his name is alvin townley but i was given a copy of this book about a week ago. i thought well okay if i'm going to introduce alvin i probably ought to see with this book is all about. i have read several other accounts by stock dale and others relative to the p.o.w. experience in vietnam and i have had extensive conversations with admiral stock ale over the course of time both as a mentor and as an advisor at the navy war college and i had the privilege of going through the hanoi hilton while it was still on active duty and seeing it as it is today which is basically a tourist attraction. i thought i probably ought to read it and the way i'm going to do this is i'm going to read an early chapter, going to read a middle chapter and then read the last chapter. it doesn't work. it doesn't work. it is a great book. it is written in a very captive capturing narrative style. it's the kind of book that picks you up and absolutely embraces you with the human spirit and our ability to adapt and the heroic measures that were taken by those that were captured and held for