Murphy doesn't go into depth nearly as much as he could have on what it must have been like to actually survive this ordeal. (Probably in an effort to stick to the facts) Nevertheless, the inner strength of Crane shines through. ( )

This book describes the trials and travails of one Leon Crane, a guy from Philadelphia who, as a pilot in the US Army Air Forces in WW2 crashed in a remote part of Alaska (but I repeat myself). It's well written and goes pretty quick as far as the writing goes. The biggest problem is that (as the author admits) there really isn't much detail into the story (Crane didn't talk much about it or go into detail about his experience, and he died long before the book was written). A lot of the scenes therefore feel..."fake" is too strong a word, but you do end up having questions about what exactly is the source for all these developments. There are ways to write a story that doesn't have much detail about it where you can fill in and it works. It didn't here. ( )

This is a trip back in time to an accident that occurred in interior Alaska, in the middle of winter when temperatures ranged well below zero, while the sun appeared above the horizon less than 4 hours per day. Only one person out of the crew of a WWII bomber on a test flight managed to bail out and survive the crash. In spite of being very much out of his element, he figured out how to survive--including making an epic trek back to civilization, not knowing where he was--or which way to go to get there.

The story is interwoven with background segments that take the reader to that time (middle of WWII) and place (interior Alaska post gold-rush) providing a richer understanding of the conditions Mr. Crane faced. As a 60+ year resident of this area, the story was a time machine that provided a rich context explaining why Mr. Crane found the things he did, and appreciating how he adapted to conditions. While there are a few very minor factual details in the history and environment (no elk in interior Alaska to leave tracks), it is a well researched and well told story, including follow up with the relatives of the crew, and the need for closure, even if it comes years later. ( )

Voice actor maybe or maybe not the best fit for this survival history - definitely not a survival story - the facts and a first person linear account of the survival story presented here could have fit in Reader's Digest, but our survivor, Leon Crane was reticent about telling his tale and what we have here is an (overly?) ambitious compilation of many interweaving histories and stories. The reader is presented with a history of the alaska of WWII and 1943 along with plenty of aviation, military and Alaskan/Yukon backstory, a review of the search, of the accident report and accident investigation, the re-telling of Crane's survival tale itself, and some backstory about the others lost in the crash and how their survivors mourned them/what they left behind.

What is strongest here is the author's admiration for the challenges overcome by aviators and residents of the 1940s Yukon as well as how contemporary forensic investigators tackle the challenges they face today. The author more than acknowledges how information and closure are important to survivors and descendants of those lost in war while at the same time respecting the outward quietude Crane adopted toward his own survival story -it's presented carefully here and I'm one reader that was impressed it was handled neither as an expose or as a heroes' tale for the recovery or investigative teams. ( )

The story of Leon Crane surviving a B24 crash and wandering out of the deep bush in Alaska is remarkable. The lack of detail available from Crane is also notable. He seems to have pushed it all behind him or buried it deep. The book bounces between the search for remains on the site, the story of Crane and tangential items to flesh out the big picture. It felt a bit like the author was filling pages at times. It is solidly written and overall, I enjoyed it. If you like aviation and/or survival it is a good choice. ( )