The Soldier Who Came Back
by Alan Clark; Steve Foster
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Pub Date 24 May 2018 | Archive Date 26 Jul 2018
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Description
In Northern Poland in 1940, at the Nazi war camp Stalag XX-A, two men struck up an unlikely friendship that was to lead to one of the most brazen and remarkable wartime escape stories ever told.
Antony Coulthard (nicknamed ‘The Professor’) was the privately educated son of wealthy parents with a first-class honours degree in modern languages from Oxford. The other man, Fred Foster, was the son of a bricklayer from Nottinghamshire who had left school aged 14.
Held in captivity, this seemingly mismatched pair would bond together and hatch a risky plan: they would perfect their German, forge travel documents, disguise themselves as travelling salesmen – and simply walk out of the camp.
Their journey would take them into the very heart of the Third Reich, stopping en route to sightsee and drink at a notorious Nazi watering hole.
‘It was a clever strategy, but a high-risk one. Success or failure would depend entirely on one thing: their ability to pass themselves off as native German speakers. The weight of this rested largely on Antony, whose fluency would be their passport to freedom. The serious challenge was to get Fred’s skills up to a level where he could just about pass muster during the time required. It would be, as Fred put it, “one big bluff”.’
What happened next is both heart-stopping and tragic.
Advance Praise
‘The most audacious true story of friendship and
indomitable British spirit you will ever read!’
- Dan Snow, TV presenter
‘The most audacious true story of friendship and
indomitable British spirit you will ever read!’
- Dan Snow, TV presenter
Available Editions
| EDITION | Other Format |
| ISBN | 9781907324239 |
| PRICE | US$29.95 (USD) |
Featured Reviews
Emily S, Reviewer
Wow! This book had me reading into the small hours as I was desperate to know what happened. It is incredible that these two men had the courage and bravery to escape a POW camp and travel across Nazi Germany at the height of WW2. This must have been absolutely terrifying but both men appear to have taken it in their stride, one in order to see his beloved wife again and the other for the thrill of it all! I really enjoyed the camaraderie amongst the soldiers as although many of them did not want to risk escape and possible execution they were very supportive of people who did. The last quarter of the book had me in tears, I really hope the author is successful in his quest to find the lost soldiers. I highly recommend this book and think it would make a really great film.
Bev W, Reviewer
Many thanks to #NetGalley for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
I grew up reading books about P.O.W.'s and their escape attempts. My Dad served in WW2 and his brother was captured in Italy and spent a year in a camp. I had the privilege of interviewing him about his experiences, so stories like this one have an immediate appeal to me. I found my Dad's war letters and photographs in a box hidden under his workbench in the basement after he died so I could really identify with the author who through studying his family history discovered the incredible story of his father and the friend that he made as a POW shortly after his capture.
Fred Foster and Anthony Coulthard came from very different backgrounds but both were intelligent men. Neither of them were officers but both were eager to learn. Captured at different times and places they quickly formed a bond and planned an incredible escape that would take them the long way home via Germany. They almost made it.
Not long after they were separated and their lives went along different paths. Only one survived the war.
The author meticulously researched the details of their story and lays it out for the reader in a way that captures the attention and keeps one reading. Telling the story and seeing that those lost in foreign countries are recognized has become a mission for Steve Foster. I wish him well as he continues on with the work and goes forward.
The only thing that would have improved this book for me would be the use of pictures (beyond just the cover photo) and a map of their escape route. As I read, I thought of my uncle and the details that he didn't tell me. I think I understand even more now.
I highly recommend this book.
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