Lost in Shangri-la

Aug 16, 2012 Kemper rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, non-fiction, military, survival, over-there

I have said it before, and I’ll say it again: The jungles of the earth must be DESTROYED. *

* Before you break your fingers on your keyboard in your haste to flame me for that comment, take a moment to ask yourself if I might be joking.

In the last months of World War II as America worked its way towards Japan, a plane load of military personnel took off for a sight seeing tour of a remote valley in New Guinea that had been dubbed Shangri-La. Previous flights had noted tribes of natives numbering...more I have said it before, and I’ll say it again: The jungles of the earth must be DESTROYED. *

* Before you break your fingers on your keyboard in your haste to flame me for that comment, take a moment to ask yourself if I might be joking.

In the last months of World War II as America worked its way towards Japan, a plane load of military personnel took off for a sight seeing tour of a remote valley in New Guinea that had been dubbed Shangri-La. Previous flights had noted tribes of natives numbering in the thousands, but the terrain prevented visits and viewing them from the air had become a treat for bored service men and women.

Unfotunately, this trip turned deadly when the plane crashed, killing almost all the passengers. The survivors had serious injuries, were trapped in a thick mountain jungle and surrounded by natives who had never met anyone outside their valley and had a culture based on constantly warring on each other.

After the survivors were spotted by rescue planes, the immediate problem of treating their injuries and protecting them from potentially hostile natives became the priority. A squad of gung-ho Filipino paratroopers led by a frustrated American captain volunteered to parachute down to deal with the immediate problems with no idea of how they’d be getting back out. After they drop in, weeks pass in Shangri-La as the crash survivors are treated and guarded by the paratroopers.

Resupplied by air and in radio contact with the overhead planes, the survivors and the paratroopers become instant celebrities, especially a pretty WAC named Margaret Hastings who gets dubbed the ‘Queen of Shangri-La’ by the press. As the world watched, the army tried to figure out a way to get them out of the incredibly inaccessible valley. What they came up with for a rescue plan was so bat-shit crazy that it defies belief.

This was entertaining and exciting pop history about a story that was huge in its time but had been forgotten as the end of WWII overshadowed it. Zuckoff does a good job of telling a compelling tale and relaying the history of the people involved to make you care what happened to them. He also gives an interesting anthropological account of the native tribes as well as tracking down some who were still living to get their version of how the strange incident played out.
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Jul 11, 2012 Jeffrey Keeten rated it 4 of 5 stars

"The cabin crumbled forward toward the cockpit. The walls of the fuselage collapsed as though sucked inward. Both wings ripped away. The tail section snapped off like a balsa-wood toy. Flames shot through the wreckage. Small explosions rang out like gunshots. Black smoke choked off the light. The air grew bitter with the stench of burning metal, burning leather, burning rubber, burning wires, burning oil, burning cloths, burning hair, burning flesh."

It wasn't easy getting a seat on the Gremlin...more

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Nov 03, 2012 Carol rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: lifetime-favorites, non-fiction, adreniline-adventure

The only regret I have about reading Lost in Shangri-La now is that I can't put it on a library best list until December 2012. It was that good!

You'd think with all the stories written with regards to World War II that all had been told. And then along comes another and you're amazed that you never heard anything about this one. Lost in Shangri-La is such a story.

On Sunday, May 13, 1945, Colonel Peter Prossen planned a special outing for some of his staff, a flight to view a remote valley known...more The only regret I have about reading Lost in Shangri-La now is that I can't put it on a library best list until December 2012. It was that good!

You'd think with all the stories written with regards to World War II that all had been told. And then along comes another and you're amazed that you never heard anything about this one. Lost in Shangri-La is such a story.

