Eleven Months to Freedom
A German POW's Unlikely Escape from Siberia in 1915
Format:Hardback
Publisher:Naval Institute Press
Published:30th Nov '16
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Eleven Months to Freedom recounts the daring World War I escape of Germanmidshipman Erich Killinger. Falsely accused of bombing a railway station aftercrashing his plane at sea, he was sentenced to life in the Sakhalin coal mines.Shipped by rail with several other POWs across Russia, Killinger wasdetermined to return home. In order to do this, though, he needed to jumpfrom the train, cross Siberia, and make it to a German-run escape pipeline inChina—all while braving bandits, subzero temperatures, threats of starvation,the risk of capture by Japanese and Russian troops, and possible internmentby the Chinese. Once he made it to China, Killinger used money and fakeidentity papers to survive along the 800 miles to Shanghai.
Improbably playing the role of a dashing French blade, Killinger lived the highlife on one ship, then later served as a humble deckhand on another. Riskingdiscovery by the British, he made a bold and risky move as his finaldestination neared.
“Dwight Messimer, an expert on World War I history, tells Killinger's story in great detail, giving the reader a true taste of the daily odds an escapee faces on such a journey. Anyone who appreciates the risks of an odyssey like Killinger's will relish reading this account.”
—Linda Goetz Holmes, author of Guests of the Emperor: The Secret History of Japan’s Mukden POW Camp
“A simply riveting read from cover to cover, Eleven Months to Freedom is an exceptional account that will prove to be an enduringly popular and appreciated addition to the growing library of World War I memoirs and biographies.”
— The Midwest Book Review
“Eleven Months to Freedom documents the near-impossible tale of a true escaper. For readers interested in an individual account of life as a prisoner of war and evader, Messimer has written an exciting book.”
— Naval Historical Foundation
“Killinger’s perspectives, opinions, and emotions, which Messimer explains and contextualizes well, reflect similar experiences by other soldiers of the First World War. At the same time, this remarkable case is a window into the lives of soldiers and a generation that experienced both world wars. Through his research, writing style, and historical approach, Messimer offers a work that is as enjoyable to read as it is informative. A general audience will find this work easy to follow, whereas more knowledgeable readers will still find value in the specific details that Messimer incorporates.” — H-War
ISBN: 9781682470657
Dimensions: unknown
Weight: 199g
224 pages