We Die Alone: A WWII Epic Of Escape And Endurance

There are so many other reviews that I won't even bother discussing the main events in this book. Suffice it to say that it is among the most incredible tales of survival that you will ever read, fiction or non-fiction. Jack London would have been afraid to submit such an outlandish tale to his publishers. That said, a few thoughts: 1. I found the actions of the local Norwegian "Resistance Movement" almost more interesting than the actual tale. To be caught helping Baalsrud was an act the occupying Nazis would have punished severely, both the actual person that did it, his family and maybe even the whole village. And yet the local villagers were, for the most part, not intimidated. The bigger concern seemed to be that if too many people found out about the rescue effort, their attempts to help would be noticed by the Nazi occupiers and raise suspicions. 2. Even more amazing, people in the next village were recruited based just on a request from a respected member of the first village. All this, without the use of a telephone, which was probably tapped by the Germans. Imagine your reaction if someone you don't know showed up at your door and said that so-and-so from the next town over wants you to climb a mountain in a blizzard and rescue someone...nevermind that the Germans will kill you and your family if you get caught...just do it. 3. Baalsrud spends several weeks in a snow cave on the Norwegian "Outback", sometimes completely buried, with very limited supplies of food, fresh water, blankets or medical supplies. I am not sure I believe this is even possible, but yet the author seems to have done a credible job of researching the story. There are multiple sources for research material, and a credible looking timeline. Either Baalsrud is capable of hibernating, or memories have been corrupted in the ten years between the events and the story being told. I would believe either scenario. 4. As many have pointed out, the editing and proofreading on this book were horrible. These sorts of errors ruin my reading experience, and most times I would abandon reading a book with this level of problems. In this instance, the story was captivating enough that I powered through the mistakes. The story was better than the proofreading was bad. 5. The Kindle edition did not have a map-something sorely needed. Even Google-maps seemed unable to rise to the task for some of the locations mentioned in the story. An old Atlas that I hadn't used in years, showing topography and little hamlets of Norway, greatly enhanced the story. So find a good map, ignore the grammar and writing style, and start reading. You might have to suspend disbelief at some of the details, but no doubt the major points of the story are true. If nothing else, the tale of Jan Baalsrud and the Norwegian villagers will reaffirm your faith in the human will and spirit. Finally, since the characters in the story seemed to run on brandy, pour yourself a glass and toast these men and women...preferably on a cold, windy winter evening.

This is a MOST EXCELLENT story of individual perseverance and survival, and the courageous bravery of the Norwegian citizens that risked brutal Nazi reprisals to aid their stricken countryman. This is a translation into English; some of the translation is a little rough, which is the only reason I rated it 4 stars instead of 5. This book recounts the story of Jan Baalsrud, the only surviving member of a Norwegian commando team that sneaks into Norway in March 1943 that gets betrayed by the first person they contact. The account of the physical and mental efforts he has to overcome to survive rival the best action thriller novels of today - yet this is a TRUE STORY. After his initial escape from the clutches of the Germans, Jan's main efforts are to escape to the Swedish border over the Arctic plateau, and find refuge in neutral Sweden. An expert cross country skier, he expects that he can make the journey in 2 or 3 days, but a brutal Arctic blizzard lasting 3 days hits the first day out, and Jan becomes lost and is further the victim of an avalanche. Walking through waist deep snow, he develops severe frost bite in his feet and legs, and is no longer able to walk on his own. Jan is now totally dependent on the assistance of the Norwegian citizens helping him. For the next 2 months, every attempt to get Jan to Sweden fails; at one point, he is left in a "snow grave" for 2 weeks waiting for the next group of Norwegians to find and assist him. Germans and another blizzard had delayed them from the original link up. Eventually, 2 Lapp herders are persuaded to take Jan to Sweden, where Jan recovers from his injuries and makes his way back to England to rejoin the war effort. There are at least 4 incidents where anyone with just an ounce less of perseverance would have given up and just died; that Jan was able to survive through all of this and return to the war, is what makes this story so remarkable.

