Sage

I met and befriended Col. Sage at Ft. Rucker, Alabama while he was writing this book. I was working at the Physical Fitness Center where he went to swim 2-3 times a week. I can tell you that I have never met a more humble and generous human being. After all the torture and hard-ship this true hero went through it is very hard to imagine that anyone could endure all that he did. This book is an excellent account of what war and heroes really are. It's an fantastic read and should interest anyone that enjoys real life war stories, real life human triumph or even bigger than life characters. Col. Sage is gone now, but his story will inspire others for generations.

"Sage" is a wonderful look into the life of a true American hero, a portrait of a different time and a glimpse at a legacy that is fading all too fast. Col Jerry Sage has done more than share his own amazing stories, but given us a portrait of others from a time that is viewed by most on history channels or movies. The Great Escape was one of amny remarkable escapes during WWII. More than 800 American veterans of WWII die each day. To many younger persons, they are just old men and women in a culture obsessed with youth and technology. I have had the privilege of talking with many WWII veterans. Although I never had the honor of talking with Col Sage, as alumnus of Washington State Universality, I knew his story. Others have shared their stories, their heartaches and nightmares with me. Too often, their own families are unaware of their adventures. Partly because of only a passing interest, partly because some tale are too painful to tell. They did their duty and they came back home to live a life. They were very young once. Most just out of school. Many of their stories are forever lost, and with that, a legacy.Of the many things that struck me in this out-of-print book, the level of adaptation, creativity and inventiveness in the prison camps was amazing. They created tools and tunnels, documents, clothing, paints, dyes, uniforms all with materials at hand. They maintained a humanity under the inhuman conditions of war.This book is one of Sage's legacies. Written in the tone of his time and experiences, before, during and after WWII, it can provide a link to the past, for soldier and non-solder alike. It's a fine read.

I usually don't review books, because it is each person's choice what they like, however I am glued to this book. Col. Sage lead quite a life!!!

I served in Korea with "The Dagger" in 1954. He was the Battalion Commander of the First Battalion of The 5th Regimental Combat Team and I was the Battalion Operations Specialist in the same unit. I lost all contact since 1952 until I learned he had written this book. I only knew then that he had served in the OSS, that he wore a Solingen dagger. It was really good to play catch up on him. I only wish he were still alive. His contribution to the Green Berets was large. The funniest thing is that he was serving with the Green Berets in Bad Toelz, Germany when I was working in the same area teaching spooks to do the same kind of work that he did in Africa. How do I rate the book? Excellent, but then I am probably just a little bit prejudiced. It is a great read for enthusiasts of books of this genre. Don Shipman aka [email protected] in Dallas.

great story

Jerry Sage was one of the true American heroes, and his book gives us a close, detailed account of his experiences as one of the most notorious American POWs in Nazi Germany. Very personal and gripping, this true tale of adventure is far better than any work of fiction.From his training as an OSS agent, to his capture (he convinced his captors that he was a downed airman -- *very* fortunate for him), to his participation in some of the best known events in POW history, this book will hold you spellbound.One of the things that struck me the most about this story is how much he writes about his close relationship with God, and how it helped him throughout his time as a POW and the rest of his life.There are occasional passages that move by slowly, but these are few and far between, and overall do not detract from the book. This is an extremely hard book to find at a decent price. If you can get it, do! You won't be disappointed.

Jerry Sage was one of the original members of the OSS, the pre-World War II military intelligence agency which eventually became the CIA. After America's entry into the war, Sage was captured by the Germans in North Africa (he convinced the Nazis he was actually a paratrooper--otherwise they would have shot him on the spot) and was sent to a prison camp within Germany istelf. He escaped from the camp numerous times, and aided British officers in staging the famous "Great Escape" (the Steve McQueen character in the film about that escape was based on none other than Jerry Sage).His autobiography is a riveting account of the long years in (and occasionally out of) German captivity--and goes on to describe the even more facinating life that Sage lived after the war, working covertly behind the Iron Curtain to subvert yet another savage dictatorship."Sage" is difficult to find today, but it's worth the search. For those who were unlucky enough to never have met Jerry Sage, who died a few years ago, it is an unforgettable history lesson, told by a genuine American hero.For me, it's all that... plus a reminder of a brave man whom I was proud to call a friend.

If you like the movie "The Great Escape", then take the time to read this book and find out what really happened. COL Sage will tell you in his own words how he survived life in a POW camp and traveled across Europe to link up with his unit and "get back in the fight" Sage stands for all that is good in our country, and his story is truely inspirational