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130these titles tell of the personal experiences of individuals and/or provideaccounts of particular happenings or of specific places. As a result, theauthor assumes that most readers will be familiar with %u2018the WoodenHorse%u2019, %u2018the Great Escape%u2019, the exploits of the habitual absconders whowere consigned to Colditz and the like. For completeness, he does dealwith all of these topics but set within the overall context and eschewingthe hyperbole that tends to characterise a more focused account. The factthat he condenses some of the more familiar stories does not mean thatthe book is impersonal; indeed it is liberally punctuated with therecollections of ex-prisoners drawn from a wide variety of sources (otherpublished works, PRO1 files dealing with the debriefing of PoWs, therecords of post-war trials and so on) which are invariably identified inthe extensive endnotes to each chapter. Nor does the brevity afforded tosome of the better known tales mean that the book is shallow. Quite thecontrary, because many of the stories that emerge are being publicisedfor the first time, thus providing a really comprehensive impression ofwhat it meant to be imprisoned in Germany half-a-century ago. It is allhere: the way in which the treatment of PoWs deteriorated as the warprogressed; the betrayal of the Com%u00e8te line; the story of the airmen whospent two terrible months at Buchenwald and practically everything elsethat one could possibly want to know. The author%u2019s syntax is immaculateand his objectivity is demonstrated by his pulling no punches over therough justice meted out to some Germans in the immediate aftermath ofthe war.To sum up, this book is an admirable blend of academically, almostclinically, presented facts fleshed out by extensive personal extracts; mylasting impression is of having read a comprehensive, exhaustivelyresearched, and thus authoritative, work. Oliver Clutton-Brock is to becongratulated on both his industry and his presentation. Grub Street arealso to be commended for taking on this project and thus providing uswith a mine of information that would otherwise have remainedrelatively inaccessible. When the size of this tome is taken into account,it is very reasonably priced and such enterprise deserves to succeed. That1 Having been the Public Record Office since 1838, someone has decided that it wouldbe a good idea to merge it with the Historical Manuscripts Commission (of 1869) tocreate what we are now obliged to call the National Archive. Time will tell whether thiswas a useful rationalisation or a pointless re-branding exercise. Just in case I accidentallyhappen to overlook it in future, any reference to the PRO should read NA. Ed