Overview
"In 1914, at the outbreak of the First World War, several of Britain's greatest footballers were interned in a brutal German prison camp at Ruhleben, near Berlin. Among them was Steve Bloomer, the prolific England striker widely regarded as the best player of his generation. Surrounded by barbed wire and armed guards, living in squalor and on meagre rations, and with their families and freedom far out of reach, Bloomer and the others found salvation in what they knew best - football. They bartered for balls, marked out pitches, and formed the Ruhleben Football Association, organising league and cup competitions involving hundreds of players and watched by thousands of spectators. The conditions at Ruhleben - a former horse racing track - were appalling, with around 4,500 men packed into 11 filthy stables. Food was scarce, the guards were cruel, and the commandant was incompetent. Gradually, though, as the Great War for Civilisation raged around them, Bloomer and his fellow prisoners established some order within the confines of the prison camp. This is the true story of how the prisoners used the game of football to survive, and how some of them used it to escape. Prominent footballers in Ruhleben prison camp: Steve Bloomer: England, Derby County, Middlesbrough Fred Pentland: England, Blackburn Rovers, Middlesbrough, QPR, Brentford, Stoke, Blackpool, Halifax Town, Small Heath (Birmingham City) John ""Jack"" Cameron: Scotland, Queen's Park, Everton, Tottenham Hotspur Sam Wolstenholme: England, Everton, Blackburn, Norwich City John ""Jack"" Brearley: Tottenham, Everton, Crystal Palace, Millwall, Notts County Edwin Dutton: Germany, Newcastle United Percy Hartley: Preston North End, Huddersfield Town, Exeter City Walter ""Wattie"" Campbell: Everton The book contains more than 30 photographs and illustrations. ""The Real Escape to Victory""."
Full Product Details
Author: Paul Brown
Publisher: Goal-Post
Imprint: Goal-Post
Dimensions:
Width: 14.00cm
, Height: 1.70cm
, Length: 21.60cm
Weight: 0.389kg
ISBN: 9780995541238
ISBN 10: 099554123
Pages: 302
Publication Date: 20 February 2020
Audience:
General/trade
,
General
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active
Availability: Available To Order
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Reviews
The Real Escape to Victory - Sports Journalists' Association Having read the book, I would certainly now like to see the movie. Paul Brown's detailed account of this remarkable enterprise is, I venture to suggest, the real-life Escape to Victory, and worthy of consideration by a filmmaker. - Anton Rippon, Derby Telegraph
Author Information
Paul Brown writes about football, history, true crime and adventure for publications including FourFourTwo, When Saturday Comes, The Guardian and The Blizzard. He is the author of several books, including Savage Enthusiasm: A History of Football Fans. He lives in the North East of England.
