Giles Romilly and Michael Alexander were amongst a select group of prisoners of war who were segregated from the other prisoners and were labelled the Prominente. The authors recount their varied experiences in captivity. Romilly, a journalist covering the Norway Campaign, was captured at Narvik in April 1940\. Alexander was taken in August 1942 when engaged in a raid behind the German lines in North Africa. In due course, because of their family connections to people of influence, both of them ended up in an isolation area of Colditz Castle, where they were joined by several more, including Earl Haig, the son of the C-in-C of the BEF, the commander of the Polish Army in the Warsaw Uprising and, the last to arrive, the son of the US Ambassador to London. In April 1945, in the face of the advancing American armies and on Himmler's instructions, the Prominente were removed from the Castle. In due course they became split up. Romilly managed to escape soon after the removal from Colditz with the assistance of a Dutch officer. The remainder survived to be liberated, despite Hitler's order for them to be executed. The book is beautifully written. Romilly, in particular, shows himself to be an excellent observer: of the character of his fellow prisoners both before and during his time as a Prominente; and of the last, chaotic days of the Third Reich. His description of the scenes he witnessed in the newly liberated Dachau Camp, soon after his arrival in the allied lines, remain extraordinarily powerful. The book received a warm reception from the critics at the time of its first publication in 1954 and was singled out for high praise by, amongst others, Airey Neave MP, assassinated by the INLA in 1979, himself a prisoner and the first successful British escaper from Colditz.

About the Author

Giles Romilly (1917 - 1967) was a journalist who was a war correspondent during both the Spanish Civil War and in the Second World War. It was whilst covering the Norwegian Campaign that he was captured by the Germans in Narvik in 1940\. He became the first of Hitler's Prominente prisoners at Colditz - he was a nephew of Winston Churchill through his wife Clementine. During the transfer of the Prominente from Colditz, in the face of the advancing allies, he managed to escape with the aid of a Dutch officer. He died in California in 1967. Michael Alexander (1920 - 2004) was captured whilst operating with a commando unit behind the German lines in front of El Alamein. He convinced the Germans that he was closely related to General Alexander; and so was sent to join the Prominente at Colditz Castle. He was amongst a group of these men who Hitler ordered to be executed, amongst the last of the instructions to emerge from his bunker in Berlin and his own death. Eventually, he was handed over to American troops in Innsbruck. After the war he enjoyed a mixed career as a writer, an adventurer and a restaurateur.

"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.

Store Description

Established in 1994, we are a large new and used general interest bookstore located in the Uptown area of Minneapolis. Visit our online bookstore, www.magersandquinn.com, where we have over 500,000 new, used, and rare titles.

Visit Seller's Storefront

Seller's business information

Magers and Quinn Booksellers
3038 Hennepin Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN, 55408, U.S.A.

Sale & Shipping Terms

Terms of Sale

Purchase will be shipped upon receipt of payment including any additional shipping costs. MN residents add appropriate sales tax. We guarantee the condition of every book as it�s described on the Abebooks web sites. If you�re dissatisfied (Incorrect Item/Not as Described/Damaged) or if the order hasn�t arrived by the latest estimated delivery date, you�re eligible for a refund within 30 days of the estimated delivery date. Please contact us for any other return inquiries, and we�ll respond withi...

More Information

Right of withdrawal

If you are a consumer you can withdraw from the contract in accordance with the following. Consumer means any natural person who is acting for purposes which are outside his trade, business, craft or profession.

Information regarding the right of withdrawal

Statutory right to withdraw

You have the right to withdraw from this contract within 14 days without giving any reason.

The withdrawal period will expire after 14 days from the day on which you acquire, or a third party other than the carrier and indicated by you acquires, physical possession of the last good or the last lot or piece.

To exercise the right of withdrawal, electronically fill in and submit a clear statement on our website, under "My Purchases" in "My Account". We will communicate to you an acknowledgement of receipt of such a withdrawal on a durable medium (e.g. by e-mail) without delay.

To meet the withdrawal deadline, it is sufficient for you to send your communication concerning your exercise of the right of withdrawal before the withdrawal period has expired.

Effects of withdrawal

If you withdraw from this contract, we will reimburse to you all payments received from you, including the costs of delivery (except for the supplementary costs arising if you chose a type of delivery other than the least expensive type of standard delivery offered by us).

We may make a deduction from the reimbursement for loss in value of any goods supplied, if the loss is the result of unnecessary handling by you.

We will make the reimbursement without undue delay, and not later than 14 days after the day on which we are informed about your decision to withdraw from this contract.

We will make the reimbursement using the same means of payment as you used for the initial transaction, unless you have expressly agreed otherwise; in any event, you will not incur any fees as a result of such reimbursement.

We may withhold reimbursement until we have received the goods back, or you have supplied evidence of having sent back the goods, whichever is the earliest.

You shall send back the goods or hand them over to Magers and Quinn Booksellers, Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S.A., without undue delay and in any event not later than 14 days from the day on which you communicate your withdrawal from this contract to us. The deadline is met if you send back the goods before the period of 14 days has expired. You will have to bear the direct cost of returning the goods. You are only liable for any diminished value of the goods resulting from the handling other than what is necessary to establish the nature, characteristics and functioning of the goods.

Exceptions to the right of withdrawal

The right of withdrawal does not apply to:

The delivery of newspapers, journals or magazines with the exception of subscription contracts; and
The supply of digital content which is not supplied on a tangible medium (e.g. on a CD or DVD) if you accepted when you placed your order that we could start to deliver it, and that you could not withdraw once delivery had started.

Shipping Terms

Orders usually ship within 2 business days. Shipping costs are based on books weighing 2.2 lbs or less, or 1 kg. Heavy or oversized books may require additional shipping charges.

Domestic shipping: Under 2.2 lbs
Media Mail $4.00
Priority Mail $7.00

International shipping: Rates depend on weight and destination of package.

Shipping rates within U.S.A.

Shipping rates within U.S.A.
Order quantity	5 to 14 business days	3 to 6 business days
First item	� 2.95	� 9.60

Delivery times are set by sellers and vary by carrier and location. Orders passing through Customs may face delays and buyers are responsible for any associated duties or fees. Sellers may contact you regarding additional charges to cover any increased costs to ship your items.