Winston Churchill described the evacuation of Dunkirk, France in the spring of 1940 as a “miracle of deliverance”, and for the thousands of Allied servicemen facing certain death or capture, it was a sentiment that they wholeheartedly agreed with.

Alongside the British Naval vessels, a flotilla of smaller craft, ranging from tiny rowing boats to paddle steamers, made the hazardous crossing over the English Channel between 27th May and the 3rd June. Skippered by brave civilians the more maneuverable small boats were able to lift the men from the shallow waters and transport them either to waiting Navy ships, or in some cases, take the weary soldiers all the way back to England. The Admiralty had estimated they would be able to save 30,000 men, but with the self-less effort of the boating enthusiasts who risked life and limb to rescue their fellow countrymen, more than a third of a million troops were safely brought home to fight another day.

For the people of Great Britain, although the rescue from Dunkirk has boosted morale tremendously, it was nonetheless a victory for Adolf Hitler which paved the way for his planned invasion of the British Isles. Yet from a strategic point of view it is a fascinating marker of Hitler's errors of judgment, even if it appeared he was on a winning run. Escape From Dunkirk tells of this remarkable episode from that courage in the face of adversity could triumph, even against seemingly impossible odds.