6-15-10 The Long Walk by Slavomir Rawicz - Non-Fiction

5 - This is my favorite type of non-fiction: a true story that is so exceptional that it reads like fiction. Seven men walked out of northeastern Russia (when it was still the Soviet Union) and continued walking all the way to India to escape the Russian work camp where they had been imprisoned. The hardships they endured are awesome and the fact that any of them made it to India is astounding. This story is a testament to determination and willpower and also highlights the bonds of friendship and camaraderie that form between men in times of hardship. I can't even describe the trials these men went through running from a totalitarian military and fighting against nature the whole way. Having Slavomir Rawicz decide to finally tell the story of this moment in history displays his courage even more fully than just his actions could have done. When many men would have kept this terrible experience locked away in a dark corner of their mind Rawicz chose to share his story with the world and shows the horrors that men do and the hope that allows men to survive those horrors. A fantastic non-fiction read.