Out of Captivity

Surviving 1,967 Days in the Colombian Jungle

De: Marc Gonsalves, Keith Stansell, Tom Howes, Gary Brozek

Narrado por: Mark Deakins

On February 13, 2003, a plane carrying three American civilian contractors - Marc Gonsalves, Keith Stansell, and Tom Howes - crash-landed in the mountainous jungle of Colombia. Dazed and shaken, they emerged from the plane bloodied and injured as gunfire rained down around them.

As of that moment they were prisoners of the FARC, a Colombian terrorist and Marxist rebel organization. In an instant they had become American captives in Colombia's volatile and ongoing conflict, which has lasted for almost 50 years.

In Out of Captivity, Gonsalves, Stansell, and Howes recount for the first time their amazing tale of survival, friendship, and, ultimately, rescue, tracing their five and a half years as hostages of the FARC. Their story takes you inside one of the world's most notorious terrorist organizations, going behind enemy lines with vivid and haunting imagery. Their words conjure a reality that few people have ever encountered, from sleeping on beds literally carved out of the jungle to escaping Colombian military air strikes under the cover of darkness, to being bound with steel chains by their captors.

Though the physical punishments their bodies endured were unrelenting, the psychological battles they waged were the ultimate test of their resolve. Exposing the transformative power of captivity, they show how they turned their fears into strengths, using their memories and their families, their pasts and their futures, to motivate them in their quest for survival.

Despite the odds and the conditions, despite the chains and the silence, and despite the often tense relationships they experienced with their fellow Colombian hostages, they had one another, forging a bond that allowed them to cope with the horrific conditions of their confinement. This brotherhood enabled them to persevere through the worst that the FARC threw at them while always reminding them of their ultimate goal: freedom.

©2009 Marc Gonsalves, Keith Stansell, and Tom Howes (P)2009 HarperCollins Publishers

I couldn't put this book down!

Such bravery and fortitude displayed by these American heros! I could not put this book down and almost felt guilty when I would hit the pause button, felt like I was leaving them in that situation until I picked it back up.

great

this is a great book. helps put things into perspective.

good to know how is life in there

I like the book. I like to hear how ingrid betancourt reacted and behaved. While you listen you can imagene everything

Great book

Very good book. Great story telling. Scary times. I look forward to reading more books

Excellent documentary

I found this book excellent. I spend a lot of time in Colombia and and interested in how the FARC operates versus what I always heard in the media. Hearing these first hand stories from the inside was fantastic. They do an excellent job recanting the past and bring the experience directly to the listener. Thank god they got out alive and were able to share their story.
This is a great historical document.

Not an average workday

Loved it! Nice, clear narration, too. I first heard about this book in an NPR interview with two of the authors. Amazing how these men sustained hope for so long against such overwhelming odds. Their accounts don't sugarcoat life as captives of Colombian rebels. It can be just a little gritty, but without being depressing. I want to hear if the Freedom Ride ever happens!

Fantastic. Glad you are back home.

I started my Air Force career at the air operations center under JIATF South in 2006 in the middle of their captivity and served there long enough to see these gentlmen come home. Not a single day went by that they were not actively being searched for. I am so glad that we have this incredible first hand glimpse into their struggle. It is very well told both in story and narration. The end, being reunited with family, brought tears to my eyes. I am so glad they were able to come home.

Fascinating!

This is a fascinating story that hasn't received a lot of coverage in the media! Highly recommend both for the content and narration. Interesting from both psychological and cultural perspectives, the authors describe their experiences over five years of captivity in the jungle in a very candid manner.

One of the best dramas I have read

This is without a doubt the best real life drama I have read. What a ride! Should be a movie.

No words to explain their heroism!

What a story! You will not be anything but encouraged after hearing their first hand accounts!! God Bless all three of you!!