‘THE GREAT ESCAPE’ The Daring True Story of an Allied Getaway During WWII
What do Steve “The King of Cool” McQueen, Richard Attenborough, and James Garner have in common? They all starred in the 1963 World War II classic “The Great Escape.” What makes the movie amazing to watch isn’t just that it’s full of legendary stars like McQueen and Garner or the fact that the action sequences were filmed using practical stunts, not special effects. What makes it truly incredible is that this story actually happened. Based on WWII veteran Paul Brickhill’s book, “The Great Escape” depicts a group of Allied officers as they attempt to escape from Stalag Luft III, one of the most heavily reinforced prison camps under German watch. Loose sand, raised prison housing, and seismographic microphones were all meant to deter prisoners from digging their way out. But one prisoner wasn’t discouraged. Squadron Leader Roger Bushell saw these factors as obstacles to overcome rather than inescapable conditions. And in the spring of 1943, he initiated a plan to get himself and 200 of his fellow prisoners out of the camp.
During the next year, over 600 prisoners helped with the effort of digging tunnels underneath Stalag Luft III. They had to be deep enough that the microphones couldn’t detect them and long enough to reach outside of the camp’s walls. On a chilly night in 1944 — a year after the endeavor began — one tunnel was finally ready, and the prisoners began their exit. In all, 76 Allied men managed to escape from Stalag Luft III. While freedom was short-lived for some, the escapees were successful in redirecting Nazi efforts from the front lines. And as veteran Jack Lyon said of the escape, “It did do a lot for morale, particularly for those prisoners who’d been there for a long time. They felt they were able to contribute something, even if they weren’t able to get out.” For the rest of the story, you’ll have to watch the movie or read the book. You can watch “The Great Escape” on Amazon Prime, and you can find Brickhill’s daring tale at most book retailers.
NURTURE YOUR CREATIVE PASSION With These 3 Online Art Courses
calm voice and simple explanations in each course help students feel encouraged as they work. The course comes with three hours of video content segmented into 25 modules and a Q&A section where students can post questions, ask for feedback, and share their work. Find this course at Udemy.com/course/sketching-for-beginners. Ink Drawing Techniques with Yuko Shimizu A student who prefers ink over pencil can learn drawing techniques through Yuko Shimizu’s class on Skillshare. As a veteran instructor at the School of Visual Arts, Shimizu is ready to help you on your journey to learn the essentials of inking. In the 90-minute course, Shimizu covers a lot of ground, which both novice and experienced ink artists will benefit from. Find this course by searching for ink drawing techniques on Skillshare.com. New Masters Academy Known as one of the best art academies online, New Masters Academy (NMA) offers hundreds of hours of prerecorded video lectures that students can watch and follow along with as they paint, draw, and sketch. The standard fee starts at $35 a month, but with a premium membership at $44 a month, students can access NMA’s 3D reference library and over 20,000 reference images. To learn more and become familiar with the academy’s instructors, visit their website at NMA.art.
All forms of art, like painting, drawing, and even sculpting, can be relaxing hobbies, sources of extra income, or professional careers. And with today’s technology, it’s easier than ever to begin learning a new art form. If you have an eager student at home who wants to try their hand in the arts or perfect their craft, then look into online art courses. There are many different courses available, and you should do some research to see which course is best for your student, but here are three to get you started. Drawing and Sketching for Beginners by Robin Slee This course is available through Udemy, and, at the reasonable price of $29.99, is perfect for anyone wanting to test the waters. Slee takes students through the key fundamentals of drawing, such as how to hold a pencil correctly and how to make different kinds of marks. His
2 realestateplanninglaw.com
Made with FlippingBook - Online catalogs