The True Story Of The Wooden Horse

This in-depth historical study reveals fascinating new insight into the famous Wooden Horse escape of three Allied POWs from a Nazi prison camp. In 1943, three British prisoners of war plotted a daring and ingenious escape from Stalag Luft III by making use of a hollowed-out gymnastic vaulting horse. A year before the events of The Great Escape—which would take place at the same camp—Lieutenants Michael Codner, Eric Williams, and Oliver Philpot executed the plan that Williams later recounted in his classic memoir The Wooden Horse. Now Robert Laplander presents a revealing new account in this comprehensive study of Stalag Luft III and the many attempts at escape that occurred there during the Second World War. As Laplander explains, Williams' memoir was impeded by both a lack of necessary historical scope and regulations of the Crown. In The True Story of the Wooden Horse, Laplander makes use of newly released official documents and eye-witnesses reports. Supplemented by illustrations, including shots of a full-scale replica of the vaulting horse, this volume presents an exhaustive account of the escape in its entirety, set in the context of the camp’s history.

An epic adventure—the most brilliant escape and evasion from the Nazis ever written. Eric Williams, a Royal Air Force bomber captain, was shot down over Germany in 1942 and imprisoned in Stalag Luft III, the infamous German POW camp. Digging an underground tunnel hidden beneath a wooden vaulting horse, he managed to escape after ten months and, accompanied by a fellow officer, made his way back to England. In this thinly fictionalized retelling, Williams relates his story in three distinct phases: the construction of a tunnel (its entrance camouflaged by the wooden vaulting horse in the exercise yard) and hiding the large quantities of sand he dug; the escape; and the journey on foot and by train to the port of Stettin, where Williams and his fellow escapee stowed away aboard a Danish ship, the Norensen. From painstakingly digging the tunnel to secretly depositing the dirt and gravel around the camp to dodging searchlights and search dogs and climbing barbed wire fences, this is an escape story hard to beat. For sheer heroism, courage, and perseverance, this classic is arguably the most ingenious POW escape of WWII. The Wooden Horse became a legend among servicemen long before its publication in 1949 and has remained one ever since. Skyhorse Publishing, as well as our Arcade, Yucca, and Good Books imprints, are proud to publish a broad range of books for readers interested in fiction—novels, novellas, political and medical thrillers, comedy, satire, historical fiction, romance, erotic and love stories, mystery, classic literature, folklore and mythology, literary classics including Shakespeare, Dumas, Wilde, Cather, and much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.

Rediscover the classic magical adventure of the Little Wooden Horse, brought to life with the original inside illustrations from the author of Milly-Molly-Mandy, Joyce Lankester Brisley. When Uncle Peder the toymaker falls on hard times, his little wooden horse must go out into the world to seek his fortune. But whether he's working in a coal mine, sailing the seven seas with a band of pirates or walking the tightrope in a circus, the loyal little horse only has one wish: to return to his beloved master. Originally published in 1938, Ursula Moray-Williams' The Adventures of the Little Wooden Horse is her most famous story and continues to be one of the most-loved classic stories of children's literature. With its glorious inside illustrations by Joyce Lankester Brisley and cover artwork from Catherine Rayner, this beautiful hardback edition is a truly special gift to treasure.

For ten years, the battle raged. Thousands of ancient Greece's best warriors battled their enemies, the Trojans, in a desperate attempt to win back King Meneleus's beautiful wife, Helen. After a decade of fighting and thousands dead, the Greek forces suddenly fell back. Cautiously the Trojans ventured out of the city walls, where they discovered a giant wooden horse and a messenger. Should they accept this peace offering? Or is the gift horse too good to be true?

Whilst there have been many accounts from specific escapees who took part in the famed Wooden Horse escape from Stalag Luft III, there have been few objective historical studies of the camp as a whole. Many attempts at escape characterised its history, and the story of its establishment is a fascinating one. Now, historian Robert Laplander attempts to provide a comprehensive history of the camp and compound, framed around the ingenious Wooden Horse escape.??The author describes Eric Williams' classic book The Wooden Horse as merely an introduction to the escape, arguing that its creation was impeded by both a lack of necessary historical scope and regulations of the Crown. Today, however, there is much more material to take advantage of, including official documents that have been released and eye-witnesses that have spoken out Ð enough to justify this re-appraisal of the events at Stalag Luft III. The author's rigourous approach to the subject matter is evident from the outset. Supplemented throughout by a range of fascinating illustrations, including shots of a full scale replica of the vaulting horse used which the author constructed specifically for the purposes of understanding the logistics of the escape yet further, the book represents a competent and exhaustive account of the escape in its entirety, set solidly in context in order to provide an overview of the camps history from establishment to demise.

For Greek myth fans, those who can’t get enough of the D'Aulaires' Book of Greek Myths, and readers who have aged out of Rick Riordan, this classroom staple and mythology classic is perfect for learning about the ancient myths! As the gods and goddesses of Olympus scheme, the ancient world is thrown into turmoil when Helen, the most beautiful woman in all of Greece, is stolen away by her Trojan love. Inflamed by jealousy, the Greek king seeks lethal vengeance and sends his black war ships to descend on the city of Troy. In the siege that follows, history’s greatest heroes, from Ajax to Achilles to Odysseus, are forged in combat, and the brutal costs of passion, pride, and revenge must be paid. In the end, the whims of the gods, the cunning of the warriors, and a great wooden horse will decide who emerges victorious. Homer's epic poem, The Iliad, is one of the greatest adventure stories of all time and Rosemary Sutcliff's retelling of the classic saga embodies all of the astonishing drama, romance, and intrigue of ancient Greece. Don’t miss The Wanderings of Odysseus, the companion to Black Ships Before Troy, and follow Odysseus on his adventure home. This book has been selected as a Common Core State Standards Text Exemplar (Grades 6-8, Stories) in Appendix B.

A retelling of how the Greeks used a wooden horse to win the ten-year-long Trojan War.