William Geroux is the author of The Ghost Ships of Archangel and The Mathews Men. He has spent twenty-five years as a journalist, writing often about the military and winning awards for breaking news coverage, investigative journalism, and feature writing. A native of Washington, DC, and graduate of the College of William and Mary, Geroux lives in Virginia Beach, Virginia.

"Excellent and insightful . . . More than a well-crafted history, The Fifteen raises questions worth considering today. Was the U.S. too lenient with German POWs? . . . And what was--is--the responsibility of POWs, of any nationality, to their fellow prisoners and their captors? Those reading The Fifteen will be motivated to make up their own minds."--The Wall Street Journal

"William Geroux recovers the fascinating history of what happened once German detainees reached the U.S. In a brisk and impressively researched narrative, he shows how, even during their American imprisonment, hardcore Nazis enforced fealty to Hitler with brutal and occasionally deadly force."--AirMail

"With dogged research and a narrative that parachutes readers into some of the most dangerous corners of World War II, Geroux has brought to light a sweeping story from the homefront that was not just forgotten--most Americans never knew it even happened to begin with. A dynamic, high-stakes tale that will leave readers questioning not only their loyalties and beliefs but the value of life itself."--Bradford Pearson, National Magazine Award winning author of The Eagles of Heart Mountain

"In the pantheon of American history, it's very hard to find compelling, original stories, and even harder to find authors worthy of them. In The Fifteen, we get a surprising drama about 400,000 German POWs held at hundreds of camps throughout small-town America--and a series of murders that took place there. William Geroux unearths this off-beat subject and delivers the goods, including the high-stakes diplomatic showdown in the war's final months. Highly recommended--trust me!"--John U. Bacon, New York Times bestselling author of The Great Halifax Explosion

"A compelling exploration of the experiences of prisoners of war in WWII."--Booklist

"Exhilarating . . . A riveting, whirlwind look at a little-known episode of WWII."--Publishers Weekly

"Nearly 400,000 German POWs spent WWII in America. Journalist Geroux delivers an expert, unsettling story of this little-known aspect of the war."--Kirkus Reviews

Publisher: Crown Publishing Group (NY)

Pub date: 2026-07-21

Length: 400 pages