Throughout our nation’s history American servicemen and civilians have resisted captivity in every form, drawing on special powers of ingenuity, determination, and patriotism to escape– sometimes repeatedly. Robert Doyle’s penetrating look at some extraordinary escapes by Americans breaks new ground in escape psychology, shedding light on the types of people who try to breakout and those who do not. This engrossing study probes the personal and social impacts of escape, the many motivations that spur such acts, and the concept of the escaper as the ideal prisoner and the ultimate patriot.
The Spirit to Soar
On January 23rd, 1967, Lt. Colonel Barry Bridger and his copilot, Dave Grey, launched a mission over Vietnam in their Phantom F-4 fighter jet in treacherous weather. It was Colonel Bridger’s 75th mission and the only one he had attempted in the daylight hours. Suddenly, his plane was split in
