The Ingenious Mr. Pyke: Inventor, Fugitive, Spy

Geoffrey Pyke (1893–1948) was an unconventional, independent thinker who approached life with energy and focus. He found unusual solutions to problems, some of which had lasting social influence. As a young man in a World War I German prisoner-of-war camp he devised an escape so ingenious that the British government doubted he could have done it without German assistance. As a young father, he started an experimental school to give his son an education whereby curiosity and independence were rewarded. Pyke's commitment to improving society through new ideas continued through Hitler's campaign against the Jews, the Spanish Civil War, and World War II. Some chapters are more interesting than others; Pyke's escape from wartime Germany is followed by a treatise on educational theory. Furthermore, names relatively unknown to an American audience require more information than what is imparted in the text. James Langton reads with clarity and precision; however, this book would be more enjoyable in a print format that allows easy access to photographs and footnotes.