American prisoners of the Luftwaffe : images and realities.

Abstract

"American Prisoners of the Luftwaffe: Realities and Images," provides readers with a comprehensive picture of the lives of World War II American fliers held in German POW camps. The material included in this work begins with some of the hair-raising experiences that the fliers went through prior to capture discussed as a means of dispelling the myth that all captured American soldiers revealed only their name, rank and serial number to their captors. This project focuses on the harsh realities of camp life that these men endured. Images from movies such as Stalag 17 and the Great Escape, and episodes of Hogan's Heroes are used to reveal some of the fallacies and realities that have become part of the American mythology concerning the lives of Prisoners of War.