A thrilling, first-person account of one of the most famous prison escapes of World War II. Jens Mueller was one of only three men who successfully escaped from Stalag Luft III on the night of 24 March 1944 - the breakout that later became the basis for the famous film The Great Escape. This memoir tells how Mueller, a pilot in one of the RAF's Norwegian squadrons, was shot down by the Luftwaffe over the English Channel in June 1942. After some days at sea in his Spitfire's life raft, he made it to land in Belgium but was soon captured by the occupying Germans and sent as a prisoner of war to Stalag Luft III (now in Zagan, Poland). Mueller vividly describes life in the camp, how the escapes were planned and relates the compelling story of his personal breakout. Together with Per Bergsland, he managed to make it to the coast and stowed away on a ship to Gothenburg. The two men eventually reached RAF Leuchars base in Scotland.
Jens Mueller was a Norwegian pilot who was shot down by a German Focke-Wulf Fw 190 off the Belgian coast in 1942. He was captured as soon as he paddled ashore and sent to Stalag Luft III. After the war he wrote Tre kom tilbake (Three Came Back) about his experiences. He died in 1999. David Robertson is co-host of For You the War Is Over, a podcast that looks at real-life stories of POW escapes during World War II.
"It's fantastic that Jens Mueller's memoir is finally in English. A firsthand account by one of the very few successful Great Escapers makes this not only historically important, but also a thrilling read." --Guy Walters, author of The Real Great Escape "The Great Escape was far more than a Hollywood film; it was an aggressive campaign waged by Allied prisoners against the Nazi security forces in their own back yard--and Jens Mueller was a key player. His memoir is a must read for anyone interested in this gripping episode of the Second World War." --Simon Pearson, author of The Great Escaper: The Life and Death of Roger Bushell "A brilliant book to read.... I recommend this book. It's a fantastic telling of the escape. It's well worth having in your collection." --The View from the Turret "The Great Escape from Stalag Luft III offers a fascinating look at the 1940s, recapturing the feel of both the war and postwar era." --The Daily News "This book should be very widely read. It is the story of a very modest but extraordinary man and it highlights the largely under-told story of how POWs of all allied nations were determined together to get back into the fight. It is a very readable and very human story told vividly. There are maps and drawings together with a photo-plate section. A must-read book that should also be a source of great Norwegian pride." --FIRE Reviews A fascinating and highly suspenseful firsthand account of the famous Stalag Luft III escape, written by one of only three men from among 76 fugitive POWs who managed to evade the Nazi manhunt and gain their freedom.--Keith Warren Lloyd, author of The Great Escape The Jens Mueller memoir is a unique, unforgettable journey through twenty-four months of German captivity and an ingenious escape like no other I've ever read. Each page brings you into the moment with intricate detail, contrasting the kindness of a few guards with the cruelty of many others in a great adventure reaping the most precious gift of all--freedom.--Laurence J. Yadon, author of Greatest Escapes of World War II
