Book review: Out of Captivity

I hate writing book reviews, but every once in a while, I read a book that  just stands out from a lot of stuff that passes for literature these days. That’s the case of “Out of Captivity” written by Marc Gonsalves, Tom Howes, Keith Stansell about their nearly 2,000 days as prisoners and hostages of the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionario de Colombia – FARC.

Gonsalves, Howes and Stansell were contractors flying reconnaissance for the US government over FARC’s cocaine fields when their aircraft malfunctioned and crashed. Though all five of the occupants survived the crash, two were killed out right by FARC guerrillas and the remaining three became pawns in a huge political game.

The first quarter of the book is about their first forty days – an arduous march through the thick, mountainous jungles of Colombia. A weeks-long struggle against the jungle and the guerillas while they were forced by their captors to avoid detection by the Colombian army – their salvation and their death sentence. Living on blocks of sugar, packets of Saltine crackers and brown water, fighting infection from the injuries of the crash they plod and carry each other further into the jungle.

The interpersonal relationships between the Americans, the Colombians, FARC guerrillas and Colombian Army are a fascinating study.

Aside from being an excellent story about the human spirit, it’s very well-written so that I felt hungry, haggard and trapped as they recount their ordeal.

So now that I’ve convinced you to buy the book, please buy it from the Amazon links in my sidebar so you cheapskates can support this blog (see, that’s why I’m not in sales). “Out of Captivity” is listed in the ad entitled “I recommend” – those things are all books, movies and stuff I own or read.

No matter where you buy this book, though, you must  read it.

Category: Historical, Terror War