Defiant: The POWs Who Endured Vietnam’s Most Infamous Prison, the Women Who Fought for Them, and the One Who Never Returned
By Alvin Townley
Read by Joe Barrett
Unabridged
Format :
Retail CD (In Stock)
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2 Formats: Retail CD
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2 Formats: MP3 CD
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$32.95
ISBN: 9781482958683
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$29.95
ISBN: 9781482958676
| Runtime: | 14.78 Hours |
| Category: | Nonfiction/History |
| Audience: | Adult |
| Language: | English |
Summary
Summary
The story of the indomitable American POWs who endured "Alcatraz," the Hanoi prison camp where North Vietnam locked its most dangerous and subversive prisoners, and the wives who fought to bring them home
During the Vietnam War, hundreds of American prisoners of war faced years of brutal conditions and horrific torture at the hands of communist interrogators who ruthlessly plied them for military intelligence and propaganda. Determined to maintain their code of conduct, the inmates of the Hanoi Hilton and other POW camps developed a powerful underground resistance. To quash it, the North Vietnamese singled out its eleven leaders, Vietnam's own "dirty dozen," and banished them to an isolated jail that would become known as Alcatraz. None would leave its solitary cells and interrogation rooms unscathed; one would never leave.
As these men suffered in Hanoi, their wives launched an extraordinary campaign that would ultimately spark the POW/MIA movement. When the survivors finally returned, one would receive the Medal of Honor, another became a US senator, and a third still serves in congress. A story of survival and triumph in the vein of Unbroken and Band of Brothers, Defiant will inspire anyone wondering how courage, faith, and brotherhood can endure even in the darkest of situations.
Editorial Reviews
Editorial Reviews
“A gripping
account of the ‘Alcatraz Eleven’…Townley’s telling of these important stories
is fresh and vivid, thanks to his interviews with surviving prisoners and their
family members. Defiant is an
excellent book for younger readers with little knowledge of this searing
chapter in American history, when a brash United States stumbled its way deeper
and deeper into the Indochina morass. Townley also adds an important, and often
overlooked, dimension to the prisoners’ stories—that of their wives’campaign at
home to thrust the plight of the POWs into the national spotlight.” —New York Times Book Review
“Where do we get such men like the Alcatraz Eleven? Captured
during a controversial war and imprisoned by a cruel enemy, this stirring tale
by Alvin Townley of resilience and leadership under unimaginable conditions is
a must read.” —Captain James A. Lovell, Jr., commander of Apollo 13
“Defiant is Unbroken meets Band
of Brothers—and then
some. In it, Alvin Townley’s vivid prose reveals the epic story of the
Alcatraz Eleven—Vietnam’s own Dirty Dozen—and how their wives never stopped
fighting for their safe return. The devotion and undefeatable will of these
courageous American heroes shines on every page and reminds us exactly what our
great nation is made of.” —Congressman Pete Sessions
“If you have ever wondered how real courage and ultimate
perseverance should be defined, all you need to do is read these pages. If you
have ever pondered whether Americans still have the grit and the ‘guts’ to show
the world what it takes to defend freedom, reading about the ‘Alcatraz
Eleven’ will bolster your confidence. What these men endured nearly defies
description, but Alvin Townley has managed to pull it off brilliantly. The
writing is hard-hitting and powerful, dynamic and breathtaking. So, too, is
his retelling of the stoic courage of the loved ones stuck at home with
uncertainty and doubt: uncertainty about their own abilities to bear up, then
doubt in the fortitude and truthfulness of their own government. What the
families did from afar, and how they ultimately put backbone into their own
leaders and pushed accountability onto the captors of the POWs, is a story
heretofore largely untold. It is a narrative as striking in its own right as
the tales of the ‘Alcatraz Eleven’ themselves.”
—Phil Keith, award-winning author of Blackhorse Riders and Fire Base Illingworth
“Defiant is all about voices—those that went
unused for days by solitary prisoners of war and those of silently suffering
women back home who eventually felt no choice but to speak out. Alvin Townley
soberly evokes the terror, sadness, frustration, pain, and inspiration they all
felt and along the way gives us a Vietnam War most of us have never heard
about, involving legions of American women and imprisoned men fighting together,
thousands of miles apart.” —Alan Huffman, author of Here I Am: The Story of Tim Hetherington, War Photographer
“The story of human courage, individual and family
perseverance, survival based on a warrior’s code of honor. Alvin Townley
weaves the recollections of these remarkable men into a compelling narrative
against the backdrop of war, freedom, forgiveness, and reconciliation. An
inspirational account of POWs who served with honor while in captivity and
returned home with a commitment to serve their country.” —Larry Berman, author of Zumwalt: The Life and Times of Admiral Elmo Russell “Bud”Zumwalt, Jr.
