Saturday, September 5, 2009

Out of Captivity: Surviving 1,967 Days in the Colombian Jungle


Out of Captivity: Surviving 1,967 Days in the Colombian Jungle, written by Marc Gonsalves, Keith Stansell, and Tom Howes, tells the story of three American contractors who were put into a situation that drained them both physically and mentally. On February 13, 2003, their plane crashed in the thick and mountainous Colombian Jungle as they were studying the countries drug fields and plants. After their crash, they were captured by the FARC who were a Colombian terrorist and Marxist rebellion organization. Over the next five years, these men trudged through the extensive Colombian Jungle living on limited resources as they awaited a rescue. This book is a true example of survival of the fittest. The captives were pushed to their limits not only physically but mentally as well. Throughout the book, the men express the torture they feel for leaving their families behind. Regardless of the likelihood of their survival, regardless of the chains and the rule of silence, they had one another and the memories of their families to reach their number one goal: to survive. Even though this book can become extremely gruesome at times, it is an exciting read that keeps the reader thinking. The story these men leave behind on the pages of their book makes a person appreciate what they have. There are men and women just like the three men who survived that are still struggling with the same problems in the Colombian Jungle everyday. Out of Captivity, is an exciting yet depressing book that shows how far these three men worked to stay alive for not only their own sake, but for their loved ones and each other.

- Christina Aguilera

3 comments:

  1. I really liked the review for this book, and it sounds a lot like mine, minus the gruesome parts. I think that reading this book would be a real eyeopener for anyone who doesn't fully appreciate what they have.

    -Marilyn Monroe

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  2. I also read a survival story and love reading about adventure stories, so this book definitely seems worth reading. I always find it interesting to read about these survival stories and wonder if I myself would be able to live through what the book characters did.
    - Audrey Hepburn

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  3. The authors got into a little hot water because they didn't have the most charitable feelings toward Ingrid Betancourt, their fellow captive.

    Also, I've read articles criticizing their employer for using the wrong types of planes for their tasks. Plus, there's always the contentious issue of using private contractors for sorties that are a part of military missions.

    Nice work.

    Mrs. McCabe

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