On Sunday, May 13, 1945, Colonel Peter Prossen planned a special outing for some of his staff, a flight to view a remote valley known as Shangri-La. This remote area of New Guinea had been spotted by Colonel Ray T. Ellsmore. It was a break in the jungle he described as "a riot of dazzling color".Thirty miles long and eight miles wide it revealed lush land and tens of thousands of native peoples living in villages with gardens, irrigation systems, dams and drainage ditches. Unable to land, Ellsmore was nonetheless enthralled with what he had seen and told all who would listen about it. It became the place to fly over thus Colonel Prossen's idea of a gift to his hard working staff. An opportunity not to be missed by the twenty-four servicemen and women who boarded that fateful day. What started out as somewhat of a joy ride turns tragic when the plane crashes leaving all but three dead. The army makes an all out search for the missing plane. When it is learned there are survivors, it becomes a story of a rescue mission that is as awe inspiring as as it is heroic. Three survivors, Corporal Margaret Hastings, Tech Sergeant Kenneth Decker, and Lieutenant John McCollom, see Shrangri-La in a way they never dreamed. Injured and disoriented they must find their way to help. Their journey is quite an adventure.

Though much of the book deals with the survival of the three, Zucker gives due respect to each of the passengers and crew who died in the crash. Then, we too are taken along for a glimpse of a world that time had forgotten as the survivors sidestep Japanese troops and meet the tribes rumored to be headhunters. It is absolutely fascinating. (less)

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Jan 21, 2011 Will Byrnes rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: non-fiction, brain-candy

I bet you watched at least some TV coverage of the rescue of Chilean miners in 2010. The whole world did. In 1945 there was comparable interest in a remarkable rescue. People followed the search and then the rescue attempts for weeks. But a few small events, like the first use of nuclear weapons and the subsequent end of the war, pushed the story out of the public eye. While researching another project, Mitchell Zuckoff happened across this story, actually located one of the survivors, and has r...more I bet you watched at least some TV coverage of the rescue of Chilean miners in 2010. The whole world did. In 1945 there was comparable interest in a remarkable rescue. People followed the search and then the rescue attempts for weeks. But a few small events, like the first use of nuclear weapons and the subsequent end of the war, pushed the story out of the public eye. While researching another project, Mitchell Zuckoff happened across this story, actually located one of the survivors, and has rescued this gripping tale from an undeserved oblivion.

In the waning days of World War II, an Army C-47 transport plane takes off from Base G in the town of Hollandia, on the north coast of New Guinea. Aboard is a collection of military personnel, male and female, flying over the island to get a look-see at a remote, newly-discovered but ancient civilization, tucked away between mist-covered mountains and guarded by hundreds of square miles of impenetrable jungle. They call this newly discovered place Shangri-La in honor of the fictional utopia of James Hilton’s Lost Horizon. These excursions are a regular treat. Twenty-four people are on the trip flying in the ill-named Gremlin Special. When it crashes in the jungle only three survive.

1945 New Guinea is home to a wide range of unpleasant biting creatures and a cornucopia of microscopic bad boys that would make a biologist sing, but might present a challenge to crash survivors, particularly when piled atop the burden of serious injuries. It is a huge island, second largest on Earth, and in addition to its other selling points, it is inhabited by tribes of cannibals still living with Stone Age technology, and, just for fun, thousands of well-camouflaged Japanese soldiers, recently driven inland from the coast. Have a nice day.

The personalities read like a Hollywood dream come true. The group includes a beautiful, but tough as nails, damsel-in-distress, a courageous Lieutenant who has to overcome his grief at the loss of his brother and rise to the occasion in order to keep himself and his people alive, a studly, gung-ho paratrooper eager to prove his mettle and recover the survivors, a drunken, disgraced Hollywood film-maker trying to recover his career, daring and chipper Filipino medics and paratroopers, and, of course, a tribe or two of local cannibals, who have discovered fire, but have not yet made it up to the wheel. This is just a fun, fun book to read. Zuckoff does a very good job of giving us a feel for the players here. He spoke to as many as possible, including the Stone Agers. You can feel yourself rooting for this one or that one, and controlling an urge to break out into a few bars of “Bloody Mary.” I particularly enjoyed Zuckoff’s descriptions of the Westerners’ interactions with the natives

Of course we know something about who gets out because the author quotes them to us early on, and he makes no claims to clairvoyance. But there are still plenty of details to be found out. While we know about some of the survivors, we do not know what shape they were in when they got out. There was a harrowing race underway between gangrene and time. It took daring and considerable envelope-pushing to bring ‘em back alive. How they accomplish that seems amazing, even now. There are a few fun facts here as well, such as the derivation of the term “Walkie-talkie.”

