Let me say this: the genesis for the novel came out of conversations I had with my father. As he aged, I discovered that many people had talked to him about his career and many of the other important things he’d accomplished. But few had ever questioned him about his experiences in POW camp in Germany during the Second World War. Details of his experience were known – but the real emotional impact of the 1000 days he spent as a “guest” of the Luftwaffe was something he had never spoken about. Of course, in the midst of our conversations, I asked him about whether there had ever been a crime in the camp (Stalag Luft 3). He said not really, at least nothing serious. But I imagined a murder. And I saw the entire novel. He was, parenthetically, quite happy with the story and with the book – because it had those elements of truth contained within. I think he was a little disappointed by the film version – as I was – because some of the subtleties of the novel were discarded so rapidly – and they were what gave the story its depth. He was also troubled by some of the historic liberties the filmmakers took, which, eventually, removed some of the edges off the story and consequently limited the film. This was too bad – because they could have had a more meaningful film. That said, there were many moments in the picture that were terrific. And the film is worth seeing if only for the scene where the POW’s are on the transport train when it is attacked by a pair of P-51 fighters from the US Air Force – not knowing that they were shooting up their own countrymen. The scene is incredibly dramatic and wonderfully filmed – and exactly like something that actually happened to my father – and to others in those confusing days.