The WWI war in Turkey is not as well known as the war in Europe, but British troops were fighting there because Britain wanted to maintain access to the oil fields in Persia. The prison camps in Turkey were even worse than those in Europe.
Two prisoners, the aristocratic Elias Henry Jones, and Cedric Waters Hill an Australian airman from the RAF, were overcome with boredom and hated the bad conditions. To entertain themselves, they fashioned a ouiga board. During that time there was a resurgence in interest in spiritualism. The guards at the camp became fascinated by what the young prisoners were doing.
The prisoners running a long con were able to keep the guards interested and were able to plan an escape although the camp was located far from anywhere with roving bands of brigands in the area.
This is an incredible story of the psychological effects that can be achieved by successful con-men. The men were skilled in the art of persuasion and were able to use the gullibility of the guards to build trust until there were able to attempt an escape.
If you’re interested in WWI this is a must read. The story, although non-fiction, is so well told that you feel as if you were reading an adventure story. I thought the author did an excellent job of explaining the prevalence of the belief in spiritualism and the psychological basis of what the men were able to accomplish. I highly recommend this book.
I received this book from Penguin Random House for this review.
No comments:
Post a Comment