Glory Denied: The Saga of Jim Thompson, America's Longest-Held Prisoner of War: The Vietnam Saga of Jim Thompson, America's Longest-Held Prisoner of War - Softcover

Philpott, Tom

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0393338355 ISBN 13: 9780393338355

Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company, 2001

Synopsis

On March 26, 1964, barely four months after arriving in Vietnam, Special Forces Captain Floyd "Jim" Thompson was captured by the Vietcong. He would spend the next nine years in jungle cages and dark prison cells, attempting escape five times, and surviving torture, disease, and starvation. When he was finally released in 1973, he returned to a nation he no longer knew -- and to a family that no longer knew him.

Thompson's epic story -- and that of his wife and children, who also paid dearly for his sacrifice -- is brought to life in this searing reconstruction of one man's torturous journey through the unspeakable horrors of war and its aftermath. Weaving together interviews with Thompson and his family; comments from friends, fellow soldiers, and other POWs; and excerpts from service records, medical reports, and intelligence briefings, journalist Tom Philpott creates a moving and compelling portrait of a complex and heroic figure. Combining the rich historical detail of Neil Sheehan's A Bright Shining Lie with the pathos of a James Jones novel, Glory Denied is a monumental work of oral history and a much-needed reminder of how far we have come -- and how far we have yet to travel -- in understanding one of the defining moments of our generation.

About this title

Review:

Told with skill and sensitivity . . . strikingly successful. --Anthony Day

About the Author:

Tom Philpott is a syndicated columnist and freelancer writer. His weekly column, "Military Update," appears in more than forty daily newspapers in the United States and overseas. He lives in Centreville, Virginia.

About this edition

• Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
• Publication date: 2001
• ISBN 10: 0393338355
• ISBN 13: 9780393338355
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 498