A GALLANT COMPANY goes beyond the bestselling Great Escape by Paul Brickhill and tells the only full and complete account of the dramatic escape of Allied airmen from Stalag Luft III in World War II that was the basis for the hit movie The Great Escape starring Steve McQueen. Stalag Luft III was a specially built German prison camp designed to hold the most determined escapers - officers and men from the RAF. Their spectacularly daring escape plan was on an awe-inspiring scale: 650 prisoners working for an entire year to build the longest and most sophisticated tunnel under a POW camp. The tragic end, with 50 captured prisoners shot in cold blood on Hitler's personal orders, led to its own war crimes prosecution and executions. Built around a cast of colourful and engaging characters from every corner of the world, A GALLANT COMPANY describes their ongoing struggle to outwit their captors. It is a tale of ingenuity, perseverance, courage and is a testament to what ordinary men can achieve under extraordinary circumstances.