Megan Hutching ed.: Inside Stories

By MARGIE THOMSON

Boredom probably beat fear as the Number One problem facing prisoners of war - that, and dreaming of food and escape. Around 8800 New Zealand men were prisoners of war during World War II, and Hutching here records the verbatim experiences of 16 of them (and one woman, Kitty Wood, who worked with the Red Cross in Geneva sending parcels of recreational material to POWs). She has chosen men who represent experiences across the board. Many did attempt escape, and many succeeded, although often only for a day or so before being rounded up. One, John Parfitt, ended up in Auschwitz briefly after being caught, and then marched across Czechoslovakia down to Austria under the thumb of the retreating SS. The stories put a new face on the experience of war, and the many photos are as eloquent as the words.

HarperCollins

$34.95