In 1944, German paratrooper Clemens Forell was captured by the Soviets and sentenced to twenty-five years of labor in a Siberian lead mine. In the Gulags, this was virtually a death sentence. Driven to desperation by the brutality of the prison camp, he staged a daring escape. For the next three years, Forell traveled 8,000 miles in barren, frozen wilderness, haunted by blizzards, wolves, … criminals, the KGB, and the fear of recapture and retribution. Only a remarkable will to survive, and a bit of luck, allowed him to reach the safety of the Persian border. The resulting story is a rare document of the horrors faced by POWs in the Soviet Union, and a testament to the human spirit.
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I admit, it sometimes takes me a while to catch up with things. This book is one of these cases. The book was originally published in German “So weit die Füße tragen” in 1955. “As Far as My Feet Will Carry Me” has seen international success ever since. It was since been released as a film in 2001 and was the basis for an award-winning German entry at the 2002 Cannes Film Festival. The DVD was released in 2011. The book, by Josef M Bauer, has also been translated into fifteen languages and sold more than 12 million copies. So you might have thought I had got wind of it somehow. However, it passed me by until I noticed it in the non-fiction section of my local library.
The book tells ta harrowing real-life story.
It tracks the destiny of German soldier Clemens Forrell who, in the aftermath of World War II, was sentenced to twenty-five years of forced labour in a lead mine deep in the eastern reaches of Siberia. He was subjected to intense brutality in the camp and unmitigated brutality the climate. Forrell dreamed continuously of escape and eventually, with the assistance of the camp doctor, effected it.
He trekked from the far East Cape across the vast wastes of Siberia, for thousands of miles. The journey took him over three years. Forrell fled treachery and endured most inhospitable conditions.
Forrell unfolded his remarkable story of survival in a long series of taped interviews with esteemed German author Josef M Bauer. Bauer not only reconstructs the arduous journey to the Iran and freedom; he also reflects the emotional content of Forrell’s journey. The book emerges as an affecting portrait of a man who strove and truly triumphed against all odds.
None of the other biographies or autobiographies I have reviewed is nearly as gripping So, if, like me, this book has passed you by thus far and you would enjoy a true adventure story. Grab this one with both hands.
Mr. Bauer tells this as if it is non-fiction. Whether or not it all really happened to this particular character, it is a gripping story of a man’s flight for freedom across the unforgiving landscape of Siberia. It is about the weather, the geography and the people across Russia during WWII, but mostly it’s about the determination and resilience of a man who just wanted to go home.
An amazing tale of human suffering and perseverance.
The soldier had an amazing experience and a lot of luck.
I can’t begin to believe what this guy went thru. The will to be fee and gain your life is unbelievable.
Horrifying in the best possible way
Fascinating account of one mans determined effort to survive and get back home, after years and many trials. A good entertaining survival story.
Makes you wonder how many POWs were left behind because we never knew what happened to them. Even though this man was a WWII German POW, it very likely happened to American servicemen as well.
I enjoy a story in which an individual, finding himself in a terrible circumstance, makes an opportunity for a chance at survival.
Excellent unpredictable page turner
Simply put, this is how one man against all odds survived escaping a Siberian prison . It reminded me of the Donner Pass stories ( no, this guy did not have to resort to cannibalism), but this was ONE guy against the unforgiving savage world. He did get help here and there but always had to do some creative lying when necessary to evade recapture. Most interesting in my opinion were all the unforeseen difficulties when he finally arrived in his beloved Germany: nobody believed his story and he was put in jail! You can read the rest; the book is ghost-written but is well-tendered and worth the read.
A superb non-fiction adventure story. Anyone who enjoyed “The Long Walk”, or any of the many tales of early Arctic/Antarctic exploration and survival will love this story of a former POW’s trek across Siberia.
Interesting story. Started off slow, but by midway, I couldn’t wait to get back to it every night to read.
It was amazing to realize that some one could live through sure a tragic journey and survive
Found it very interesting, wonder if really true
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