Overview

More than 170,000 British prisoners of war (POWs) were taken by German and Italian forces during the Second World War. Conditions were tough. Rations were meagre. The days dragged and there was a constant battle against boredom. The men, but not officers, had to work, often at heavy labour. Guests of the Third Reich will provide an overview of what daily life was like for prisoners, from staging theatre productions to keep morale up to working allotments and planning audacious escape attempts. Utilising IWM’s collections of letters, diaries, memoirs and sound interviews, this gripping, poignant narrative conveys the story of those in captivity in Germany during the Second World War in a personal and engaging way. Also featured are a selection of photographs from the IWM archive, giving a rare glimpse inside these infamous internment camps.

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9781912423064

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[A] powerful account of what life was like for British servicemen. . . . Richards uses diary entries, sound recordings and letters held by IWM to paint a vivid picture of life in captivity. -- H for History Just how much do we know about the everyday lives of British prisoners of war? It is said that over 170,000 British POWs were held by the Germans or Italians during the war, and author Anthony Richards has meticulously researched their experiences in Guests of The Third Reich. By exploring the archives of the Imperial War Museum, including many first-hand accounts, Richards has reconstructed the daily lives of the prisoners. . . . Richards also explores experiences of escape, including from the infamous Stalag Luft III and Colditz, but it is his writings on the everyday lives of ordinary POWS that will greatly appeal to those with ancestors who found themselves unwilling guests of Hitler's Third Reich. -- Who Do You Think You Are Magazine

Just how much do we know about the everyday lives of British prisoners of war? It is said that over 170,000 British POWs were held by the Germans or Italians during the war, and author Anthony Richards has meticulously researched their experiences in Guests of The Third Reich. By exploring the archives of the Imperial War Museum, including many first-hand accounts, Richards has reconstructed the daily lives of the prisoners. . . . Richards also explores experiences of escape, including from the infamous Stalag Luft III and Colditz, but it is his writings on the everyday lives of ordinary POWS that will greatly appeal to those with ancestors who found themselves unwilling guests of Hitler's Third Reich. --Who Do You Think You Are Magazine

Author Information

Anthony Richards is head of Documents and Sound at Imperial War Museums. He is the author of many books, including In Their Own Words: Untold Stories of the First World War, The War on Paper: 20 Documents that Defined the Second World War, and, most recently, D-Day and Normandy: A Visual History.

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