A good story about an American who joined in the Battle of Britain. Shot down, he continually attempted and was successful in escaping from various stalags. Courage and perseverance were his hallmarks. ( )

Excellent POW account of escape and life behind the wire. Well written and a gripping story. Highly recommended. ( )

The movie, [The Great Escape] epitomizes the brash young pilots who felt it their duty to escape German POW camps, often facing recapture and punishment in solitary confinement or "the coolers." William Ash is of this ilk; he knew many of the men in that particular escape attempt, but was in the cooler at the time and couldn't participate. He may have even been the source for one of the characters.

An American who felt that the American's isolationist stance was wrong, Ash went to Canada and joined the Canadian Air Force. He was sent to Britain shortly after the Blitz and was eventually shot down and tortured by the Gestapo. Ironically, he was rescued from them by the Luftwaffe and taken to one of their POW camps for pilots. He immediately began planning and executing numerous escapes. As he says, he was an American in the Canadian Air Force fighting for the British, shot down over France, and captured by the Germans. A multinational affair.

I enjoyed Ash's dry humor, his straightforward manner (not self-aggrandizing), and the photographs. Ash speaks of the many people who helped him and the friends of all nationalities who spent hours talking about the kind of world they wanted to build after the war. Several went on to become politicians. A worthy read for the WWII aficionado, but probably of less interest to others. ( )

A brilliant and moving account of how American William Ash joined the Canadian airforce early in WWII, flew Spitfires and was shot down and eventually captured in France by the Gestapo after going on the run. He then spent three years in various prison camps as a serial escaper. Highly recommended. ( )