This is a really excellent book about a group of Norwegian commandos who were infiltrated into Nazi-occupied Norway in WW2. The book is great reading as a true adventure story, and it would also be of some interest to soldiers and special forces who must work in hostile, cold environments. It can certainly be said that the hero of this story, Jan Baalsrud, achieved one of the great escapes of the second world war. But it might be more true to say that he really won an epic battle of survival against the forces of nature. Before going further ... let me thank previous reviewers who added their thoughts here on Amazon.com. If you really want to understand the story, you need to buy one of the older hard-cover versions of this book. These were printed back in the 1950's. These old versions have important maps on the inside covers, and the maps help considerably in understanding the background of what happened. Fortunately, the older hard copies can be found fairly readily by searching the used copies of the book. It's a shame that the recent paperback versions did not reproduce the maps. The subject of this story, Mr. Baalsrud, tried to infiltrate Norway with a small team of well-trained commandos. Unfortunately, the whole plan backfired when an incredible foul-up occurred with a local contact who was supposed to help the team (I won't spoil the surprise - read the story). After that, Mr. Baalsrud became very dependent upon his personal energy and resourcefulness, combined with the sympathy of Norwegian partisans, as he struggled to avoid capture in enemy-occupied territory. Ultimately, through mistakes of judgment about weather, he was plunged into a terrible struggle against the elements. It is actually hard to believe that he survived what happened to him - I can't imagine how anyone could be entombed in a frozen wasteland and get through the experience. So this really is an epic story of Man vs. Nature. Overall, I was very impressed by the spirit of the Norwegian partisans in WW2. Frankly, I had little knowledge of what took place in Norway under the Nazi's, and this book explains a lot about the exemplary people who lived in that country. The patriotic Norwegians made a mighty effort to save their own man, and by a miracle they managed to succeed. But only at great cost. So the background material about Norway was all very interesting and made for a great story. Overall, this is one of the finest escape stories from the WW2 era. But mostly - it is the true tale of an epic struggle between a man and the hostile forces of nature in the "white north" of Scandinavia.

A harrowing tale of survival and the unconquerable will of an extraordinary soldier, We Die Alone assumes its rightful place among the greatest WWII survival stories ever told. Jan Baalsrud's exploits are testament to the capacity of the human spirit to survive while facing nearly impossible odds. Baalsrud repeatedly defies death as he braves the harsh Norwegian winter while eluding capture and certain torture and execution at the hands of the Nazis occupying Norway in 1943. This is not just a tale of one man's exceptional courage and endurance, but of the loyalty of many proud Norwegians who resist the Nazi occupation and who ultimately assist Baalsrud in his efforts to escape and evade across the brutal, frozen Norwegian tundra. While adjectives such as 'incredible', 'unbelievable', and 'amazing' are readily applied to Baalsrud's stubborn refusal to die, it is without question the devotion of these compassionate Norwegian villagers that perhaps deserves our deepest admiration. Whether to simply defy the Nazi occupiers or whether out of compassion for a remarkable countryman, these people repeatedly extend themselves, in some cases, even beyond the limits of human endurance to save Baalsrud's life. 'Audacious' best describes the mission undertaken by the British-trained commandos as they enter Norwegian waters near Tromso at the book's outset. When betrayed by one of the supposed partisans assigned to help secure their landing, the commando team is quickly rounded up and those still alive executed. The lone survivor, Baalsrud, remains at large and makes his way by alternately swimming, hiking, and skiing through the treacherous waters, rock, snow and ice of the Norwegian arctic wilderness. Although Baalsrud, through a combination of good fortune, pluck, and feats of practically superhuman endurance, evades capture as he seeks refuge in neutral Sweden, he very nearly succumbs to exposure. Again, it is not without the aid of his brave countrymen that he manages to elude the Nazis while eventually making his way to a tiny village, Furuflaten, roughly 25 miles from the Swedish border. It is near there that Baalsrud faces down death yet again for 27 days in an icy, snow-covered 'grave' on a plateau in the mountains of northern Norway. If not for the aid of the inhabitants of Furuflaten he would have certainly died and quite literally been entombed in ice and snow. This is not the first time we witness Baalsrud's uncanny ability to fend off doubt and mental resignation in his struggle to stay alive - nor the last. As the days tick by and as his resolve begins to weaken, he reaches deep and summons additional reserves of both mental and physical strength. He sort of chips away at his despair by treating himself to bits of food and an occasional swallow of brandy. Most astonishing perhaps, he endures and even seems to gain energy by continually reminding himself of the loyalty and even love of those of his countrymen who have dedicated themselves to saving his life. It becomes apparent that he is willing himself to live partly in order to not let his protectors down. In We Die Alone we are witness to feats of endurance which are beyond our ability to comprehend. When we see Baalsrud perform a type of crude surgery with a pocketknife on his gangrenous feet and lower legs we finally grasp the depth of this man's desire to live. And when he is eventually transported by Lapps on the final leg of his journey to Sweden strapped to a reindeer-driven sled we cannot help but cheer his final triumph over death. Baalsrud's story is perhaps all the more remarkable because of the risk Norwegians faced at the hands of the Nazis during the occupation. If found aiding and abetting a fugitive, a Norwegian could be summarily executed. Nevertheless, ordinary Norwegians defied the Nazi occupiers and took extraordinary risks to save Jan Baalsrud. We Die Alone is testament to Norwegians' pride in their country and to the inner strength and fortitude of this unique race of people. Indeed, these qualities ensured that the German occupiers would find a worthy adversary in the Norwegian resistance movement. When we read about the actions of the Norwegian resistance in saving Baalsrud's life we are not surprised to learn that the Nazi occupation eventually required some 400,000 troops. You will not want to put this one down!

