The author then lists these escapees and their method and routes of escape, all of which make for fascinating reading.

As the number of Jewish refugees increased, it became increasingly difficult for them to reach a safe country. Monty operates the adventure travel company, Full Circle Expeditions, and is also a leading motivational speaker. Equally, what became of those who escaped, where did they go, and what happened to those who did not get away? He had reason to believe, from listening to my talk and matching the details with those from his family folklore, that his great-grandmother BERTA SCHÖNEWALD, may be been on that same deportation train on 22nd March 1942, heading to her death in Sobibor death camp. If Joe Stirling had not passed away in 2020, he would have been celebrating his 98th birthday today.Escaping Hitler is the true story, covering ninety years, of a fourteen-year-old boy Gunter Stern who, when Adolf Hitler threatened hisfamily, education and future, resolved to escape from his rural village of Nickenich in the German Rhineland. Many of these have subsequently gained credence by virtue of their constant repetition – however bizarre they may be. I did like how there were recounts of events from France, Italy and Slovenia: it shows how many people were affected and the span of WWII. Focuses on established escape trails in Europe, all of which largely involve hiking through harsh terrain — so don't expect traditional fare like tunnels or disguises or document forgery.

Scrivens gathered her information through interviews with Günter, now known as Joe Stirling, and with those closest to him.But it was not only the escapees and evaders who showed courage but the partisans and other civilians who at great risk not only to themselves but reprisals against their families and in some instances entire villages. There's also Australian Ralph Churches, who orchestrated the mass escape of 100 POWs from Slovenia - the largest successful Allied escape of the entire war.