420 pp. "When journalist and aspiring war novelist Frank Murphy returns from the 10th Annual World War Convention, he has no idea that the mysterious videotape he holds in his hands will change his life forever. He has been handpicked to participate in a specialized experiment in mass psychology and a unique form of Living History: "Spend two weeks with three hundred other men in an authentic replica of a World War Two German POW Camp!" the tape says. "Come, and experience the thrill of a lifetime!" For Frank it is the chance to research the book he has always wanted to write firsthand, a chance to relive a piece of history, a chance to feel closer to the heroic and beloved father he barely knew. Eager for adventure, Frank and his best friend, Dean Seger, leave their wives and families behind and plunge headlong into a time gone by. Everything about Camp Stalag is authentic: The buildings, the uniforms, the food, the guards, the weapons--the savage treatment. Soon Frank, Dean, and the others find their cherished fantasy turning into a nightmare. The Germans are playing for keeps, and no one may leave...ever. Camp Stalag, the monstrous creation of billionaire defense contractor Heinrich Koenig and his adopted son, Johann Schmidt, is Koenig's last hurrah--his final revenge for the humiliations of Germany's defeat and the death of his mother at the hands of marauding soldiers. Dying of brain cancer, he has secreted a weapon of terrifying power within the camp to insure that no one will interfere. Unaware of this danger, and desperate for freedom, Frank and his men try to escape the camp's brutality, personified by the greedy and sadistic Sergeant-of-the-Guard, Hans Mannheim. And everything's about to get worse.... Koenig's mental deterioration has left him believing the camp is real and the war still rages. He orders the compound expanded, tortures the prisoners for outdated military secrets, listens to the Fuhrer's speeches by the hour, and begins having nightmares from his past, nightmares that leave him dangerously disoriented. Now the prisoners' only hope lies with John Riley. An ex-cop and private eye hired by Frank's wife, Brenda, Riley must find the camp, get inside, and help them shoot their way out before Koenig tires of the game...."
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