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A review by sevenlefts
Frozen in Time: An Epic Story of Survival and a Modern Quest for Lost Heroes of World War II by Mitchell Zuckoff
3.0
I vaguely remember hearing about this event in a book I read about survival, but I'd kind of forgotten about it. How could I?
Zuckoff entertwines the tale of WWII Coast Guard and Army Air Force personnel crashed and stranded in eastern Greenland with a recent expedition to locate the wreckage and remains. I felt like the modern-day characters, with the exception of a few, were kind of glossed over. I didn't mind too much, though, because the WWII story was so compelling.
The story makes for some heartbreaking reading. I marveled at the ingenuity of men who could cobble together radios out of parts, figure out how to build relatively comfy snow caves, and at a fundamental leve, figure out ways to get along with each other in extreme conditions. The number of planes and personnel involved got a bit overwhelming, as they rescuers became the rescued and military brass tried to figure out how to haul men off the Greenland icecap by dogsled, tractor and planes. It's a bit sad that none of the men who endured this lived to see the results of the modern-day recovery team.
The rescue attempt is compelling as well, once it gets out on the ice. The modern group might not have had the same discipline and stamina as the men from 70 years ago, but they were just as resourceful when everything seemed to be going wrong.
Zuckoff entertwines the tale of WWII Coast Guard and Army Air Force personnel crashed and stranded in eastern Greenland with a recent expedition to locate the wreckage and remains. I felt like the modern-day characters, with the exception of a few, were kind of glossed over. I didn't mind too much, though, because the WWII story was so compelling.
The story makes for some heartbreaking reading. I marveled at the ingenuity of men who could cobble together radios out of parts, figure out how to build relatively comfy snow caves, and at a fundamental leve, figure out ways to get along with each other in extreme conditions. The number of planes and personnel involved got a bit overwhelming, as they rescuers became the rescued and military brass tried to figure out how to haul men off the Greenland icecap by dogsled, tractor and planes. It's a bit sad that none of the men who endured this lived to see the results of the modern-day recovery team.
The rescue attempt is compelling as well, once it gets out on the ice. The modern group might not have had the same discipline and stamina as the men from 70 years ago, but they were just as resourceful when everything seemed to be going wrong.