Evaders

by Leo Heaps

Published 1 August 1988
ever recorded

This World War II adventure story offers a thrilling first-person account of the escape of Allied soldiers from behind enemy lines following the disastrous Battle of Arnhem in September 1944.

Of 10,000 Allied troops, there were 8,000 casualties. However, some 250 men were hidden by the Dutch resistance: singly and in groups, theirs were some of the most remarkable escapes of the war. The author, a Canadian paratrooper taken prisoner during the battle, jumped from a moving train on its way to Germany, and subsequently organised the successful rescue of other survivors; for his part in one of the most incredible mass escapes ever recorded, he earned the Military Cross.

The stories of the escapees are interweaved with those of the brave Dutch resistance who helped them. It is a moving portrayal of heroism and compassion told with a vigour that keeps readers enthralled.