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Introduction For many who entered military ser­vice throughout history, the most terrifying aspect of combat was not death, but the possibility of falling into ­enemy hands as a prisoner of war. Some men of Custer’s 7th Cavalry chose to commit suicide rather than fall into ­ enemy hands, an act repeated throughout the history of warfare, from the Siege of Masada through the pre­sent day. In almost all of ­ these instances, the fear of falling into ­ enemy hands—­and the torture or mistreatment that went with it—­ was greater than the fear of death itself. This book chronicles a common thread through the many escapes and rescues examined ­here, and that was the bravery of the men and ­women who submitted to capture, launched rescue operations, or ­those who simply assisted the pursued in their quest to escape. Many military and civilian ­ people examined in this book ­ were taken into cus- tody against their ­ will, ­either as members of a hostile military organ­ization during war, or as civilians in the wrong place at the wrong time. ­ Those ­ people ­ were terri- fied that they would be killed, and the uncertainty of their immediate ­ future was more terrifying. Would they ever see their families again? If so, when? ­These and a million other questions raced through their minds as they raised their hands above their heads, accepting their capture. Once in prison, the idea of escape was a tempting one, but few ­ people statistically ever attempted to break out. The odds ­ were simply not in their ­ favor. They lacked resources, clothing, and language skills—­ and geography often worked against them. If they ­ were recaptured, they might be killed or endure physical abuse, or perhaps harder to accept, their fellow prisoners might suffer in their place. The men and ­ women in this book ­ were exceptionally brave, risking all to escape their captors. One of the greatest breakouts from a prison camp was the escape from Stalag Luft III, when 77 prisoners made it out of the tunnel they had dug and to freedom. Most of the men ­ were eventually caught and 50 ­ were executed, but 3 did make it home. Franz von Werra was a German prisoner of war who almost escaped from ­ England by stealing a fighter plane, but he was sent to Amer­­ i ca ­ after authorities discovered the plot. Once in North Amer­i­ca, he leaped from a train, then made his way from Canada to Amer­i­ca. He further escaped to Mexico, then South Amer­ i­ ca, and eventually to Italy and home. Nick Rowe was a Green Beret in Vietnam who spent five years as a prisoner. Eventually, he saw an opportunity to escape when a he­ li ­ cop­ ter flew near his location. Rather than a specific escape plan, chance came to Rowe’s rescue that day.