21 Escapes of Lt Alastair Cram

A genuinely new Second World War story, The 21 Escapes of Lt Alastair Cram by David M. Guss is a riveting account of the wartime exploits of the Scotsman. It is a tale of courage in the face of extraordinary odds and a testament to one man's dogged determination never to give up.‘The greatest serial escaper of the Second World War’ – The Times'Endlessly fascinating. Cram's story sizzles with adventure' – Giles Milton, Sunday Times In November 1941 Lt Alastair Cram was taken prisoner in North Africa as a devastating tank battle unfolded as Operation Crusader struggled to relieve Tobruk. His capture began a four year-long odyssey as he passed through twelve different POW camps, three Gestapo prisons and one asylum. Determined to regain his freedom, he became a serial escapee fleeing his captors no fewer than twenty-one times.The most dramatic of these attempts was from Gavi, the ‘Italian Colditz’. This maximum-security prison built inside a thousand year old stone fortress was for the pericolosi, those classified as the ‘most dangerous’ prisoners due to their unrelenting desire to escape. It was here that Alastair met David Stirling, the legendary founder of the SAS, and cooked up the plan for the ‘Cistern Tunnel’, one of the most audacious but little-known mass escape attempts of the entire war. 'Fascinating' – Daily Express'An enthralling portrait of true courage' Sunday Express S Magazine

Endlessly fascinating. Cram’s story sizzles with adventure and the author plays it for all it is worth. I found myself rooting for his hero at every scrape and turn., The story of Alastair Cram is a remarkable one, perhaps richer for having remained untold for so long . . . a book that ranks among the best escape literature, Fascinating, An enthralling portrait of true courage, An extraordinary story, vividly told.

David M. Guss is a writer and anthropologist who has lived and worked in various parts of Latin America and Europe. In addition to his anthropological work, Guss is a published poet and translator. Fascinated with escape literature since childhood, he was introduced to Alistair Cram’s widow, Isobel, and given full access to his papers, including the wartime journals on which The 21 Escapes of Lt Alastair Cram is based. He lives in the United States.