Book excerpt: A memoir of a World War II British bomber pilot who was imprisoned by the Nazis and went on to inspire the Steve McQueen character in The Great Escape. By age 21, Ken had already trained to be a pilot officer, flown 56 hair-raising bomber missions by night over Germany, taken part in the siege of Malta, got married, been shot down into a remote Norwegian lake, been captured and interrogated, sent to Stalag Luft III, and survived the Great Escape and the forced March to Bremen. This is truly a real-life adventure story, written with accuracy, pace, and drama. “Ken Rees had a war career that takes the breath away and he describes it so well one can imagine one was there, experiencing the terror.” —Frederick Forsyth, #1 New York Times – bestselling author of The Fox and The Day of the Jackal “In an age obsessed with C-list television celebrities battling it out on [phony] “reality” survival shows, Rees and his dwindling band of Great Escapers stand out as the real thing.” —The Daily Telegraph (UK) “Written in frank, warm and readable style, this is a very engaging account of a remarkable life.” —New History “A brave man’s memory. Hear the fear yet take [succor] from the courage.” —North Wales Chronicle (UK)