I appreciate the publisher allowing me to read this book. what an interesting book very well written and researched I could not put down until finished. highly recommend this book

This was a great book to learn about Libby Prison and the Civil War's Largest Jail Break, I had never really heard about this before and found the subject really fascinating.

First, I would like to thank NetGalley and Rowman & Littlefield for approving the e-arc of this book.

Escape is only 336 pages, but it is full of information. I usually read a book this size in one to two days, but this book took a lot longer because of the amount of information involved, and the way the book made me feel. Despite the time it took me to read, I gave this book 5 stars. I know a book is good when it can make me feel what the people in the story are going through.

I have heard of the Libby Prison before, but I know a lot of people have not heard of her, but they do know about Andersonville. The author talks about the prisons in the south with enough detail that you can picture them in your mind and imagine how the prisoners were treated in each place.

The author goes into detail about the beginning of the war, and most of the prisoners in the prison. Of course, he couldn’t mention everyone because that would really make a long book! He mostly talks about the people who were involved in the prison break. He also tells you about the people in charge of the prison break.

If you love history and the civil war, I highly recommend that you read this book. But remember, it is not a quick read, But it is worth the time if you really want to learn.

Historian Robert P. Watson’s ESCAPE! is not just the story of a dramatic prison break but also a thoughtful depiction of the conditions that made it feel both possible and imperative. Occupying a Richmond city block, Libby (named for a ship supplier whose premises were seized by Confederate authorities) held scores of Union officers taken as prisoners during the Civil War. When a colonel from a Pennsylvania infantry company initiated a tunneling effort, the would-be escapees chose a section of the prison known as “Rat Hell” as a starting place. Watson's account of the prison, the men, their plan and its execution is beautifully documented and gripping throughout. (Rowman & Littlefield, 8/15/21)