Ten years ago, Ben McNally Books invited Ted Barris to address McNally’s Books & Brunch event at the King Edward Hotel in Toronto. On Sunday, Feb. 9, Barris is back to speak about his latest book – The Great Escape: A Canadian Story. On the night of March 24, 1944, eighty Commonwealth airmen crawled through a 360-foot-long tunnel, code-named “Harry.” Most slipped into the darkness of a pine forest beyond the wire of Stalag Luft III, a German POW compound near Sagan, Poland. The event became known as “The Great Escape.” What audiences who’ve seen/heard Ted Barris present the story have learned is that “The Great Escape” was in many ways “made in Canada.” Based on his original interviews, research and assembly of memoirs, letters, diaries and personal photos, Barris reveals that many of the escape’s key players were Canadians. His now National Bestselling book and his presentation come across like a Hollywood movie script, but they are in fact the true story!

Where: Ben McNally’s Books & Brunch, King Edward Hotel

When: 10 a.m., Sunday, February 9, 2014

Contact: Ben McNally, 366 Bay St., Toronto, ON M5H 4B2, 416-361-0032