But just in case you might think this is merely an entertaining, fast, breezy read, there is sub-text that gives one poi for thought. Are the Stone-Agers any different from contemporary people? Are the perpetual wars that the ancient headhunters fight with spears and arrows really so different from the ones fought with guns and atom bombs? Is human nature so determined? Religion enters as well. The native culture tells of spirits from the sky. It sounded like time-travelers or aliens to me, but it does raise a question of people’s need for something to believe in, whether that belief is held by primitives living in remote jungles, or sophisticates living in modern cities.

If you can find your way to the bookstore, there is no doubt that you will lose yourself in Lost in Shangri-La. You will not want to leave.
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Feb 03, 2011 Laura rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011-mt-bookpile

What an amazing story - a plane filled with "sightseeing" servicemen and WACs crashes in what they think is a hidden valley (except it's actually one valley over), and only three people survive. One has a severe head injury and burned buttocks, one has burned feet, hands, face and legs, and the other is seemingly unharmed. They escape the crash site, hidden in the jungle, and make it to a clearing where they meet Stone Age tribesmen who don't kill them, and after a few days are found by a search...more

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Apr 23, 2011 Nathan rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is a fantastic look at one of the lost stories of World War II. Though the story garnered brief worldwide attention in 1945, the details soon were lost in the bigger picture of the Allied victory in the war. Zuckoff takes many characters and gives each one depth and detail, then weaves their stories into one epic tale. After reading the book, I feel like I know the characters. Additionally, Zuckoff paints such a vivid picture of New Guinea that it seems I have visited the exotic locale.

This...more

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Feb 25, 2012 Jeremiah rated it 4 of 5 stars

Lost in Shangri-La is a simple, enjoyable story about a tragic plane crash and a subsequent rescue mission. It's a little slow at the start but after initial character introductions it's a smooth read. The prose is straightforward, effective, and doesn't contain overwhelming details; just enough to engage your imagination (although at some points in the book I wished for more detail about the lives of the natives). This may not be the greatest survival story ever but it's quite an interesting ad...more

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May 10, 2012 Markus rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: history, 2012, favorites, explorers, military, non-fiction

This is a one those 'can't believe this actually happened' kind of stories. Gripping read can't-put-down kind of way. Zuckoff gives good background info on everyone from survivors to the rescuers. What really made this a five star book was New Guinea's natives perspective on these 'white-men-spirits-from-sky', it gives an excellent view what was really going on, how dangerous a whole thing was. And then there is the larger-than-life character, filmmaker (and much more) Alexander Cann, his story...more

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Mar 06, 2013 Erik Graff rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: adventure fans

Recommended to Erik by: Dennis Milat

Shelves: history

This book was given me on my birthday by one who had recently read it himself. Strongly recommended, I went to it soon thereafter and was not disappointed. It's a page-turner.

While very well written, Lost in Shangri-la isn't perfect. The focus is on the story, on the three crash survivors and most particularly the rather attractive WAC among them. One learns very little about New Guinea, the inhabitants of the valley they awaited rescue in or the history of the war on the island. Enough is told...more

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May 13, 2013 Leon rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

“A lost world, man-eating tribesmen, lush andimpenetrable jungles, stranded American fliers (one of them a dame withgreat gams, for heaven's sake), a startling rescue mission. . . . This is atrue story made in heaven for a writer as talented as Mitchell Zuckoff. Whew—what an utterly compelling and deeplysatisfying read!" —Simon Winchester, author of Atlantic

Award-winning former Boston Globe reporter Mitchell Zuckoffunleashes the exhilarating, untold story of an extraordinary World War IIrescue

