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Search - Glory Denied: The Saga of Jim Thompson, America's Longest-Held Prisoner of War

Glory Denied The Saga of Jim Thompson America's LongestHeld Prisoner of War
Author: Tom Philpott

One of the most powerful books to emerge about Vietnam—the unforgettable story of America's longest-held prisoner-of-war, his family, and a country at war with itself. He had dreamed of being a military man as a youngster during World War II. Marrying shortly after high school, he was drafted by the Army in 1956 and sent to a faraway land ... more »called Vietnam in 1963 at a time when America still seemed innocent. In fact, Floyd "Jim" Thompson might have led a perfectly ordinary life had he not been captured on March 26, 1964, just three months after arriving in Vietnam, becoming one of the first Americans taken prisoner, and ultimately, the longest-held prisoner-of-war in American history. Now, for the first time, Thompson's epic story, and that of his family who also paid dearly for his sacrifice, is brought to life in Glory Denied, a searing reconstruction of one man's tortuous journey through war and its aftermath. Weaving together scores of interviews with Thompson and his family, comments from friends, fellow soldiers, former prisoners-of-war, and excerpts from service records, medical reports, and intelligence briefings, Philpott delivers an exceptionally nuanced and moving portrait of a man, a family, and a nation. The first half of the saga follows Thompson from his youth through his marriage and early days in the Army, to his harrowing survival in Vietnam—nine years in jungle cages and dank prison cells, surviving torture, disease, and starvation. We see how, by happenstance, a painful childhood honed a soldier's survival skills amid unspeakable horrors. And most vividly we see Thompson's family struggling with the consequences of his absence. Indeed, particularly arresting is Philpott's ability to juxtapose Thompson's capture, torture, and multiple escape attempts with the trials of his young wife Alyce, pregnant with their fourth child and devastated when her husband was declared missing in action. The once dependent wife, unaware of her husband's survival and feeling trapped, would make choices that forever would tie her own fate to the war she despised. And the Army's compliance with those decisions turned the spotlight off Thompson and allowed another prisoner of war to be remembered in his place. The final half of Glory Denied chronicles the journey of the Thompsons in the decades following America's longest war. While wounds from the war, both physical and social, healed for most Americans, the nightmare of Vietnam only shifted into another stage for the family. What became so apparent was that Alyce had changed. The children had changed. The nation's values had changed. But Thompson's values—and dreams—had not. He had missed an unprecedented social revolution—a revolution that now mocked his sacrifice—and he had missed nine critical years of an Army career. The final chapters of Glory Denied read like a classic tragedy, filled with stories of reconciliation, abandonment, and addiction. It is a tale as absorbing as any Arthur Miller play, a relentlessly heartrending story that tells us as much about our nation's history as it does about a family named Thompson. Glory Denied, which combines the historical detail of Neil Sheehan's A Bright Shining Lie with the pathos of a James Jones novel, is a masterly work of oral history, a project that has consumed its author for more than a decade. Neither the book nor its subject, Jim Thompson, will soon be forgotten. 16 pages of photos

ISBN-13: 9780393020120
ISBN-10: 0393020126
Publication Date: 5/2001
Pages: 480
Rating:

Currently 2.8/5 Stars.

2.8 stars, based on 3 ratings

Publisher: W. W. Norton Company
Book Type: Hardcover
Other Versions: Paperback
Members Wishing: 0
Reviews: Member | Amazon | Write a Review

Read All 3 Book Reviews of "Glory Denied The Saga of Jim Thompson Americas LongestHeld Prisoner of War"

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John P. (CW4JohnP) reviewed Glory Denied: The Saga of Jim Thompson, America's Longest-Held Prisoner of War on 11/29/2011

Give a realistic account of how a person and their family is affected by the horrors of war.

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Richard H. (wanderers) - , reviewed Glory Denied: The Saga of Jim Thompson, America's Longest-Held Prisoner of War on 12/8/2009 + 11 more book reviews

Rick thought is was very interesting look into what pow's went through.

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Robert S. (radonfish) - , reviewed Glory Denied: The Saga of Jim Thompson, America's Longest-Held Prisoner of War on 4/8/2007 + 131 more book reviews

poignant, candid,philpott digs beneath the dusty facts and down to the emotional truths.................

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Read All Book Reviews of "Glory Denied The Saga of Jim Thompson Americas LongestHeld Prisoner of War"

Genres:

Biographies & Memoirs >> General
Biographies & Memoirs >> Leaders & Notable People >> Military >> General
Biographies & Memoirs >> Professionals & Academics >> Military & Spies
History >> Americas >> United States >> 20th Century >> General
History >> Asia >> Vietnam >> General
History >> Military >> Vietnam War

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Search - Glory Denied: The Saga of Jim Thompson, America's Longest-Held Prisoner of War

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