Under the Wire: The World War II Adventures of a Legendary Escape Artist and “Cooler King”
November 1, 2018 - Comment
From the lean days of Depression-era Texas to the thrill of being one of the few who flew Spitfires, from a death-defying crash landing in Occupied France to capture and torture by the Gestapo, imprisonment in the Great Escape camp, Stalag Luft III, and years spent becoming a serial escape artist, this is the wartime memoir of a true hero, a real-life “Cooler King.”
Recounted in a wonderfully honest and self-deprecating voice, William Ash’s Under the Wire is a classic in the making–a riveting story of bravery by one of the last of his generation.
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A Jewel of a Read “Under the Wire” has everything: history, adventure, thrills, humanity, humor, wit, compassion, poignancy, and, most of all, thrilling, page-turning action. It never strays from the essential story. It never tries to get too clever. It rivets from the opening and never lets go. My father, whose birthday coincides with the publication date and who died eighteen month ago at age 90, would have devoured it in one sitting, as he loved books about WWII. It’s the only negative about this book,…
American participant in the early days of WW2 There are many books on consecration camps and POW camps, but this one is a page turner that holds ones interest. From a boring young existance in a poor town and poor family, Mr Ash completes his comittment to join and serve in the armed forces to fight Germany. I give him credit for his ability to withstand abuse, hunger, and bad weather and still obtain his goal in life. Very well done
Great book! Ash mixes his great un-squashable sense of humor with the amazing story of his imprisonment and escapes during WWII My daughter bought me this book as a Christmas present. William Ash’s story is inspiring and encouraging. He survived more than a dozen escape attempts as an American POW held by the Germans during WWII. His stories of the various camps and other facilities where he was detained, the near unbelievable ways the men planned their various escapes, and the people who helped and interacted with him during this time, are nothing short of amazing.The book was all the more enjoyable to…