He began to question this simplistic view after reading about the concentration camps used by the British during the Boer War, and was further surprised to learn that German prisoners were held in Britain until 1947-two years after the end of the Second World War.

His new book uncovers the truth about the treatment of prisoners of war by the British, from the earliest conflicts up to the recent wars in the Middle East.

Bringing together a wealth of historical detail with numerous personal stories, it may shake the beliefs of those who think of the British as always fair. But the book is fair and, in an honest and balanced way, finally gives a true picture of the lives of Prisoners of the British.