About the Book:

All that Malcolm Gaskill, bestelling author of the Ruin of All Witches, ever knew about his grandfather was that he was a prisoner of war in Italy, and according to family legend had cut his way out with a knife and fork. Inspired to learn more, Gaskill began to dig, and discovered an extraordinary journey of escape across Libya, Puglia and the Alps, all chronicled here.

About the Author:

Malcolm Gaskill taught history at British universities for nearly thirty years, where he developed an interest in mentalities, emotions and inner lives. Since leaving academia in 2020 to become a full-time writer, he has spent much of his time thinking about war and memory and different ways of engaging with the past. He is the author of six books, including Hellish Nell and The Ruin of All Witches, a Sunday Times bestseller, which was shortlisted for the 2022 Wolfson History Prize. He writes regularly for the London Review of Books, and lives with his family in Cambridge.