The Escaping Club

Describing Evans' escape from Fort 9 (the Great War equivalent of Colditz), this is undoubtedly one of the greatest escape books of all time. Imprisoned in the escape-proof Fort 9, the WW1 equivalent of Colditz, The Escaping Club tells of A.J. Evans' daring escape from Germany. This book has been regarded by many, including Colditz author Pat Reid, as one of the greatest escape books of them all. Just as in a later war Colditz was the camp where hardened escapers were imprisoned, in the Great War Fort 9 was the 'bad boys camp' where escape maniacs were sent. Considered by the Germans to be escape-proof, the prisoners formed an Escaping Club to use cooperation and teamwork to outwit their foes. In contrast to Colditz however, the commandant of Fort 9 had a policy of allowing the guards to use their rifles at the slightest provocation. From reading Evans' account, it is obvious just how close the camp came to bloodshed on several occasions. Despite these obstacles, Evans eventually managed to escape to Switzerland. After repatriation, he was posted to the Turkish front in Palestine. He had the bad luck to crash-land his aircraft on the wrong side of the Dead Sea and was captured first by hostile Arabs and then the Turks. Undaunted he escaped from his new captors, but this time Evans had an additional foe - the merciless hot sun of the desert. The Escaping Club is undoubtedly one of the greatest escape books of all time. You will not be disappointed.