The Wooden Horse
Condition: SECONDHAND
This is a secondhand book. The jacket image is a photograph of the exact copy we have in stock. This image shows the condition of this book. Further condition remarks are below.
Condition remarks:
Book: Good
Jacket: Very good
Pages: Good
One of the most audacious escape stories to emerge from the Second World War, The Wooden Horse chronicles the true account of RAF officer Eric Williams and his fellow prisoners of war at Stalag Luft III, who devised an almost unimaginably ingenious plan to tunnel their way to freedom beneath the noses of their German captors. Using a vaulting horse as cover — carried to the same spot in the compound each day so that men could dig beneath it — Williams and his comrades excavated a tunnel that would eventually carry them beyond the wire and into the dangerous expanse of occupied Europe. Written with the urgency and precision of a thriller, the narrative captures every harrowing detail of the scheme, from the painstaking construction of the tunnel to the nail-biting final escape and the perilous journey across enemy territory. Beyond its gripping plot, The Wooden Horse stands as a remarkable testament to human resilience, ingenuity, and the unbreakable bonds forged under extreme adversity. Williams writes with a soldier's directness and a storyteller's gift, transforming lived experience into a narrative that has captivated readers since its first publication. This special illustrated edition, with drawings by Martin Thomas, adds a vivid visual dimension to an already cinematic story — one that was later adapted into a celebrated British film. A cornerstone of wartime escape literature, it remains essential reading for anyone drawn to tales of courage against impossible odds.
Author: Eric Williams
Format: Hardback
Published: 1959, Collins, St James's Place, London
Genre: WW2
Condition remarks:
Book: Good
Jacket: Very good
Pages: Good
One of the most audacious escape stories to emerge from the Second World War, The Wooden Horse chronicles the true account of RAF officer Eric Williams and his fellow prisoners of war at Stalag Luft III, who devised an almost unimaginably ingenious plan to tunnel their way to freedom beneath the noses of their German captors. Using a vaulting horse as cover — carried to the same spot in the compound each day so that men could dig beneath it — Williams and his comrades excavated a tunnel that would eventually carry them beyond the wire and into the dangerous expanse of occupied Europe. Written with the urgency and precision of a thriller, the narrative captures every harrowing detail of the scheme, from the painstaking construction of the tunnel to the nail-biting final escape and the perilous journey across enemy territory. Beyond its gripping plot, The Wooden Horse stands as a remarkable testament to human resilience, ingenuity, and the unbreakable bonds forged under extreme adversity. Williams writes with a soldier's directness and a storyteller's gift, transforming lived experience into a narrative that has captivated readers since its first publication. This special illustrated edition, with drawings by Martin Thomas, adds a vivid visual dimension to an already cinematic story — one that was later adapted into a celebrated British film. A cornerstone of wartime escape literature, it remains essential reading for anyone drawn to tales of courage against impossible odds.