The gripping, vividly told story of the largest prisoner of war escape in of the Second World War - organized by an Australian bank clerk, a British jazz pianist and an American spy.

In August 1944, the most successful POW escape of the Second World War took place - 106 Allied prisoners were freed from a camp in Maribor, in present-day Slovenia. The escape was organized not by officers, but by two ordinary soldiers: Australian Ralph Churches (a bank clerk before the war) and Londoner Les Laws (a jazz pianist by profession), with the help of U.S. intelligence officer Franklin Lindsay. The American was on a mission to work with the partisans: a group who moved like ghosts through the Alps, ambushing and evading Nazi forces.

Told here for the first time is the story of how these three men came together - along with the partisans - to plan and execute the escape is told here for the first time. The Greatest Escape, written by Ralph Churches' son Neil, takes us from Ralph and Les's capture in Greece in 1941 and their brutal journey to Maribor, with many POWs dying along the way, to the horror of seeing Russian prisoners starved to death in the camp. The book uncovers the hidden story of Allied intelligence operations in Slovenia, and shows how Ralph became involved. We follow the escapees on a nail-biting 160-mile journey across the Alps, pursued by German soldiers, ambushed and betrayed. And yet, of the 106 men who escaped, 100 made it to safety. Thanks to research across seven countries, The Greatest Escape is no longer a secret.

It is one of the most remarkable adventure stories of the last century.

The incredible story of the largest POW escape in the Second World War - organized by ordinary men who ultimately did something extraordinary.

About the Author
Neil Churches is the son of Ralph Churches BEM, and grew up hearing his father's stories of the Second World War. He always felt his father was leaving things out and was determined to find out what really happened, his research uncovering a story of espionage Ralph was ordered to keep secret. Neil lives in Melbourne, Australia. The Greatest Escape is his first book.


Book Information
ISBN 9781529060355
Author Neil Churches
Format Paperback
Page Count 368
Imprint Pan Books
Publisher Pan Macmillan
Weight(grams) 286g
Dimensions(mm) 197mm * 130mm * 28mm