Jan Baalsrud's escape from Nazi controlled Norway is truly one of the most incredible real-life story from a bygone era. I, too, could not put down the book once I started it. There are already numerous accolades for this book here, so I will not repeat familiar praises other than to say that it will be one of the best book on anyone's shelf. There is just one minor complaint: This 1955 book has not a single map in it! The whole story is about Baalsrud's improbably journey through the inhospitable landscape of Arctic Norway. He was assisted by hundred of his compatriots and stayed in houses after houses to evade the German troops. Without a map, those Norwegian towns and villages tend to blur into each others and some of the psychological impact from the story get lost in the confusion. A Google search turns up a map of his journey online, but even here the information is not accurate. For example, his second stop, the island of Hersoy, was skipped altogether. I spent some time with Google Earth and got a much better appreciation of the terrain from the satellite pictures. Note that Mandal is called Manndalen and Kaafjord is Kafjorddalen on Google. Still, I wonder where Lockertsen's farmhouse is located. How exactly is the village of Furuflaten laid out? A modern update of this classic is overdue.

I read "UNBROKEN" by Laura Hillenbrand, loved it, lent it to a friend who told me to get this. Hillenbrand is an amazing writer with a pension for accuracy and documentation without being tedious. This was an amazing story but left me questioning the level of exaggeration and poetic license that may have been taken by the author OR the translator. The text was an editing fiasco. I'm no english major but couldn't mistake the glaring spelling, usage and grammatical errors throughout the book. "UNBROKEN" was a "page turner". This, despite the story, was a bit tedious and could have, in my opinion, been reduced to a short story.

I loved this book. It's about Jan Baalsrud, a Norwegian. He begins WWII as a courier between Stockholm and Oslo, gets caught by the Swedes, imprisoned, and then manages to make his way to England and join a group of other Norwegians being trained to return to their country and fight the Nazis. That's where the book begins, with Jan and the other men on his mission approaching the Norwegian coast. Their plan is to hide their sabotage gear, train local groups to resist the Nazis, and then attack a German airfield that's wrecking havoc on convoys between England and the Soviet Union. But their plans fall apart pretty quickly, and Jan soon finds himself alone in the snow with nothing but his clothing, his pistol, and one boot. What follows is how he survives and eventually makes it back to Sweden, with a lot of help along the way. I was initially interested in this book because of its title. I like titles with the words like "death" or "die" or "dead" in them. But the title isn't entirely accurate: Jan doesn't die (comes close several times). And the people who do die don't die alone--there's usually at least a gestapo agent around. But enough about the title. Jan is brave and resourceful and he can ski like something else. But then events leave him gradually more and more at the mercy of others, and the tough commando becomes vulnerable. Howarth did a wonderful job of finding an amazing story, researching it thoroughly, and then writing it in a way that uses good principles of storytelling so that this true story reads like a novel. We Die Alone is one of those books I recommend for just about everyone. Readers that enjoy Unbroken or The Long Walk may be especially interested in adding this to their to-read list.

I read this excellent memoir on a transcontinental flight and couldn't put it down. The night I arrived at my destination, I stayed up to the wee hours finishing it. The author David Howarth ran a spy ring during WWII called the Shetland Bus, which ran spies from the Shetland Islands into occupied Norway. This book is derived from the story of one of those spies. Jan Baalstrud was a Norwegian, who had escaped the Germans and received special forces training in England. He and a few others were sent to the Norwegian coast by fishing vessel; their mission was to infiltrate inland, hook up with native resistance groups, and support them as much as possible. Unfortunately the group is betrayed shortly after their arrival and only Jan makes it off the beach alive. The story of his escape through the Norwegian Arctic is spellbinding. He faces hunger, unbearable cold, isolation, avalanches, snow blindness, frostbite, you name it. But thanks to the bravery and generosity of some individuals he meets along the way, he survives. His story is so incredible that the author takes pains to assure the reader of the verification process he went through in checking Jan's story. Sometimes truth is stranger than fiction. Highly recommended.

satisfied on all counts - fast early delivery - this book arrived in perfect shape do order from this seller

Härteste survival Geschichte ever. Gut erzählt, anschauliche Beschreibungen. Die Geschichte eines Norwegischen Kämpfer, der es trotz seiner gescheiterten Mission schafft, Norwegen im Winter zu durchqueren. Sehr lesenswert.

A história em si já é fantástica, mas a narrativa e os detalhes apresentados fazem você não querer largar o livro. O único defeito da narrativa é que às vezes ele se adianta e estraga o suspense.

Good story but poorly written

When you wonder what trials your day offers (or offered in retrospect), the likelihood is, it wasn't on par with story. It is a true story, although one or two patches had to be filled in as best guess - the books lets you know when, so you're being spun a yarn. It's well written, appears to be as well researched as it could be, and I've only read one other book of the period that had the same impact (Dead Man's Shoes, also recommend) as this one.