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PoorOldSpike
Guest
There's a lot of discussion about this book around the web, a lot of people think its true fact, a lot think its phoney fiction, and a lot (like me) think its a mix of fact and fiction.
There's a lot of discussion about this book around the web, a lot of people think its true fact, a lot think its phoney fiction, and a lot (like me) think its a mix of fact and fiction.
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PoorOldSpike
Guest
I haven't seen the film and don't plan to, but I'll probably watch it out of curiosity when it comes to TV just to see how it compares to the book.
There are lots of things in the book that just don't ring true, for example Rawicz claims he and a trainload of his mates were forced to disembark into a 'holding area' consisting of a snow-covered potato field ringed with barbed wire in subzero temperatures wearing only a thin shirt, trousers and canvas shoes, where they stayed for 3 days exposed to the elements and icy wind.
What rubbish, they'd have been dead of hypothermia within a couple of hours!
When they eventually reach the prison camp, he and a few buddies are helped to escape by- (don't laugh)- the Commandant's wife!
One of his escape buddies is an American (no doubt put in the book to appeal to American readers and Hollywood).
Later they cross the Gobi desert, going without water for 13 days, ha ha not even Bear Grylls would last that long..
And when they come to the Himalayas, they simply climb over them, piece o' cake, even though at one point they're watched by two abominable snowmen, I kid you not!
Rawicz writes on page 266- "What were they? For years they remained a mystery to me, but since recently I have read of scientific expeditions to discover the Abominable Snowman of the Himalayas..I believe that on that day we may have encountered two of the animals.."
Incidentally, they did the whole trip without a map of any kind..
If the book's true, I'm Mary Poppins..
There are lots of things in the book that just don't ring true, for example Rawicz claims he and a trainload of his mates were forced to disembark into a 'holding area' consisting of a snow-covered potato field ringed with barbed wire in subzero temperatures wearing only a thin shirt, trousers and canvas shoes, where they stayed for 3 days exposed to the elements and icy wind.
What rubbish, they'd have been dead of hypothermia within a couple of hours!
When they eventually reach the prison camp, he and a few buddies are helped to escape by- (don't laugh)- the Commandant's wife!
One of his escape buddies is an American (no doubt put in the book to appeal to American readers and Hollywood).
Later they cross the Gobi desert, going without water for 13 days, ha ha not even Bear Grylls would last that long..
And when they come to the Himalayas, they simply climb over them, piece o' cake, even though at one point they're watched by two abominable snowmen, I kid you not!
Rawicz writes on page 266- "What were they? For years they remained a mystery to me, but since recently I have read of scientific expeditions to discover the Abominable Snowman of the Himalayas..I believe that on that day we may have encountered two of the animals.."
Incidentally, they did the whole trip without a map of any kind..
If the book's true, I'm Mary Poppins..
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ACSpectre
Guest
I've heard about this and thought that it seemed pretty far fetched. I may read the book but only if I can get it cheap somewhere.