Synopses & Reviews
From the lean days of Depression-era Texas to the thrill of being one of the few who flew Spitfires, from a death-defying crash landing in Occupied France to capture and torture by the Gestapo, imprisonment in the Great Escape camp, Stalag Luft III, and years spent becoming a serial escape artist, this is the wartime memoir of a true hero, a real-life "Cooler King."
Recounted in a wonderfully honest and self-deprecating voice, William Ash's Under the Wire is a classic in the making--a riveting story of bravery by one of the last of his generation.
Review
"What a splendid book! This is a moving and heroic story of a young man who overcomes all obstacles with a sense of humor and succeeds in the end. Hollywood should snap this book up in a flash. Buy it, read it, enjoy it." --Charles Whiting, author of Hero, Life and Death of Audie Murphy
"A remarkable story of one man's refusal to give in to his captors, brilliantly told and with all the authentic sights, sounds ands smells of the World War II prison camp." - Tony Rennell, co-author of The Last Escape.
"Bill Ash has led a life of adventure that will inspire, astonish, and sometimes even amuse the readers of this memoir. Ash is a writer who makes his readers feel as if they're right there beside him through it all. I thoroughly enjoyed reading about the escapades of Bill Ash during World War II. Readers who like stories of wild and magnificent adventure are going to love this book!" --Homer Hickam, author, Rocket Boys/October Sky, The Ambassador's Son
"Under the Wire is everything I would expect from a memoir by Bill Ash -- fast-paced, exciting and moving, but also colored by his mischievous sense of humor. He has a real gift as a storyteller -- the characters and events come off the page as if we were meeting and experiencing them ourselves. Bill Ash was one of the great escape artists of the Second World War, and always managed to put himself in the center of the action. He endured a lot, but never lost his essential humanity and zest for life, something that comes through very strongly in his book. That's what makes Under the Wire such a joy to read -- getting to know the irrepressible Ash and reliving his adventures with him." --Jonathan Vance, author of A Gallant Company: The Men of the Great Escape
"Under The Wire is an introspective and instructive look at the indomitable spirit to escape from World War II German prison camps possessed by men like American fighter pilot William Ash. Beaten, starving, freezing or sick, they were relentless in their quest to force German troops to hunt them and thus not be available for other fronts, and to get home themselves to fight again. From hard times in Depression-era Texas to flying Spitfires against the Luftwaffe to Gestapo torture chambers, Ash's memoir is thoughtful, deep, and poignant for a fighter pilot, almost dreamlike sometimes in its obscurity and wistfulness. But reality always returns in the grim details of camp life, the wily and ingenious methods of escape, and the stories of brave and courageous men and their break outs. Ash has a humor and incitefulness that adds to the history. His book is a testament to man's deep-seated yearning to be free." --Robert Wilcox, author of First Blue
"Under the Wire is a revelation in World War Two history. A true story of fighter pilots, few in number but among the first to take a stand against the destructive powers of the Nazis in their bid to enslave and rule the world. Under the Wire tells it like it was. Here is a true, honest-to-God historical account in the first person of Bill Ash, Spitfire fighter pilot during the Battle of Britain. Everyone should read this bit of history brought to light." --Donald R. Burgett, author of The Road to Arnhem and the Screaming Eagles series
Synopsis
In this enthralling memoir of World War II adventure, legendary escape artist and "Cooler King" Bill Ash recounts his life story in a wonderfully honest and self-deprecating voice--a riveting tale of bravery by one of the last of his generation. 16-page photo insert.
About the Author
Born in Texas in 1917, WILLIAM ASH joined the Canadian Air Force on the outbreak of war, went to England and flew Spitfires. Shot down over France in 1942, he became a POW. Now in his mid-80s, he lives in London. An award-winning journalist, BRENDAN FOLEY also lives in London.