How soon does it ship: Normal ship time within one day
Shipping? Absolutely FREE if you qualify for Super Saver Shipping.
Type of bind: Paperback Dewey Decimal Number: 940.547243 EAN num: 9781599210636 ISBN number: 1599210630 Label: The Lyons Press Manufacturer: The Lyons Press Quantity: 1 Page Count: 232 Printing Date: June 01, 2007 Publishing house: The Lyons Press Sale Popularity Level: 15181 Studio: The Lyons Press
Amazon.com: If this story of espionage and survival were a novel, readers might dismiss the Shackleton-like exploits of its hero as too fantastic to be taken seriously. But respected historian David Howarth confirmed the details of Jan Baalsrud's riveting tale. It begins in the spring of 1943, with Norway occupied by the Nazis and the Allies desperate to open the northern sea lanes to Russia. Baalsrud and three compatriots plan to smuggle themselves into their homeland by boat, spend the summer recruiting and training resistance fighters, and launch a surprise attack on a German air base. But he's betrayed shortly after landfall, and a quick fight leaves Baalsrud alone and trapped on a freezing island above the Arctic Circle. He's poorly clothed (one foot is entirely bare), has a head start of only a few hundred yards on his Nazi pursuers, and leaves a trail of blood as he crosses the snow. How he avoids capture and ultimately escapes--revealing that much spoils nothing in this white-knuckle narrative--is astonishing stuff. Baalsrud's feats make the travails in Jon Krakauer's Mt. Everest classic Into Thin Air look like child's play. In an introduction, Stephen Ambrose calls We Die Alone a rare reading experience: 'a book that I absolutely cannot put down until I've finished it and one that I can never forget.' This amazing book will disappoint no one. --John J. Miller
Product Description:
A World War II chronicles of Jan Baalsrud's escape from Nazi-occupied arctic Norway.
Customer Reviews
User popularity level:
Rated by buyers - An amazing story.
I very first read this book when I was about eleven, over thirty years later I bought it again, and the story was just as amazing to me as an adult as it was when I was a child. Jan's story has to be read to believed.
Rated by buyers - A beautiful lesson in heroism
The will of a Norwegian resistance during World War II, who injured will fight to survive in extreme conditions. What lesson of heroism! The victory at the end of suffering is a lesson of humanity. Great book.
Rated by buyers - Phenomenal, Unforgettable Book
My husband and I both read this book after seeing a History Channel documentary of this man's story. It is hard to believe that the book is a true story, though, of course, it is. This book is not only the tale of an incredibly brave man who would defied death again and again, but it is also, and of equal interest, a testament to the people of Norway and their courage during the Second World War. I am buying this book for everyone on my Christmas list this upcoming year.
Rated by buyers - Incredible story of the will to survive
I don't know if the story is greatly exaggerated or not, I have to believe it is mostly truthful. Even so, the dangers this man the people that helped him are incredible at least. I don't care, it's a great read.
Rated by buyers - A story of survival that no one hears about.
The story of Jan Baalsrud may be the most extraordinary I have ever read...ever. This true account of a Norwegian British special forces solider in WWII and his survival of a botched secret mission is not only amazing, it is unbelievable.
The story revolves around a 12 man covert mission to northern Norway, intended to knock out a remote Nazi position. A strange turn of events gives away their position, and all but one man (Baalsrud) is either killed or captured. Thus begins a long journey in harsh conditions to find freedom again in Sweden.
I will not give away a lot of details, but this story is so intense and exciting that you will find yourself saying "No way!" only to read on and repeat the phrase. Jan survives such amazing circumstances on repeated occasions, showing the animalistic drive for survival that lives within the human spirit. He has help, as Norwegians grapple with sure death if they agree to even feed Jan. Even with this prospect looming, not one countryman turns him away. In a nation that did not play a large role in the war, this fact shows the love these people have for their country and their people. I am surprised that I have never heard of Jan's story. Most I have spoken to have never heard as well. There is even an annual march to commemorate this story, following Jan's footsteps to freedom.
This book is well worth reading and reflecting on in comparison with our own comfortable lives. We live in a time of great wealth and comfort compared to these people. They had spirit beyond words and believed in a strong sense of companionship and support. Jan's story is not only amazing and breathtaking, but also life changing. You will never see the human spirit or your own place in the world the same. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves stories of heart and strength, or who needs a lifting up of their own. See how a man can lean on others and survive the most harsh offerings of nature in a tale you thought could only be found in fiction.
- An amazing story.