Author:William Ash
Determined to take on the Nazis, Texan Bill Ash joined the Royal Canadian Air Force in 1939 and in so doing sacrificed his citizenship. Before long, he was sent to England wherehe flew Spitfires. Shot down over France in March 1942, he survived the crash-landing and, thanks to local civilians, evaded capture for months only to be betrayed to the Gestapo in Paris. Tortured and sentenced to death as a spy, he was saved from the firing squad by the Luftwaffe who sent him to the infamous 'Great Escape' POW camp, Stalag Luft III. It was from there that Bill began his 'tour' of Occupied Europe. Breaking out of a succession of camps, he became one of only a handful of serial escape artists to attempt more than a dozen break-outs - over the wire, under it in tunnels, through it with cutters or simply strolling out of the camp gates in disguise! They were years of extraordinary hardship, frustration and brutality - the penalty for escaping was a long spell in solitary - but throughout it all Bill Ash displayed not just remarkable courage but also an anarchic sense of humour, great humanity and an unstoppable desire for freedom.
Honest, funny and exciting, Under the Wire is both a riveting war memoir and a tribute to the bravery and resolve of an entire generation.
A story of bravery in the face of brutality, of comradeship, of a never-say-die attitude; and running through it is a sense of humour that cheers up the grimmest situation
—— THE TIMESA life of adventure that will inspire and astonish... Ash is a writer who makes his readers feel as if they're right there beside him through it all
—— HOMER HICKAM, author of THE ROCKET BOYSA remarkable story... brilliantly told and with all the authentic sights, sounds and smells of the World War 2 prison camp
—— TONY RENNELL, author of THE LAST ESCAPEWell written and exciting... in this remarkable book...there are passages...that make the reader want to stand up and cheer
—— CHARLES ROLLINGS, author of WIRE AND WALLSAn astonishing tale - totally spellbinding. I always knew Bill Ash was a special guy but never realised how special... Perhaps his greatest achievement was to emerge from the horrors of the war with his faith in ordinary people enhanced
—— ALAN PLATERHis exploits may well have provided the inspiration for Steve McQueen's iconic role in The Great Escape... Sixty years on, that inspiration is still undimmed
—— YORKSHIRE EVENING POSTOne of the greatest escapers of all time... An extraordinary adventure, full of humour and daring, one man's war against the Nazis, and a book well worth waiting sixty years for
—— OXFORD TIMESHe tells his story with humour and lightness of touch
—— WALES ON SUNDAYThoughtful, deep and poignant... Ash has a humour and insightfulness that adds to the history. His book is a testament to man's deep-seated yearning to be free
—— ROBERT WILCOX, author of SCREAM OF EAGLESRemarkable. As a true spy-story, this book brings you incredibly close to what it actually takes to be an extremist and get into a terrorist group while balancing loyalty and treachery in the world of intelligence. Essential reading for everyone interested in how the war on terrorism is actually fought in the shadows.
—— Dr. Magnus Ranstorp, a leading expert on international terrorismReads like a first-rate spy thriller, but it is in fact a stunning and true inside account of the workings, personalities and mindsets of the leaders and operatives of al Qaeda and its worldwide operations . . . an indispensable guide to how the West can counter the appeal of violent jihadism
—— Washington TimesGripping... provides valuable and fascinating insight into the quiet battle being waged between clandestine national agencies and various terrorist organizations
—— Christian Science MonitorGenerous, humane and stylish
—— Jonathan Keates , Times Literary Supplement BOOKS OF THE YEAR[Khan marshals] a dazzling array of first-hand sources – soldiers and politicians, but also non-combatants such as nurses, refugees, peasants and prostitutes – to illustrate the effect the conflict had on South Asian society and politics
—— Saul David, 4 stars , Mail on Sunday[an] important book
—— Jason Burke , ObserverKhan’s research has been extensive and she combines it with a gift for storytelling. She is at her best and most original in bringing us the revealing perspectives of witnesses other historians might ignore.
—— Zareer Masani , History TodayAn exhaustively researched history that uses a dazzling array of first-hand sources to illustrate the effect the Second World War had on South Asian society and politics
—— Saul David , Evening Standard[Khan] shows convincingly how Indians could no longer be fooled, or fool themselves, that the British presence was either benign or irreversible
—— David Horspool , GuardianRevelatory study… Khan balances analysis, history and human compassion in a narrative that leaves one shaken.
—— Sunday TelegraphKhan has written a first class book... Exceptionally well told facts throughout the book, I was staggered at her revelations … It is a bitter, sweet story throughout … Overall, the book enlightened me in many ways, perhaps it makes me regard the Indian in a different light today. It certainly has made me look up other deeper facts about various matters pertaining to the era of the Second World War, and that has to be a good inducement to read the book.
—— Reg Seward , Nudgea book of the greatest importance… written with searing intellectual honesty.
—— Anthony Beevor , Sunday TimesSnyder's extraordinary book may be about events more than seventy years ago, but its lessons about human nature are as relevant now as then
—— Rebecca Tinsley , Independent Catholic NewsDisturbing but utterly compelling... The how’s and whys of what happened have never been better explained.
—— Simon Shaw , Mail on SundayHighly praised, and indeed it is a worthy contribution to the subject.
—— Ruth Ginarlis , NudgeHarding has recorded the fate of the house and its inhabitants, from the Weimar republic until reunification. This is German history in microcosm ... as exciting as a good historical novel.
—— Die WeltAn inspirational read: highly recommended.
—— Western Morning NewsA genuinely remarkable work of biographical innovation.
—— Stuart Kelly , TLS, Books of the YearI’d like to reread Ruth Scurr’s John Aubrey every Christmas for at least the next five years: I love being between its humane pages, which celebrate both scholarly companionship and deep feeling for the past
—— Alexandra Harris , GuardianRuth Scurr’s innovative take on biography has an immediacy that brings the 17th century alive
—— Penelope Lively , GuardianAnyone who has not read Ruth Scurr’s John Aubrey can have a splendid time reading it this summer. Scurr has invented an autobiography the great biographer never wrote, using his notes, letters, observations – and the result is gripping
—— AS Byatt , GuardianA triumph, capturing the landscape and the history of the time, and Aubrey’s cadence.
—— Daily TelegraphA brilliantly readable portrait in diary form. Idiosyncratic, playful and intensely curious, it is the life story Aubrey himself might have written.
—— Jane Shilling , Daily MailScurr knows her subject inside out.
—— Simon Shaw , Mail on SundayThe diligent Scurr has evidence to support everything… Learning about him is to learn more about his world than his modest personality, but Scurr helps us feel his pain at the iconoclasm and destruction wrought by the Puritans without resorting to overwrought language.
—— Nicholas Lezard , GuardianAcclaimed and ingeniously conceived semi-fictionalised autobiography… Scurr’s greatest achievement is to bring both Aubrey and his world alive in detail that feels simultaneously otherworldly and a mirror of our own age… It’s hard to think of a biographical work in recent years that has been so bold and so wholly successful.
—— Alexander Larman , Observer