The Long Walk

I thought the book was inspirational but in no way is this non- fiction. I was very disappointed that it is sold as a true story. I am not an expert but common sense tells me that no one could accomplish this the way it was presented. This is only my opinion and does not detract from the way it was written. I enjoyed reading it.

Bought this for a friend who saw a documentary based on this book. It sounded very interesting. He loved the book and said it is a great read. Hopefully i'll be reading it soon and will update..........

If Rawicz's account of his escaping from the Soviet prison were true, it would be one of the most extraordinary testament to the human endurance. The author claimed that during the crossing of the Gobi desert in the middle of the summer, the escaping party didn't have a single sip of water for as long as fourteen days, ( whereas a normal human being needs as much as a gallon of water per day just to survival). Rawicz's account of crossing the Himalayan mountain range during the winter without food supply makes his story even less believable. He even claimed the party throwing rocks to a couple of Yeti to make them move out of the way! Little wonder in the fifty years since the book was first published, nobody else has confirmed Rawicz's story. One should read Heinrich Harrer's "Seven years in Tibet" for a little appreciation of just how much effort is needed to walk across the Himalayan range.

A good epic escape story, overcoming impossible odds, in the quest for freedom. Such a shame it was completely spoilt by the truth that the author laired about his part in the escape, in that he never took part in it and stole someone else's story and passed it off as his own.

If you enjoy Human interest and Historical books, the autobiographical , The Long Walk, by Slawomir Rawicz is excellent! I could not put it down!! The story was almost unbelievable!! The Tale of capture, torture, transport, planning of escape and then the incredible journey to freedom and safety across Siberia , dessert and Himalayas is truly riveting!

Many of the over 250,000 soldiers and 1 million civilians perished the rigours of the transport, bitterly cold winter and inhumane treatment at the hands of the Soviet captors and Siberian cruel winter.

It is proof of the limits that some people have the physical and mental toughness to endure!!

It has been made into a movie, called The Way Back, release Date 2011. The Way Back

If you enjoy these kind of autobiographical books, I recommend two others below.

Another autobiographical book of a similar but more complete and with "world perspective" on the case of WWII Soviet -Polish and Western Allies relations,
is - An Army in Exile, by General Wladyslaw Anders.An Army in Exile: The Story of the Second Polish Corps (Allied Forces Series)

He was the leader Polish 2nd Army Corp, reconstituted of the soldiers and civilians taken prisoner by the greatest Nazi Collaborators at the beginning of WWII-the Soviets. It too is a gripping tale, from a leader who had been wounded and captured by the Soviets in Sept 1939, imprisoned and tortured, finally released in 1941 when the Soviets were desperate for military help to defend against their former Nazi allies. It goes on to describe how they managed to leave the difficult conditions in Russia and bring with them some of thousands of starving young Polish Children, who had also been exiled to Siberia....

This leads to a recommendation for another excellent autobiographical account that demonstrates how these children, once out of Soviet control, survived. The book is Stolen Childhood by Father Lucjan Krolikowski Stolen Childhood: A Saga of Polish War Children

Father Krolikowski himself had been captured by the Soviets in 1939 as a teenager. He was studying to be a priest at Franciscan Monastery. Sent to a labor camp. After their release, the orphaned , starving children were eventually settled in camps located in Africa. Father Lucjan later joined them, to be their priest and guardian, in well organized camps. These camps were set-up virtually in the jungle! After the end of the War, the camps were being closed and Fr. Krolikowski was one of the persons that were essential to get them safely from Africa to eventually to the province of Quebec, Canada to waiting adopting families. He describes vividly how he and other caring people had to work against the considerable reach of the Soviets, that were trying to gain control of the children they helped to make orphans again!

I hope you enjoy these books about the inspirational resiliency of the human spirit and body! They also help provide insight to a more balanced world view!

GeorgeZ

This book brought to life what my family has told me about Poland and the stories of those that escaped Siberia. Loss, hope and over again. Wonderfully written and a memorial for those that did not have a voice.

Inspiring story of 7 men who escape the Russian prison in Siberia and walk and incredible 4,000 miles to freedom. Their endurance, determination and the reflection of their solid character is altogether magnificent.

Inspiring story of 7 men who escape the Russian prison in Siberia and walk and incredible 4,000 miles to freedom. Their endurance, determination and the reflection of their solid character is altogether magnificent.

Amazing journey as measured by geography, emotional, spiritual and humanity. It is amazing what the human body and spirit can endure and yet, remain empathetic and caring. As westerners we are not exposed to such things unless we have traveled and this book is indeed a journey well worth the read!

This is another incredible story about the resilience of the human spirit. It is done in a narrative style which sometimes lacks powerful dramatic impact but reflects the sometime fuzzy recollection of the author. Some of this is probably due to malnutrition and deprivation. I found it a compelling read for those who enjoy reading stories of human survival. If you enjoyed unbroken your will like this story.

An amazing story, well narrated by the reader. While parts of the story may seam a little stretched, I sensed that the basic elements are true. All consistent with what I have read about the gulags.

what an unbelievable fight for liberty and freedom. these men were and are so brave and strong and the crimes against them were a crime to souls and incredibly evil. the celebration is their freedom and their unreal strength to get to that. A very good read and recommend to anyone who believes freedom is a gift!