Shortly before Christmas in 1943; five Army aviators left Alaska's Ladd Field on a routine flight to test their hastily retrofitted B-24 Liberator in harsh winter conditions. The mission ended in a crash that claimed all but one—Leon Crane; a city kid from Philadelphia with no wilderness experience. With little more than a parachute for cover and an old Boy Scout knife in his pocket; Crane found himself alone in subzero temperatures. 81 Days Below Zero recounts; for the first time; the full story of Crane's remarkable twelve-week saga.
#4332331 in Books 2007-01-10Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 .88 x 5.48 x 8.18l; .72 #File Name: 0306815079336 pages
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Very enjoyable. Worth the time to read.By Glenn D. RobinsonVery enjoyable book on the span of history of Napoleans exile to Elba and the reconquest of France. Because King Louis XVIII failed to honor the agreement of annual payments to Napoleon for upkeep; wages; and such; Napoleon used this and others to escape and take over the French Government. The Bourbonists had come back from England and tried to recreate pre-1789 France which the average citizen apparently did not want. Once back in power; Napoleon strove to undo all the changes in the law and to enact better laws (our state of Louisiana still uses the Napoleonic Codes).All good things come to an end and his ended at Waterloo. He had ideas to escape to America (his brother did); but this was not to be. He died on the island of St. Helena 6 years later.A well written book and well researched.2 of 4 people found the following review helpful. From Elba to St. HelenaBy Christian SchlectA melodramatic rendering of the final days of Napoleon's rule. The English author; Stephen Coote; plows ground already fully developed by many first-rate historians. He seems to keep accurately to the basic plot line; while lending his own often over-wrought descriptive take to whatever matter is at hand. Not a bad book for an airline flight; but not a top-flight history.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Fit only for compost liningBy CustomerOnly the second book I have ever thrown in the rubbish bin; the first was Alan Schom's biography of Napoleon; and if I'd realised Coote was a student of Schom's I wouldn't have bought the book in the first place. I actually got it from a discount bin for $5 and it was still seriously overpriced. Both Schom and Coote have a fixation with Napoleon's "mental disorders" and the size of his penis. I made it about half-way through; more out of morbid curiosity before throwing it away in disgust. And this point; the 100 days hadn't actually started.
