- Hardcover: 224 pages
- Publisher: Pen & Sword Books Ltd (13 Feb 2003)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0850529913
- ISBN-13: 978-0850529913
- Product Dimensions: 23.4 x 15.6 x 2.4 cm
- Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 1,133,013 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
Did you know you can trade in your old books for an Amazon.co.uk Gift Card to spend on the things you want? Visit the Amazon.co.uk Trade-In Store for more details. |
Product details |
More About the Authors
Discover books, learn about writers, and more.
Product Description
Book Description
Thanks to the perseverance and editorial effort of his son Allan, Jim Hunter's splendid war memoirs of flying and captivity can now be enjoyed by a wider audience.
Jim Hunter's war took a turn for the worse when he succeeded in hunting down the German battleship Scharnhost and her escorts in the Atlantic. Displaying almost reckless bravery he and his fellow Beaufort crew members pressed home their attack before succumbing to the inevitable; a swim in the Atlantic! Rescued after a mercifully short time, Jim became a POW but his war was by no means over.
Fortunately he kept a diary throughout his captivity, in itself a hugely risky thing to do and it is this that forms the basis of this evocative memoir. Through it we gain a fascinating insight into 'kriegie' life; the comradeship, the frustration, monotony and, above all, the restless urge of human spirit for freedom with the associated risk and excitement. Jim Hunter was not only a gifted writer but an artist of talent, as witnessed by the reproduction of a selection of his paintings which like his diary somehow survived the war. His draughtsmanship was put to good use as a master forger of escape documents. His description of the hardships suffered during the closing stages of the war make for poignant reading. Although six foot tall, Jim weighed a mere 90 lbs when liberated.
All this and more make From Coastal Command to Captivity a superb read and a late, but great, addition to the bibliography of POW life during the Second World War.
Jim Hunter's war took a turn for the worse when he succeeded in hunting down the German battleship Scharnhost and her escorts in the Atlantic. Displaying almost reckless bravery he and his fellow Beaufort crew members pressed home their attack before succumbing to the inevitable; a swim in the Atlantic! Rescued after a mercifully short time, Jim became a POW but his war was by no means over.
Fortunately he kept a diary throughout his captivity, in itself a hugely risky thing to do and it is this that forms the basis of this evocative memoir. Through it we gain a fascinating insight into 'kriegie' life; the comradeship, the frustration, monotony and, above all, the restless urge of human spirit for freedom with the associated risk and excitement. Jim Hunter was not only a gifted writer but an artist of talent, as witnessed by the reproduction of a selection of his paintings which like his diary somehow survived the war. His draughtsmanship was put to good use as a master forger of escape documents. His description of the hardships suffered during the closing stages of the war make for poignant reading. Although six foot tall, Jim weighed a mere 90 lbs when liberated.
All this and more make From Coastal Command to Captivity a superb read and a late, but great, addition to the bibliography of POW life during the Second World War.
Tag this product(What's this?)Think of a tag as a keyword or label you consider is strongly related to this product.
Tags will help all customers organise and find favourite items. |
Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store
If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store.
Learn more
Customer Reviews
|
Share your thoughts with other customers:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Rare Document,
By Catharine B (Boston, MA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: From Coastal Command to Captivity: The Memoir of a Second World War Airman (Hardcover)
A totally intriguing account of a British airman's capture by the Germans in WW 2. What makes it so interesting and rare is that Jim Hunter kept a diary and made beautiful watercolor paintings of the camp in small notebooks that he managed to keep with him throughout his incarceration and which provide a palpable, visual sense of camp life. His son, Allan Hunter, gives a briliant, detailed account of the circumstances of his father's service and of the sometimes hopeless missions of the RAF in the face of the German threat. A poignant, thought provoking read and a vital historical document.
Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta) Amazon.com:
5.0 out of 5 stars (1 customer review) 1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent Memoir, Incredible Original POW Artwork,
By Marc H. Stevens "Carrera Marc" - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: From Coastal Command to Captivity: The Memoir of a Second World War Airman (Hardcover)
This is a compilation of the memoirs of a Coastal Command navigator, whose plane attacked a German battleship and was badly damaged by anti-aircraft artillery. After crash-landing a badly damaged bomber in the cold and wave-swept Atlantic Ocean and losing a crewmate, Hunter and his pilot were picked up by the Germans and became POWs for the duration.
Hunter goes on to describe the boredom and monotony of POW life, punctuated by constant hunger and the rare excitement of escape. The work also includes a first-hand description of the "Death March" of Jan/Feb 1945, when the Nazis evacuated POW camps in Poland and marched all the remaining prisoners westward, ahead of the advancing Russian armies. Enduring bitter winter weather and an almost total lack of food, the narrative is frighteningly real and painfully sad. While Allan Hunter has done a masterful job of editing his late father's wartime diaries, one of the best features of this book is the original color POW artwork created by his heroic father whilst a prisoner. A rare and genuine treat, highly recommended! |
|
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
Listmania!
Look for similar items by category
- Books > Biography > Film, Television & Music > Music
- Books > Biography > Historical > Britain
- Books > Biography > War & Espionage > Air Force
- Books > Biography > War & Espionage > World War I
- Books > Biography > War & Espionage > World War II
- Books > History > Essays, Journals, Letters & True Accounts
- Books > History > Military History > Armed Forces > Air Forces
- Books > History > Military History > Prisoners of War
- Books > History > World History > World War II 1939-1945 > Battles & Campaigns
- Books > History > World History > World War II 1939-1945 > Biographies & Memoirs
- Books > History > World History > World War II 1939-1945 > Origins
- Books > History > World History > World War II 1939-1945 > Prisoners of War
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
- I am the Author, and I want to comment on my book.
- I am the Publisher, and I want to comment on this book.
