We Die Alone

When I picked up "We Die Alone" from the library I didn't remember anything about it.  Couldn't help but wonder why I'd pick out (yet another) depressing book.  The title is misleading - the meaning is without the help of others, we'll die alone.  This book, a nonfiction account of a WWII survival story, proves that without question.

Honestly, this is one of the most incredible survival stories I've ever read, and I've read quite a few.  At the start, the author, David Howarth, states that all he wrote really happened even though it's hard to believe and he's correct.  It just amazed me all this solider endured.

OK, here's a quick summary.  A small team of Norwegians return to German occupied Norway in March 1943.  They arrive by boat in the far north, on the Arctic coast.  The main character of the story, Jan Baalsrud, is 26 years old.  He is not the leader of the team, but within minutes of arrival, he's on his own.  Did I mention it was March?  In the Arctic?  It was cold and there is snow, lots and lots of snow.  The challenges appear insurmountable.

Without his team and their gear, their goal is now impossible - they were going to recruit and train locals to help overthrow the Germans when the time came.  So, alone, Jan decides the smartest plan is to head for neutral Sweden, where he can hopefully make his way back to London to begin again with a different team.  The book is basically his journey. 

While reading this book, time and time again, I'd think, "no one could survive that", and yet...  The locals Jan meets along his way endanger their lives and the lives of their families to help him.  The extremes these total strangers go to are no doubt how this book got it's name.

I think I've sufficiently demonstrated that I loved this book.  This ranks near the top of survival book genre.  If you enjoy such books, this is a must read.  Highly recommended.