MAN OF CONFIDENCE
Kenneth J. Kurtenbach:
WWII’s Longest-Serving American POW Camp Leader
A powerful examination of moral authority, leadership under extreme conditions, and the human will to survive.
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Draws on extensive archival research and firsthand testimony.
***
A powerful examination of moral authority, leadership under extreme conditions, and the human will to survive. *** Draws on extensive archival research and firsthand testimony. ***
Shot down over Nazi-occupied France at twenty-one and captured by German forces, Kenneth “Kurt” Kurtenbach endured harsh Gestapo interrogation before being imprisoned at Stalag 17B, one of Nazi Germany’s largest prisoner-of-war camps. Refusing to be a prisoner of war without a fight, he became a prisoner at war—emerging as a steady, trusted leader during captivity.
Representing more than 4,000 American airmen, Kurtenbach was elected by his fellow prisoners as Man of Confidence—the sole official representative responsible for advocating on their behalf under the Geneva Convention. In that role, he defended prisoners’ rights, negotiated with German authorities and the Protecting Powers, and worked tirelessly to improve the lives of his fellow POWs.
Man of Confidence tells Kurtenbach’s story in full for the first time, tracing his upbringing in Iowa and Montana, his combat service with the Eighth Air Force, his capture and interrogation, and nearly three years of imprisonment behind barbed wire. Drawing on extensive archival research and firsthand testimony, the book offers a powerful examination of moral authority, leadership under extreme conditions, and the human will to survive.
Casemate Publishers
July 2026 (UK) ; September 2026 (USA)
ISBN: 978-1636246734
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