Six Years in the Hanoi Hilton: An Extraordinary Story of Courage and Survival in Vietnam

by Amy Shively Hawk, John McCain (Foreword by)

Overview

With a foreword by Senator John McCain.

In 1967, U.S. Air Force fighter pilot James Shively was shot down over North Vietnam. After ejecting from his F-105 Thunderchief aircraft, he landed in a rice paddy and was captured by the North Vietnamese Army. For the next six years, Shively endured brutal treatment at the hands of the enemy in Hanoi prison camps. Back home his girlfriend moved on and married another man. Bound in iron stocks at the Hanoi Hilton, unable to get home to his loved ones, Shively contemplated suicide. Yet somehow he found hope and the will to survive--and he became determined to help his fellow POWs.

In a newspaper interview several years after his release, Shively said, "I had the opportunity to be captured, the opportunity to be interrogated, the opportunity to be tortured and the experience of answering questions under torture. It was an extremely humiliating experience. I felt sorry for myself. But I learned the hard way life isn't fair. Life is only what you make of it."

Written by Shively's stepdaughter Amy Hawk--whose mother Nancy ultimately reunited with and married Shively in a triumphant love story--and based on extensive audio recordings and Shively's own journals, Six Years in the Hanoi Hilton is a haunting, riveting portrayal of life as an American prisoner of war trapped on the other side of the world.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781621575566
Publisher:	Skyhorse Publishing
Publication date:	03/13/2017
Sold by:	SIMON & SCHUSTER
Format:	eBook
Pages:	320
Sales rank:	198,032
File size:	1 MB

About the Author

The list of Regnery authors reads like a "who's who" of conservative thought, action, and history.

Table of Contents

Author's Note xi

Special Note to POWs xv

Foreword xvii

Prologue xix

Part 1

1 Baseball and BB Guns 5

2 "What Did I Get Myself Into?" 15

3 What Happens in Vegas… 23

4 One Hundred Missions 29

5 One More Roll 35

6 Shot Down 51

Part 2

7 Heartbreak Hotel 63

8 Don't Let the Bed Bugs Bite 73

9 Mind Games, Exploitation, and Propaganda 83

10 "A Little Spark of Hope" 95

11 Hanoi Hannah, Gyro Gearloose, and Ladies' Underwear 101

12 Escape and Repercussions: New Levels of Hell 117

13 Camp Faith 123

14 Welcome to the Jungle 137

15 Operation Homecoming 143

Part 3

16 Return to Freedom 153

17 Life in the Spotlight 163

18 Don't Sweat the Small Stuff 169

19 Because You Cannot Hate and Live 179

20 The Last Battle 187

Epilogue 197

Afterword 199

Acknowledgments 209

Notes 213

Index 225

Editorial Reviews

I couldn’t put this book down. In ten hours I cried through a box of Kleenex, laughed out loud, inwardly smiled, felt very nauseous, became extremely angry, then was filled with awe and gratitude. Six Years in the Hanoi Hilton should be required reading for every high school student in the nation. It is an American treasure, but then it was written about one. I am proud to have called Jim Shively a friend and I’m proud of his daughter. Amy is a gifted writer. Kudos to her for sharing her dad’s story with the world.”
—Debra Wilde, former news anchor and journalist, Spokane

“ Six Years in the Hanoi Hilton is an outstanding tribute to a remarkable person. The story of Jim Shively truly shows off the best of the human spirit. Including the brutal, heartbreaking, and heroic six years he spent as a POW, this account also captures wonderful moments from his formative years, days as a fighter pilot, father, and family man. Amy has taken an extraordinary amount of history and detail and with wonderful storytelling has presented us the life of Jim Shively with a great deal of humanness and humor.”
—Ken Hopkins, program director and morning co-host of the Dave, Ken & Molly Show at 92.9 ZZU in Spokane

“As a classmate of Jim Shively at the Air Force Academy and a lifelong friend, I am truly ecstatic that Jim’s daughter, Amy, has written this book. My wife, Sandy, and I have spent many, many hours not just reading the book, but discussing it in considerable detail. I have not read any other book on the POW experience that impressed me to the same extent. I believe the reader will be greatly pleased and blessed by the absolutely wonderful rendition and research by Amy. Jim Shively was truly a gentleman and man among men, and I will never forget his terrible wounds staring us in the face each day from his heroic resistance. Obviously, by this outstanding book, it is clear his spirit, courage, and excellence remain with us on earth in his daughter, Amy, as well as with him where he is now. Thank you, Amy, this book has been a spectacular confirmation of my very highest opinion of your dear father and my dear friend. All the best to you for its wonderful success, which I believe will greatly bless our country in many, many ways.”
—Captain Guy G. Gruters, motivational POW speaker and author of Locked Up With God

“ Six Years in the Hanoi Hilton is not merely a story of war, captivity, and torture. It is the story of a special man, one of the best and brightest of his generation. Jim Shively’s faith, inner strength, patriotism, and humility were the hallmarks of a truly great American. He was a man of character and dedication to service. It was my distinct privilege to know Jim Shively. We became friends relatively late in his life. He shared many memories, some about his captivity in Vietnam. But mostly Jim offered a perspective on life filled with a rare honesty and sincerity that made every hour with him an honor. Through the pages of this book, that honor is now yours.”
—Mike Fitzsimmons, award-winning radio and television journalist, news director, and talk radio host, KXLY Newsradio 920, Spokane

“A wonderful tribute to a great man. This book is great for Vets, family or friends of Vets, and just about anyone who appreciates our servicemen. The stories in Amy’s book are heartbreaking, frustrating, but also inspiring. I love Jim Shively and I love this book!”
—Dave Sposito, morning co-host of the Dave, Ken & Molly Show at 92.9 ZZU in Spokane

From the Publisher