...more

“A lost world, man-eating tribesmen, lush andimpenetrable jungles, stranded American fliers (one of them a dame withgreat gams, for heaven's sake), a startling rescue mission. . . . This is atrue story made in heaven for a writer as talented as Mitchell Zuckoff. Whew—what an utterly compelling and deeplysatisfying read!" —Simon Winchester, author of Atlantic

Award-winning former Boston Globe reporter Mitchell Zuckoffunleashes the exhilarating, untold story of an extraordinary World War IIrescue mission, where a plane crash in the South Pacific plunged a trio of U.S.military personnel into a land that time forgot. Fans of Hampton Sides’ Ghost Soldiers, Marcus Luttrell’s Lone Survivor, and David Grann’s The Lost Cityof Z will be captivated by Zuckoff’s masterfullyrecounted, all-true story of danger, daring, determination, and discovery injungle-clad New Guinea during the final days of WWII.

Amazon.com Review

Amazon Best Books of the Month, May 2011: Near the end of World War II, a plane carrying 24 members of the United States military, including nine Women’s Army Corps (WAC) members, crashed into the New Guinea jungle during a sightseeing excursion. 21 men and women were killed. The three survivors--a beautiful WAC, a young lieutenant who lost his twin brother in the crash, and a severely injured sergeant--were stranded deep in a jungle valley notorious for its cannibalistic tribes. They had no food, little water, and no way to contact their military base. The story of their survival and the stunning efforts undertaken to save them are the crux of Lost in Shangri-La, Mitchell Zuckoff’s remarkable and inspiring narrative. Faced with the potential brutality of the Dani tribe, known throughout the valley for its violence, the trio’s lives were dependent on an unprecedented rescue mission--a dedicated group of paratroopers jumped into the jungle to provide aid and medical care, consequently leaving the survivors and paratroopers alike trapped on the jungle floor. A perilous rescue by plane became their only possible route to freedom. A riveting story of deliverance under the most unlikely circumstances, Lost in Shangri-La deserves its place among the great survival stories of World War II. --Lynette Mong

Amazon Exclusive: Hampton Sides Reviews Lost in Shangri-La

Hampton Sides is the editor-at-large for Outside magazine and the author of the international bestseller Ghost Soldiers, which won the 2002 PEN USA Award for nonfiction and the 2002 Discover Award from Barnes & Noble, and also served as the basis for the 2005 Miramax film The Great Raid.

Although World War II was the greatest conflict in the history of this planet, many a jaded reader has come to the reluctant conclusion that there aren’t any more World War II stories left to tell. At least not good ones—not tales of the “ripping good yarn” variety. Yet remarkably, in his new book Lost in Shangri-La, Mitchell Zuckoff has found one, and he’s told it with reportorial verve, narrative skill, and exquisite pacing.

What makes this World War II story all the more fascinating is that it isn’t really a war story—not in a strict military sense. It’s more of an exotic adventure tale with rich anthropological shadings. In 1945, near the end of the war, an American plane crashes in a hidden jungle valley in New Guinea inhabited by Stone Age cannibals. 21 Americans die in the crash, but three injured survivors soon find themselves stumbling through the jungle without food, nursing terrible wounds and trying to elude Japanese snipers known to be holding out in the mountains.

The first contact between the three Americans and the valley’s Dani tribesmen is both poignant and comical. The Americans, Zuckoff writes, have “crash-landed in a world that time didn’t forget. Time never knew it existed.” The tribesmen, who have never encountered metal and have yet to master the concept of the wheel, think the American interlopers are white spirits who’ve descended on a vine from heaven, fulfilling an ancient legend. They’re puzzled and fascinated by the layers of “removable skin” in which these alien visitors are wrapped; the natives, who smear their bodies in pig grease and cover their genitals with gourds, have never seen clothes before.

The Americans, in turn, are pretty sure their boartusk-bestudded hosts want to skewer them for dinner.

What ensues in Zuckoff’s fine telling is not so much a cultural collision as a pleasing and sometimes hilarious mutual unraveling of assumptions. Though the differences in the two societies are chasmic, the Americans and the Dani become—in a guarded, tentative sort of way—friends.

