Chained Eagle: The Heroic Story of the First American Shot Down Over North Vietnam
Everett Alvarez Jr
(Author)
Anthony S. Pitch
(Author)
Description
On August 5, 1964, while Lt. (jg) Everett Alvarez was flying a retaliatory air strike against naval targets in North Vietnam, antiaircraft fire crippled his A-4 fighter-bomber, forcing him to eject over water at low altitude. Alvarez relates the engrossing tale of his capture by fishermen, brutal treatment by the North Vietnamese, physical and mental endurance, and triumphant repatriation nearly nine years later in 1973. Alvarez spent more time as a prisoner of war in Vietnam than any other flier. As Senator John McCain, a fellow POW, has written, "During his captivity, Ev exhibited a courage, compassion, and indomitable will that was an inspiration to us all." Indeed, the book, which was written with Anthony S. Pitch, is remarkable for its lack of rancor. Alvarez directs his strongest words against the small number of POWs who broke ranks and collaborated with the enemy. As one reviewer wrote, Alvarez "relates the misery of his condition with a detachment that robs it of its shock value." Chained Eagle also tells the story of the Alvarez family's ordeal during his years of imprisonment: His sister became an anitwar activist, his wife divorced him, and relatives died. Yet throughout his time as a prisoner of war, Alvarez remained duty-bound and held steadfast to his religious faith and the values enshrined in the U.S. Constitution.
Product Details
Price
$23.95
$22.27
Publisher
Potomac Books
Publish Date
May 01, 2005
Pages
320
Dimensions
6.1 X 8.96 X 0.94 inches | 1.08 pounds
Language
English
Type
Paperback
EAN/UPC
9781574885583
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Become an affiliateAbout the Author
Anthony S. Pitch is the author of a number of books including The Burning of Washington: The British Invasion of 1814, a selection of the History Book Club and winner of the Arline Custer Memorial Prize and Maryland Historical Society's annual book award. He has been featured on outlets ranging from NPR to The History Channel to C-Span to Fox News and is a highly sought-after public speaker. A former journalist in England, Africa, and Israel, Pitch has been a broadcast editor for the Associated Press and a senior writer for US News and World Report's Books division. He lives in a Washington, DC, suburb.
Reviews
"Needs to be read by all who desire to understand the stuff of which heroes are made."
"He made better decisions while pinned down flat in his dingy cells in Hanoi than the highly placed Washington officials of those years made in their padded swivel chairs."
"More so than any other books on the subject, this book gives the reade3r a sense of what it means to be imprisoned for a long time."
"Told in a controlled and quiet tone, this story grips the reader in a way no sensational telling could. Long awaited, and recommended."
"Engrossing . . . a top-drawer POW memoir, but what sets it apart is its unblinking concurrent narration of the Alvarez family's ordeal."
""Chained Eagle" is one of the best books on Vietnam I have seen, and with the recent death of the icon of the POW experience, Vice Adm. James B. Stockdale, it takes on greater importance."
"Absolutely riveting . . . "Chained Eagle" is one of the best books on Vietnam I have seen, and with the recent passing of that icon of the POW experience, Vice Admiral James B. Stockdale, it takes on greater importance."
"He made better decisions while pinned down flat in his dingy cells in Hanoi than the highly placed Washington officials of those years made in their padded swivel chairs."
"More so than any other books on the subject, this book gives the reade3r a sense of what it means to be imprisoned for a long time."
"Told in a controlled and quiet tone, this story grips the reader in a way no sensational telling could. Long awaited, and recommended."
"Engrossing . . . a top-drawer POW memoir, but what sets it apart is its unblinking concurrent narration of the Alvarez family's ordeal."
""Chained Eagle" is one of the best books on Vietnam I have seen, and with the recent death of the icon of the POW experience, Vice Adm. James B. Stockdale, it takes on greater importance."
"Absolutely riveting . . . "Chained Eagle" is one of the best books on Vietnam I have seen, and with the recent passing of that icon of the POW experience, Vice Admiral James B. Stockdale, it takes on greater importance."