When the Japanese Imperial Forces invaded the Philippine Islands at the onset of World War II, they quickly rounded up and imprisoned the citizens of Allied countries, subjecting them to unspeakable acts of cruelty. Word of the atrocities these prisoners suffered at the hands of their Japanese captors spread south to the more remote islands and, rather than surrender, many of the expatriates sought refuge with friendly natives as their islands were occupied. Some volunteered their services to the Allied armed forces in a futile effort to stave off the final onslaught and fled upon the inevitable surrender. Jordan A. Hamner, a young American mining engineer, was one of these fugitives.
Taking to the disease-ridden jungle with two American co-workers, Hamner wandered for nearly a year through the mountainous, alien environment of the remote Pacific wilderness. Fighting sickness, hunger, and the threat of hostile native tribes, the three finally stumbled upon a derelict, twenty-one foot long lifeboat -- and a plan. Equipped only with a map torn from the pages of National Geographic, the three converted the lifeboat into a sailboat for a treacherous trip across 1,500 nautical miles to Australia. Christened the Or Else, the boat's function was clear; they would make it to Australia -- or else.
With two young Filipinos as a crew, they sailed this tiny, unseaworthy craft for thirty perilous days, stopping only briefly to replenish their meager supplies or to evade enemy vessels. Their voyage was marked by nearly disastrous encounters with hostile islanders, imminent starvation, and tropical storms. Based on the unpublished memoir of Jordan Hamner, Fugitives follows the real-life adventures of these courageous young Americans from certain capture to the welcome shores of Australia.
