Honor Bound: American Prisoners of War in Southeast Asia, 1961-1973 (Hardcover)

by Stuart I. Rochester (Author), Frederick T. Kiley (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review
"...the most definitive book to date about the American prisoner-of-war experience in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War era." -- The Journal of American History, December 2000

Honor Bound is a monumental achievement, not only in its depth and breadth of treatment but in its honesty and accuracy. This is the definitive book on the POW experience--and a beautifully written one. -- Vice Adm. James Bond Stockdale, USN, Ret.

The book is a masterpiece. . . . It will be a monument and a living resource for many years to come: an eloquent tribute to the brave men who endured quite extraordinary tribulation with their pride and sense of honor intact. . . . An epic story, told with epic simplicity. -- Eugene V. Rostow, Distinguished Professor of Law and Diplomacy, National Defense University

Product Description
Among the many horrors of the Vietnam War, some of the most brutal and, until now, least documented were the experiences of the American prisoners of war, many of whom endured the longest wartime captivity of any POWs in U.S. history. With this book, two of the most respected scholars in the field offer a comprehensive, balanced, and authoritative account of what happened to the nearly eight hundred Americans captured in Southeast Asia. The authors were granted unprecedented access to previously unreleased materials and interviewed over a hundred former POWs, enabling them to meticulously reconstruct the captivity record as well as produce an evocative narrative of a once sketchy and misunderstood, yet key chapter of the war.

Powerful and moving in its portrayal of how men sought to cope with physical and psychological ordeals under the most adverse conditions, this landmark study separates fact from fiction. Its analysis of the shifting tactics and temperaments of captive and captor as the war evolved skillfully weaves domestic political developments and battlefield action with prison scenes that alternate between Hanoi’s concrete cells, South Vietnam’s jungle stockades, and mountain camps in Laos.

Giving due praise but never shirking from criticism, the authors describe in gripping detail dozens of cases of individual courage and resistance from celebrated heroes like Jim Stockdale, Robinson Risner, Jeremiah Denton, Bud Day, and Nick Rowe to lesser known legends like Major Ray Schrump and Medal of Honor winner Donald Cook. Along with epic accounts of endurance under torture, breathtaking escape attempts, and remarkable prisoner communication efforts, they also reveal Code of Conduct lapses and instances of outright collaboration with the enemy.

Published twenty-five years after Operation Homecoming, which brought home 591 POWs from Vietnam, this tour-de-force history is a compelling and important work that serves as a testament to the courage, faith, and will of Americans in captivity, as well as a reminder of the sometimes impossible demands made on U.S. servicemen under the Code of Conduct in prisoner of war situations. It is vividly illustrated with maps, prisoners’ renderings of camps and torture techniques, and dozens of photographs, many never before published.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 706 pages
• Publisher: US Naval Institute Press (March 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1557506949
• ISBN-13: 978-1557506948
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 7.3 x 2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #534,843 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in this category: (What's this?)

  #50 in

  Books > History > Military > Prisoners of War

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Triumph of the human spirit, August 31, 2001

By	J. F Malysiak "macafferty" (Chicago, IL USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

A brilliant, highly accessible account of the history of the POWs in Southeast Asia. The text is very readable and concisely written. The photographs alone speak volumes and the maps provide a nice illustrative point of reference.

Before you read any other POW-related book, take the time to read "Honor Bound" cover to cover. Not only will you feel you are getting to know these men - heroes all - personally, you will gain a brutally clear perception of the conditions these men were forced to endure and the way they managed to maintain their honor and dignity in the face of such terrible adversity. The human element is very strong.

This is not, mind you, a book for the weak-stomached. The book is unflinching in its cataloging of the various tortures the POWs underwent, the often rancid food they were forced to subsist on, and the day to day challenges their captors and the climate inflicted upon them.

Surprisingly, however, while the reader is horrified, he or she will leave the book strangely uplifted. It reaffirms one's faith in the human spirit and humanity in general.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The truth captured on paper, October 4, 2000

By	Major Wm H. Hamilton, USAF, Ret. (Mt. Home, Idaho USA) - See all my reviews

As a Vietnam veteran and friend of several POW's I found that this book told their story better than any I have read to date. It took me back to times when I sat with those friends and they told me of the terrible times they went through. This book will bring you as close to being able to share in their experience and my visits with my friends as you will ever get.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Honor Bound American Prisoners of War In Southeast Asia, January 22, 2000

By	Grace K Smith (USA) - See all my reviews

Thank you to Stuart Rochester and Frederick Kiley, for an unbelievable account of the POW's that served in Viet Nam. This is not an easy book to read, but it is a page-turner. As an American, I am overwhelmed by the sacrafice extended for the freedom I enjoy. My praise for the written words and for the service to our country so clearly evident in this riveting book. G.K. Smith Cape Cod USA