About this item
Winner of the Georgia Author of the Year Award in HistoryDuring the Vietnam War, hundreds of American prisoners-of-war faced years of brutal conditions and horrific torture at the hands of North Vietnamese guards and interrogators who ruthlessly plied them for military intelligence and propaganda. Determined to maintain their Code of Conduct, the POWs developed a powerful underground resistance. To quash it, their captors singled out its eleven leaders, Vietnam's own "dirty dozen," and banished them to an isolated jail that would become known as Alcatraz. None would leave its solitary cells and interrogation rooms unscathed; one would never return.As these eleven men suffered in Hanoi, their wives at home launched an extraordinary campaign that would ultimately spark the nationwide POW/MIA movement.
About the Author
Alvin Townley has spent more than a decade traveling throughout the country and around the world, capturing stories of leadership, service, inspiration, and adventure. He has met with extraordinary individuals from all walks of life who are serving their country, pursuing adventures with a higher purpose, and making a difference in our world. His pursuit of these stories has taken him to the infamous Hanoi Hilton in Vietnam with a former POW, into South Sudan and Africa with Peace Corps volunteers, to America's inner cities with Teach for America corps members, to surfing and diving adventures in Australia, and to deployed aircraft carriers in three different oceans, including the Arabian Sea combat zone. Alvin has discussed life and leadership with leaders like Michael Bloomberg, Ross Perot, Cabinet Secretaries Robert Gates and Hank Paulson, Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer, J.W. Marriott, Jr., Bill Gates, Sr., and Jim Lovell of Apollo 13. He has also spent time with Navy SEALs, Olympic athletes, emerging entrepreneurs, missionaries, values-driven professional athletes, and others who share his passion for service and adventure.He has shared his message at such venues as the White House, U.S. Capitol, Delta Air Lines, The Home Depot, Coca-Cola, University of Virginia, and the U.S. Air Force, Military, and Naval Academies.Alvin Townley's writing brings alive moving personal stories that inspire America.Captured (2019) from Scholastic Press was Alvin's young adult debut. The book is based on POW and future U.S. Senator Jeremiah DentonDefiant (2014) reveals the story of the eleven POWs who endured Vietnam's most infamous prison, the women who brought them home. The New York times called it "gripping," President Jimmy Carter described it as "unforgettable," and former POW John McCain said it was "riveting." Best-selling author Stephen Coonts noted, "Alvin Townley's story of the courage, valor, and honor of eleven indomitable POWs and their wives is a new American classic that will be read as long as breezes kiss Old Glory. As I read it I wept."Fly Navy (2011) explores the values and people - officers and enlisted, past and present - behind the century-old enterprise of naval aviation. Vice Admiral Tom Kilcline, Commander, Naval Air Forces 2007-2010, commented, "FLY NAVY crystalizes the imagination of flight into true inspiration."Spirit of Adventure (2009) introduces America to a new generation of leaders - young Eagle Scouts who are leading lives of purpose and adventure. NFL MVP Peyton Manning commented, "Alvin Townley showcases the spirit of our young generation...Spirit of Adventure tells a compelling story about America's future."Legacy of Honor (2007) , his first book, explores how Scouting has influenced American life. President Jimmy Carter commented, "These Eagle Scouts will inspire readers to become leaders in serving others." Defen
