Ambedda.com

Take the World at new Level

A book review of Lost in Shangri-La, a well-researched and historically accurate survival story

The more than 100,000 islands that make up the current nation of Indonesia were a coveted source of oil and minerals during World War II. They were occupied by both the Japanese imperial forces and the American, British and Dutch allies. During the last months of the war, most of the Imperial troops were withdrawing from the area and evacuating back to their home island.

Consequently, many of the allied troops on the great island of New Guinea were left with free time on their hands. A pilot discovered an isolated valley that was home to several primitive tribal villages. Soon, other soldiers and nurses from the Army Women’s Corps yearned to see these natives and their villages from the air. That led to the flight of the C-47 Gremlin Special and its subsequent crash on a high slope in thick jungle territory. Only three of the twenty-four passengers and crew survived the calamity. What follows is a review of a gripping story of his survival and eventual rescue.

Much of Lost In Shangri-La is well written, and the entire tale is a well-researched and meticulously annotated non-fiction historical narrative. This story of the three survivors of the Gremlin Special was captivating; Much of Zuckoff’s presentation, one of the protagonists’ events and personal journey, while fascinating, leaves part of the book with uninteresting filler, facts, and background that are missing from the final product. As soon as I finished the book … I reread it, ahead of time, and found it, in most parts, equally interesting a second time. However, many of the background details could have been removed for a more exciting read; the story itself is certainly exciting.

In Zuckoff’s documented account, a great catharsis took place as the three protagonists struggled to survive with the help of nearby native New Guinea man-eaters. That epiphany was evidenced in the following passage: “The reunion and its aftermath revealed a profound change in Margaret since the accident. She had flown aboard the Gremlin Special in hopes of seeing strange creatures that she believed to be ‘primitive’. During her time In the clearing of the jungle, he came to see them as people. Since he arrived at base camp, his views had evolved even more. He no longer described the natives in his diary as savage or childish, for example … Any hint the remaining superiority vanished. In its place came respect. “

Along with Unbroken, this may be one of the best-documented WWII nonfiction novels of the decade. I recommend this book!

Related Posts

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *