THE ESCAPE ARTISTS : A BAND OF DAREDEVIL PILOTS AND THE GREATEST PRISON BREAK OF THE GREAT WAR
by Neal Bascomb 

The most notorious POW camp during the Great War was Holzminden in Germany. Run by the despicable tyrant Karl Niemeyer, he emphasized over and over again that nobody could EVER escape. The Allied prisoners (most of them airmen) called the camp "Hellminden," and vowed to get out so that they could return to finish the fight. A plan was hatched. They would need disguises, forged documents, would have to create fake walls, and need nerves of steel to dig a tunnel. The inmates who were involved spent months trying to dig their way to freedom. If they could get beyond the watchtowers and the constant patrols, they still had a 150-mile run to reach the Dutch border.
The Escape Artists is a fantastic, nail-biting story that keeps you riveted throughout the entire book. Author, Neal Bascomb is a phenomenal writer (have read several of his previous tomes) and this one is just as good if not better than his other ones. There have been many books written about "The Great Escape" of World War II, but World War I seemed to be lagging behind. Bascomb became interested in this time period by discovering accounts that really inspired him. Luckily for us, from his research, interviews with family members, memoirs, letters. photos, and any ephemera he could find, Bascomb has created a masterpiece.
Very highly recommended.