Sent by email, Sat 12/10/2005 1:20 PM

I enjoyed learning about the 380th online and thought the following might be of interest. I'm a London-based author and spent the last few years helping one of America's greatest unsung heroes of WWII, William Ash, put together his wartime autobiography UNDER THE WIRE, which has just been published in USA and Canada.

Bill, who just celebrated his 88th birthday, is probably the greatest living US prisoner of war escape-artist of WWII. Born in Texas, he joined the RCAF in 1940 and flew Spitfires until shot down in 1942. He then became a serial escape artist, attempting 13 POW-camp escapes - cutting through the barbed wire, climbing over it, or tunneling under it before finally escaping for good.

When the book came out in the UK a few months ago, it became an instant best-seller, but somehow it has been almost completely ignored so far by the media in North America. The only thing we can do to get Bill and his book the recognition they deserve in the US and Canada is to turn to the internet and people who care about WWII and the people who fought it for us. So I would be very grateful if you would forward this note to anyone who you think might like the book or help to spread the word that it is out there, available at most good bookshops or online at Amazon.

I have sent this note as a one-off to individual email addresses from my favorite WWII/aviation websites, forums and guestbooks, but would really appreciate it if you could spread the word to anyone who you know cares about WWII and keeping the spirit and history of the ‘greatest generation' alive for future generations. It is in the bookshops now.

Sincere thanks,

Brendan Foley

londonwriter2001@yahoo.co.uk

Book website:

http://www.bfoley.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/

Book Details:

US/Canada edition: UNDER THE WIRE by William Ash and Brendan Foley

Published by Thomas Dunne Books (St Martin's Press) ISBN: 0312338325