From the New York Times bestselling author of Sons and Soldiers
comes the incredible but true story of Dieter Dengler, the only pilot to
escape captivity from a POW camp in the Laotian jungle during the
Vietnam War.
In February 1966, Dieter Dengler was shot down over "neutral" Laos in
jungle territory controlled by Pathet Lao guerrillas and North
Vietnamese regulars, who captured and held him in a fortified
prisoner-of-war camp. Already a legend in the navy for his unique escape
skills, the German-born Dengler proved to be no ordinary prisoner.
Caught in a desperate situation, imprisoned by the enemy and by the
jungle itself, Dengler set out to free not only himself but also other
POWs--American, Thai, and Chinese--some of whom had been held for years.
This amazing story of triumph over seemingly insurmountable odds has
been filmed by Werner Herzog as both a documentary (Little Dieter Needs
to Fly) and a motion picture (Rescue Dawn, starring Christian Bale).
Now Bruce Henderson, who served with Dengler aboard USS Ranger, tells
the complete story of Dengler's captivity and remarkable escape--based
on in-depth personal interviews as well as military archival materials,
some never before made public--in this riveting account of unending
optimism, courage, loyalty, and survival against overwhelming odds.
