In the Face of the Foe - Jock Mitchell Adventures 3
Formats: E-Book, Paperback, Hardback
Ages: 18+
Three action-packed adventures featuring British prisoner of war, Lance Corporal Richard ‘Jock’ Mitchell.
After surrendering to the all-conquering Wehrmacht in France in May 1940, Jock faces five years of captivity in distant Poland under the brutal Nazis, and a lifetime of trauma and torment from his memories. Disarmed and forgotten, starved and mistreated, Jock and his friends have their own battles to fight; none greater than surviving the war and rebuilding their lives.
Triumphant Where It Dares Defy (1941) – For those in the British army captured holding back the advancing Germans, allowing their comrades at Dunkirk to evacuate, things look grim. The Nazis have stolen their freedom and dignity, but after a year in captivity, it’s time to steal something back. Against his better judgement, Jock Mitchell finds himself at the centre of a brazen plan to give Hitler a bloody nose. To succeed, he needs to break out of the prison camp... and back in.
A Place More Dark (1945) – After five years of hell, it’s about to get worse for the prisoners of Stalag XXA. Pawns in a deadly World War endgame, victory for the starved inmates is surviving their brutal Nazi overseers and an unforgiving winter’s march across Europe. Weak and a shadow of the man he once was, Jock still finds the strength to rescue the most unexpected of companions from the dangers of war-torn Europe.
For All the Treasures Buried Far (1948) – (exclusive to this edition) - Germany has surrendered, but for the survivors from Stalag XXA, their war never ends. Still a prisoner of the ghosts and demons from his time as a captive under the Nazis, Jock returns to Poland, where death offers a drastic means of escape from his internal torment. But a greater, more appealing prize awaits if he can survive one last adventure in a new type of war against an old ally turned enemy, the Soviet Union.
Reviews
The book (In the Face of the Foe) kept raising questions without preaching. What does loyalty look like when every man is starving? What does courage mean when the cost falls on someone else? Some choices hit hard. One scene with a child had me holding my breath because the moment felt too close to the edge. The tension built slowly, then snapped tight. The writing does not tidy up the mess afterward, and I appreciated that honesty. It is a story for readers who enjoy wartime fiction that focuses more on people than battlefields. Anyone who likes character-driven plots, moral puzzles, and a close look at the fragile ties that hold people together will find a lot here. I would recommend it to readers who want grit without glamor and heart without sentiment.
In the Face of the Foe ultimately affirms that even amid humanity’s darkest chapters, compassion, solidarity, and the will to persevere endure as the true triumphs. It reminds us, too, of the fragility and preciousness of life, and of the imperative to make every moment count. The books resonated deeply with me, so immersing me in their harrowing depictions of war that I found myself constantly measuring them against the relative comfort of contemporary life. The author does not shy away from the brutal realities, but balances them with flashes of levity that illuminate the resilience of the human spirit. The result is a compelling, finely crafted narrative and a thoroughly rewarding read, one I would readily recommend.
