A Prisoner's Duty

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 escape and those who do not. Concentrating on the American character held hostage, Doyle combed official and private archives as well as unpublished diaries, letters, and memoirs to find exciting stories of individuals, famous and unknown, who risked their lives and those of others to escape. The collection of stories he has compiled is broad in scope, featuring civilians, soldiers, sailors, and airmen. Jammed with enough exciting tales to satisfy anyone's fascination with escape, 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 ultimate patriot. It is illustrated with eighteen rare pictures.