WW2 Bunker
Confronting Captivity Britain and the United States and Their POWs in Nazi Germany
Confronting Captivity Britain and the United States and Their POWs in Nazi Germany
Author: Arieh J. Kochavi
Condition: Like New
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Confronting Captivity investigates how nearly 300,000 British and American servicemen captured by Nazi Germany survived captivity and were rapidly repatriated as World War II ended. Arieh J. Kochavi traces the lived experience of Allied POWs, the Wehrmacht’s role as captor, and the diplomatic, military and humanitarian networks—London and Washington policymaking, the International Committee of the Red Cross, and neutral intermediaries—that shaped treatment, exchanges, and repatriation. Framing POW survival within the European theater of the Second World War, the book offers a comparative Anglo‑American perspective on policy choices, tensions between strategic priorities and troop welfare, and why Allied POW mortality remained low relative to expectations.
This is an archival, academic study combining military‑diplomatic history and comparative policy analysis: extensive primary‑source research underpins institutional accounts of the British and U.S. governments, the Wehrmacht, and relief agencies. Published by the University of North Carolina Press (ISBN 9780807829400) and written in English, the work is geared to historians and informed readers; the supplied description does not list specific maps, photographs, or illustrative material, and emphasizes documentary and institutional evidence over visual appendices.
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Keywords, content and topics in this Book
Keywords, content and topics in this Book
Core Bibliographic Data
Title: Confronting Captivity: Britain and the United States and Their POWs in Nazi Germany
Author: Arieh J. Kochavi
Publisher: University of North Carolina Press
Language: English
Geographic / Theater Coverage
World War II – European Theater
Chronological Scope
Second World War (1939–1945)
Main Nations and Belligerents
United Kingdom (Britain)
United States of America
Nazi Germany
Subject Focus and Themes
Prisoners of war (POWs) – British POWs in German hands
Prisoners of war (POWs) – American POWs in German hands
POW treatment and survival in Nazi Germany
Allied POW policy and diplomacy
Anglo-American relations – coordination and tension over POW issues
Repatriation and exchange of POWs
High survival rate of British and American POWs in German captivity
Policy-making in London and Washington regarding captured servicemen
Allied strategic priorities vs. POW welfare
Book Type / Methodology
Academic history
Archival research-based study
Comparative national policy analysis (Britain vs. United States)
Military-diplomatic history
POW System and Institutions
Wehrmacht responsibility for Allied POWs
Foreign Office and War Office (UK) involvement in POW policy
International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and neutral intermediaries
Operations / Campaign Context (as far as relevant to POW capture)
Military Branches and Forces Covered
British Army – POW experiences and policy
U.S. Army – POW experiences and policy
German Wehrmacht as captor
Weapons / Vehicles
Figures, Institutions, and Organizations
British government leadership and policymakers responsible for POW issues (institutional focus rather than biographical)
U.S. government leadership and policymakers responsible for POW issues (institutional focus)
German military and governmental authorities overseeing POW camps
International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)
Visual / Illustrative Content
Descriptive Keywords and Tags for Cataloging
World War II POWs
Allied prisoners of war in Germany
British prisoners of war – World War, 1939–1945
American prisoners of war – World War, 1939–1945
Nazi Germany – treatment of POWs
POW survival and mortality
POW camp conditions (housing, rations, medical care, labor)
POW exchanges and repatriation
Detainee and hostage policy – World War II
Anglo-American diplomatic history
Transatlantic relations – Second World War
Humanitarian law in wartime
Geneva Convention (1929) – application and enforcement
Red Cross inspections and relief parcels
Neutral mediation in wartime diplomacy
Military ethics and obligations to captured soldiers
Comparative POW policy (Britain vs United States)
Classification Suggestions (Thematic / Subject)
WWII – European Theater – POWs in Nazi Germany
Military history – prisoners of war
Diplomatic history – Britain and the United States, 1939–1945
International law – laws of war and humanitarian conventions
Holocaust and Nazi regime – broader context of German detention policies (with specific focus on Allied POWs, not on genocide)
Book Condition: Like New
Book Condition: Like New
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New: Fresh Out of Bootcamp
Flawless and untested. This book is in pristine, new condition and ready for its first assignment.
Like New: Light Combat Experience
Almost new and in great shape. It has clearly been read before and is ready to fight again, but it shows very little wear from its time in the field.
Good: A Few Scars or Shell Shock
A reliable veteran. The book might have some bent corners or a dust cover with a few scratches, but it’s still sturdy and standing tall.
Fair: Battle-Hardened
Visible signs of a long campaign. Expect some stains, bent pages, and perhaps some minor tears on the cover. It’s seen the trenches, but the intel inside is still solid.
Poor: Survived Iwo Jima
This one has been through the meat grinder. It carries noticeable damage, heavy staining, or significant wear—but like any old soldier, it would love to be read one last time before it retires.
