingenuity of the inmates makes for a facinating story.

I thoroughly enjoyed the read even though I had neither seen the companion documentary nor am a serious student of the subject matter. After reading this book, I do very much want to see the documentary and hope that PBS repeats it in the near future. The book is an engrossing, informative and quick read that paints a vivid portrait of life in this unique prisoner of war camp. It wasn't "Hogan's Heros", but it did have its lighter moments, and apparently the men here were treated reasonably well by their German captors who scrupulously adhered to the rules of the Geneva Convention. It was, however, a prisoner of war camp with all its incumbent privations and limitations, so the planning and executing of escapes was the rule of the day. What I particularly appreciate about the book is that it goes into almost scholarly detail on some of the more elaborate escape attempts without getting so esoteric as to lose the more casual reader's attention. Chancellor proves himself to be a deft writer with a light touch who really did his homework here. What emerges is a detailed account of some truly ingenious methodology developed within very severe limitations. MacGyver had nothing on these guys. It was also gratifying to see that the Germans were also treated even handedly in the book. In many cases, they appeared to show amazing and, if we are to believe the stereotypes, uncharacteristic restraint. In fact, I am so interested in finding out what was going on in their minds, I just ordered, "Colditz: The German Story" by Reinhold Eggers who was head of security there.

"Colditz", by Henry Chancellor, sub-titled "The Untold Story of World War II's Great Escapes". William Morrow, 2001.

This is a lengthy and well-documented book, telling the story of the "recalcitrant" Allied prisoners who were remanded to Colditz Castle in eastern Germany during World War II. The purpose of using Colditz castle as a prison camp was, as is well known, to provide a camp from which no prisoner could escape. As a last resort, "recalcitrant" prisoners, who had already shown a strong inclination to escape from other camps of the Nazis, were transferred to Colditz, deep in the eastern reaches of the Reich. The theory was that the prisoners could not get out of the high castle and, even if they did, they had great distances between them and freedom. Of course, all these efforts did not work, and Henry Chancellor spins 391 pages of the tales of the many different escape schemes. He devotes an Appendix, of eleven pages, to listing the names of he prisoners who attempted to escape , their methods, and the results. Overall, Mr. Chancellor lists "...316 officers involved in 174 attempts"... with 32 successful escapes, i.e. reaching freedom in neutral or Allied countries. Perhaps the most unbelievable scheme was the actual construction of a glider in the chapel attic, for escape by using the winds caused by the castle's location in the mountains. Chancellor documents this effort with photographs of the actual glider.

The book is an even-handed treatment of all nationalities involved; the author even-goes so far as to interviewing the German guards who served at Colditz. Polish POWs were first imprisoned at Colditz castle, and then, along with the fortunes of war, came French and British officers. Much of the story is about these three groups. Years ago, as a young boy, I had read Paul Brickhill's "The Great Escape", and I was later surprised by the (artistic license)changes made in the picture of the same name. In this book, however, Americans are noted, but Americans played a minor role as they arrived too late in the war for any escape attempts.

Since this book is based upon a television documentary, there are three batches of interesting photos. Overall, the book is well written and interesting.

I thoroughly enjoyed the read even though I had neither seen the companion documentary nor am a serious student of the subject matter. After reading this book, I do very much want to see the documentary and hope that PBS repeats it in the near future. The book is an engrossing, informative and quick read that paints a vivid portrait of life in this unique prisoner of war camp. It wasn't "Hogan's Heros", but it did have its lighter moments, and apparently the men here were treated reasonably well by their German captors who scrupulously adhered to the rules of the Geneva Convention. It was, however, a prisoner of war camp with all its incumbent privations and limitations, so the planning and executing of escapes was the rule of the day. What I particularly appreciate about the book is that it goes into almost scholarly detail on some of the more elaborate escape attempts without getting so esoteric as to lose the more casual reader's attention. Chancellor proves himself to be a deft writer with a light touch who really did his homework here. What emerges is a detailed account of some truly ingenious methodology developed within very severe limitations. MacGyver had nothing on these guys. It was also gratifying to see that the Germans were also treated even handedly in the book. In many cases, they appeared to show amazing and, if we are to believe the stereotypes, uncharacteristic restraint. In fact, I am so interested in finding out what was going on in their minds, I just ordered, "Colditz: The German Story" by Reinhold Eggers who was head of security there.