It was the duty of every captured prisoner of war to attempt to escape. Escaping meant the enemy had to tie up time and manpower to recapture the escapee. This meant that even as a prisoner of war, you still had a chance to effect the outcome. You were, in fact, still in the battle. If you were recaptured you generally suffered a few days in the "cooler, " in solitary confinement. Until Adolph Hitler sent down orders to execute escaped prisoners who have been recaptured, escaping was a battle of wits. Usually you lost and were returned to prison. Sometimes you died. But occasionally you made it all the way home. The stories in this book are about prisoners who refused to stop trying, who became thorns in the side of their enemy. This book, dedicated to them, tells their story.