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y separately published work icon The Great Escape single work   biography   war literature  
Issue Details: First known date: 1951... 1951 The Great Escape
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Adaptations

form y separately published work icon The Great Escape Felix Felton , London : British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) , 1951 23517891 1951 single work radio play
form y separately published work icon The Great Escape James Clavell , ( dir. John Sturges ) United States of America (USA) : The Mirisch Company , 1963 Z1686444 1963 single work film/TV

Based on a true story, The Great Escape tells of an attempt by Allied prisoners of war to break out of a supposedly 'escape proof' camp in Germany during World War II. A plan is developed that sees several hundred prisoners escape all at once. The first half of the film is played for comedy as the prisoners mostly outwit their jailers to dig the escape tunnel. The second half is tense adventure as the escapees use whatever means they can to get out of occupied Europe.

form y separately published work icon For You the War Is Over Jean McConnell , London : British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) , 1976 23483389 1976 single work radio play

'By March 1944, British prisoners of war had accumulated a great deal of experience from attempts at gaining their freedom. Now, in Stalag Luft III, they were ready for the greatest prison-camp escape of all.'

Source: Radio Times, 8 July 1976.

Publication Details of Only Known VersionEarliest 2 Known Versions of

    • London,
      c
      England,
      c
      c
      United Kingdom (UK),
      c
      Western Europe, Europe,
      :
      Faber ,
      1951 .
      image of person or book cover 5918962367143289491.png
      Image courtesy of publisher's website.
    • New York (City), New York (State),
      c
      United States of America (USA),
      c
      Americas,
      :
      W. W. Norton ,
      1951 .
      Extent: 185p.
Alternative title: La grande évasion
Language: French

Works about this Work

y separately published work icon The Hero Maker : A Biography of Paul Brickhill : The Australian behind the Legendary Stories The Dam Busters, The Great Escape and Reach for the Sky Stephen Dando-Collins , North Sydney : Penguin , 2016 9696350 2016 single work biography

'The Dam Busters, The Great Escape and Reach for the Sky were all written by Paul Brickhill, an Australian hero of WWII. 2016 marks the 100th anniversary of his birth and the 25th anniversary of his death.'

'It was 1956 and the writer from Sydney's lower North Shore had every reason to feel blessed. Former journalist Paul Brickhill was the highest-earning author in the UK and two of his bestselling books – The Dam Busters and Reach for the Sky – had recently been made into blockbuster films. Another of his books – inspired by his experiences as a prisoner of war in Stalag Luft 3 in Germany during the Second World War – was attracting Hollywood interest. That book was The Great Escape.'

'Yet, life for the enigmatic Brickhill was never simple. He was beset with mental-health issues and his marriage to model Margot Slater was tempestuous. He struggled with alcohol and writer's block too, as his success – and all that accompanied it – threatened to overwhelm him. ' (Source: Random House Books website)

y separately published work icon The Hero Maker : A Biography of Paul Brickhill : The Australian behind the Legendary Stories The Dam Busters, The Great Escape and Reach for the Sky Stephen Dando-Collins , North Sydney : Penguin , 2016 9696350 2016 single work biography

'The Dam Busters, The Great Escape and Reach for the Sky were all written by Paul Brickhill, an Australian hero of WWII. 2016 marks the 100th anniversary of his birth and the 25th anniversary of his death.'

'It was 1956 and the writer from Sydney's lower North Shore had every reason to feel blessed. Former journalist Paul Brickhill was the highest-earning author in the UK and two of his bestselling books – The Dam Busters and Reach for the Sky – had recently been made into blockbuster films. Another of his books – inspired by his experiences as a prisoner of war in Stalag Luft 3 in Germany during the Second World War – was attracting Hollywood interest. That book was The Great Escape.'

'Yet, life for the enigmatic Brickhill was never simple. He was beset with mental-health issues and his marriage to model Margot Slater was tempestuous. He struggled with alcohol and writer's block too, as his success – and all that accompanied it – threatened to overwhelm him. ' (Source: Random House Books website)

Last amended 24 Nov 2021 09:50:55
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