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A volume in Brassey’s Aviation Classics series
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Chained Eagle
The Heroic Story of the First American Shot Down over North Vietnam
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320 pages; 6" x 9"; 32 B&W Photos; 5 Drawings
Paperback
$19.95
$15.96
978-1-57488-558-3
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Description:
On August 5, 1964, while Lt. (jg) Everett Alvarez was flying a retaliatory air strike against naval targets in North Vietnam, antiaircraft fire crippled his A-4 fighter-bomber, forcing him to eject over water at low altitude. Alvarez relates the engrossing tale of his capture by fishermen, brutal treatment by the North Vietnamese, physical and mental endurance, and triumphant repatriation nearly nine years later in 1973.
Alvarez spent more time as a prisoner of war in Vietnam than any other flier. As Senator John McCain, a fellow POW, has written, “During his captivity, Ev exhibited a courage, compassion, and indomitable will that was an inspiration to us all.” Indeed, the book, which was written with Anthony S. Pitch, is remarkable for its lack of rancor. Alvarez directs his strongest words against the small number of POWs who broke ranks and collaborated with the enemy. As one reviewer wrote, Alvarez “relates the misery of his condition with a detachment that robs it of its shock value.” Chained Eagle also tells the story of the Alvarez family’s ordeal during his years of imprisonment: His sister became an anitwar activist, his wife divorced him, and relatives died. Yet throughout his time as a prisoner of war, Alvarez remained duty-bound and held steadfast to his religious faith and the values enshrined in the U.S. Constitution.
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About the Author(s)/Editor(s)
Anthony S. Pitch is a former writer in the books division of U.S. News and World Report. He is the author of several books, including The Burning of Washington: The British Invasion of 1814. He lives in Potomac, Maryland.
Everett Alvarez, Jr. is president of Conwal, Inc., a defense-related firm. He retired from the Navy as a commander in 1980. He is the recipient of the Silver Star, two Legion of Merit awards, two Bronze Stars, the Distinguished Flying Cross, and two Purple Hearts. Since his release in 1973, he has earned a law degree and was deputy director of the Peace Corps and deputy administrator of the Veterans Administration. He lives in Rockville, Maryland.
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Reviews/Endorsements:
"Needs to be read by all who desire to understand the stuff of which heroes are made."
-- Adm. Elmo R. Zumwalt, Jr. USN (Ret.)
"He made better decisions while pinned down flat in his dingy cells in Hanoi than the highly placed Washington officials of those years made in their padded swivel chairs."
-- Vice Adm. James Stockdale, USN (Ret.), a former POW
"More so than any other books on the subject, this book gives the reade3r a sense of what it means to be imprisoned for a long time."
-- National Review
"Told in a controlled and quiet tone, this story grips the reader in a way no sensational telling could. Long awaited, and recommended."
-- Library Journal
"Engrossing . . . a top-drawer POW memoir, but what sets it apart is its unblinking concurrent narration of the Alvarez family's ordeal."
-- Publishers Weekly
"Chained Eagle is one of the best books on Vietnam I have seen, and with the recent death of the icon of the POW experience, Vice Adm. James B. Stockdale, it takes on greater importance."
-- The Hook
"Absolutely riveting . . . Chained Eagle is one of the best books on Vietnam I have seen, and with the recent passing of that icon of the POW experience, Vice Admiral James B. Stockdale, it takes on greater importance."
-- Naval Aviation News
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