Prisoners of the Castle
Written by Ben McIntyre & Reviewed by Noreen in the Cell
It goes without saying that the lone reviewer currently doing time would be covering this one. After hearing what is was about, who else was going to provide a debrief? No time like the present. Suffice to say, it’s a good thing I wasn’t looking for much of a story. I was just doing research, same as the writer apparently.
The prologue describes Rothenberger, a top guard at Cudlitz and not the quarterback of the Pittsburgh Steelers, being impersonated by a guy who had broken out multiple times. He attempts to clear a path to freedom for 20+ prisoners by tricking guards into relocating or momentarily abandoning their post for a more pressing matter, etc. He’s successful until he uses the wrong color forged pass on a sentry one night and then Game Over.
After enjoying quite the engaging opener, the book proceeded to repeat this anecdotal approach throughout. While there was something romantic about the impenetrable but overly complicated Cudlitz castle, there wasn’t much else to root for. As a (temporary) prisoner myself, I couldn’t help but root for the prisoners to escape, no matter their tribe and no matter their crime.
In 1941, a French prisoner named Le Ray escapes by tunneling, then train hops to Switzerland, riding on the front of the final train between the headlights. This is just a garden variety example of the lengths these prisoners would go to in order to escape the castle. Their resolve and their ingenuity was nothing short of maniacal genius. And here I thought bribing guards or weaponizing blackmail was the method de jour, but apparently going on a hunger strike to get to smuggling weight and then getting sewn into a mattress when they are exchanged just like a Brit named Allan in the book.
The prisoners make it a game of taunting the guards as diplomacy between the two sides crumbles. Apparently, the British are far and away the best at antagonizing their captors. The street cred from that skill must’ve been top shelf currency. The French Jews can dig, history seems to suggest this particular group loves their tunnels. One demographic’s specialty was picking locks, and then there was the Dutch. Model cooperative prisoners who the guards could never bring themselves to trust since the Dutch always seemed to be conveniently present wherever there were missing prisoners. Over time, Cudlitz becomes infamous for its prominente, aka important prisoners, like Churchill’s nephew. Joke was on them though since it was his wife’s nephew, and the PM couldn’t care less about the dude.
Another man named Rupert Barry writes letters in code to his wife with details about the enemy behavior in prison. A constant collective effort to supplement their individual efforts to escape one way or the other. See, I’m still trapped in here because I want to be. My problem ain’t these bars, it’s this mindsight.
This may be my last debrief.
At least from the inside.
As for this book, I would categorize it as reference material so as not to disappoint future readers with lofty expectations. The grit and desperate determination of the prisoners is not to be skipped. However, if the reader is seeking something like Rita Hayworth & the Shawshank Redemption instead of dry loosely related anecdotes whose only common thread is time period and geography, then please waste no more time reading this debrief and commence reading Prisoners.
See you all on the outside.