“I carried this book from room to room and kept trying to
put it down, but I couldn’t stop reading. Alvin Townley shows the heart of what
it means to be American in this tale of some of our greatest heroes. Defiant is
superb.” —Gregory A. Freeman, author of The Gathering Wind: Hurricane Sandy, the Sailing Ship Bounty, and a Courageous Rescue at Sea
“With Defiant, Alvin Townley has
done readers a huge favor. By describing the POWs’ scenes of torture and
deprivation in such detail—to the point we can almost feel our own bones crack
under pressure—he reminds us that we should never take our civil liberties for
granted. This book is a testament to the human spirit and how, in the worst of
conditions with the best of men, it can be bent but never broken.”
—David Abrams, author of Fobbit
“Alvin
Townley’s Defiant is a compelling recounting of the horror,
hope, hell, and humanity that was daily life for the American prisoners of war
who struggled through existence at Hanoi’s most brutal prison camp. Expertly
researched and compellingly written, Townley’s account of the reality of life
both in Hanoi’s prisons and for the families of the prisoners at home is
inspiring reading and should be part of any Vietnam War library.” —Andrew Wiest, author of The Boys of ’67
“Defiant is a must-read for those who seek to
understand and honor the very best of America and its heroes. Alvin Townley’s
exhaustive research shows us how our prisoners of war in Vietnam served with
inspired bravery and unrelenting courage. We can now know in detail how
the most abused of them all survived years of brutality and solitary
confinement.” —Melvin R. Laird, Secretary of Defense (1968–1972)
“Alvin Townley has done a magnificent job of weaving
together the powerful and complex story of eleven men who survived the
unbelievable cruelty of their North Vietnamese captors. Defiant honors
the bravery and sacrifice of our prisoners of war and their families as no other
reporting has done to date. These men, many of whom I knew, deserve no less.” —Richard G. Capen, assistant to the secretary of defense (1968–1971)
“I couldn’t put it down! Alvin Townley’s work speaks volumes
of America and our service men and women, and their spouses…their honor,
steadfastness, perseverance, spirit, and love of country…and clearly
illuminates the differences in our militaries and governments. Reading ‘today’
of their time in captivity brings the same emotions America shed upon their
release and return in 1973.” —General J. H. Binford Peay III, US Army (Ret.); superintendent, Virginia Military Institute; former commander-in-chief, US Central Command
“Defiant is
a riveting tribute to the unyielding men who endured years of brutal captivity
as POWs in Vietnam and the families they left behind. The men of the ‘Alcatraz
Eleven’ are true American heroes, and their extraordinary stories will serve as
an inspiration for generations to come.” —Senator John McCain
“That most tragic war in American history, Vietnam, demanded
more from many American servicemen than humans should have to endure. That some
Americans are asked by fate to give so much while most others give so little is
one of the insoluble conundrums of our age. Alvin Townley’s story of the
courage, valor, and honor of eleven indomitable POWs and their wives is a new
American classic that will be read as long as the breezes kiss Old Glory. As I
read it I wept.” —Stephen Coonts, New York Times bestselling author
“A unique American epic which must never be forgotten.
Thanks to Alvin Townley’s ability to convert its heartbreaking reality into
vivid prose, its men and women are alive as human beings as well as
symbols of their commitment to each other—and their country.” —Thomas Fleming, New York Times bestselling author
“In Defiant, Alvin Townley reveals a moving,
inspiring, untold story of courage and sacrifice that stands as a vivid
testimony to what the human spirit can overcome. This is an important and too
often overlooked aspect of the Vietnam War’s history. But for those interested
in Vietnam’s Band of Brothers, it is a must read.” —Jay Winik, New York Times bestselling author
“Defiant is an astounding story that will
capture your heart and mind, proving once and for all that determination trumps
circumstance.” —Andy Andrews, New York Times bestselling author
“An engaging account that focuses on about a dozen of the captives…Townley writes reverently of these POWs, whom he calls ‘American stalwarts,’ ‘defiant patriots,’ and ‘corralled incorrigibles.’”
—Publishers Weekly
“If the suffering of American POWs at the hands of their Vietnamese captors was unimaginable, this audiobook goes some way to make that expeience vivid…The anguish of the POWs comes through in [Barrett’s] voice…Townley weaves a remarkably detailed account.” —AudioFile
“Townley composes a complex historical narrative covering roughly 1965 to 1973, following two parallel elements: the experiences of POWs in the notorious ‘Hanoi Hilton,’contrasted with their families’ anguish and, more broadly, the American military’s declining fortunes in the conflict…An inspirational yet grueling read that demonstrates the price some paid for patriotism in a different era and another unpopular war.” —Kirkus Reviews
Author
Author Bio: Alvin Townley
Alvin Townley is the author of Legacy of Honor, Spirit of Adventure, and Fly Navy. He lives in his hometown of Atlanta, Georgia.
Titles by Author
Details
Details
| Available Formats : | Retail CD, MP3 CD |
| Category: | Nonfiction/History |
| Runtime: | 14.78 |
| Audience: | Adult |
| Language: | English |
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