In his ongoing author series at Toronto’s York Club, Steve Paikin welcomes Ted Barris to discuss his most recent 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 book and his presentation come across like a Hollywood movie, but they are in fact the true story.

Where: York Club, 135 St. George St., Toronto M5R 2L8

When: 7 p.m., Wednesday, January 29, 2014

Contact: 416-922-3101, nancy@theyorkclub.org