But when armed American airmen arrive via parachute to rescue the survivors, relations become more tense. The Americans make their camp right in the middle of a no-man’s land between warring Dani tribes—a no-man’s land where for centuries they have fought the battles that are central to their daily culture. Here, Zuckoff notes, the ironies are profoundly rich. The Dani, untouched by and indeed utterly unaware of the great war that’s been raging all across the globe, become thoroughly discombobulated when their own war is temporarily disrupted.

Yes, there are still a few good World War II stories left to tell. And yes, this one meets all the requirements of a ripping good yarn. Zuckoff, who teaches journalism at Boston University, is a first-rate reporter who has spared no expense to rescue this tale from obscurity. His story has it all: Tragedy, survival, comedy, an incredibly dangerous eleventh-hour rescue, and an immensely attractive heroine to boot. It’s extraordinary that Hollywood hasn’t already taken this tale and run wild with it. If it did, the resulting movie would be equal parts Alive, Cast Away, and The Gods Must Be Crazy. It’s as though the Americans have arrived in the Stone Age through a wormhole in the space-time continuum. The Dani don’t know what to do with themselves—and life, as any of us know it, will never be the same.

Review

“A truly incredible adventure.” (New York Times Book Review )

“[A] gripplingly cinematic account. . . . A remarkable cast of characters. . . . A.” (Entertainment Weekly )

“This is an absorbing adventure right out of the Saturday-morning serials. . . . Lost in Shangri-La deserves a spot on the shelf of Greatest Generation nonfiction. It puts the reader smack into the jungle. ” (Cleveland Plain Dealer )

“Zuckoff transforms impressive research into a deft narrative that brings the saga of the survivors to life.” (Publishers Weekly (starred review) )

“Zuckoff delivers a remarkable survival story. . . . In this well-crafted book, Zuckoff turns the long-forgotten episode into an unusually exciting narrative. . . . Polished, fast-paced and immensely readable—ready for the big screen.” (Kirkus Reviews (starred review) )

“[An] engaging story. . . . This excellent book will be enjoyed by anyone who loves true adventure stories.” (Library Journal (starred review) )

“A riveting tale in the hands of a good storyteller. . . . LOST IN SHANGRI-LA is the most thrilling book, fiction or nonfiction, that I have read since I can’t remember when.” (Seattle Times )

“Mitchell Zuckoff has uncovered, and vividly reconstructed, such an astonishing tale. . . . Zuckoff skillfully builds narrative tension and deft character portraits. . . . . He has pulled off a remarkable feat — and held the reader firmly in the grip.” (David Grann, Washington Post )

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Apr 18, 2013 Francis Gahren rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: military, leadership, nonfiction

On May 13, 1945, twenty-four American servicemen and WACs boarded a transport plane for a sightseeing trip over “Shangri-La,” a beautiful and mysterious valley deep within the jungle-covered mountains of Dutch New Guinea. Unlike the peaceful Tibetan monks of James Hilton’s bestselling novel Lost Horizon, this Shangri-La was home to spear-carrying tribesmen, warriors rumored to be cannibals.

But the pleasure tour became an unforgettable battle for survival when the plane crashed. Miraculously, th...more On May 13, 1945, twenty-four American servicemen and WACs boarded a transport plane for a sightseeing trip over “Shangri-La,” a beautiful and mysterious valley deep within the jungle-covered mountains of Dutch New Guinea. Unlike the peaceful Tibetan monks of James Hilton’s bestselling novel Lost Horizon, this Shangri-La was home to spear-carrying tribesmen, warriors rumored to be cannibals.

But the pleasure tour became an unforgettable battle for survival when the plane crashed. Miraculously, three passengers pulled through. Margaret Hastings, barefoot and burned, had no choice but to wear her dead best friend’s shoes. John McCollom, grieving the death of his twin brother also aboard the plane, masked his grief with stoicism. Kenneth Decker, too, was severely burned and suffered a gaping head wound.

Emotionally devastated, badly injured, and vulnerable to the hidden dangers of the jungle, the trio faced certain death unless they left the crash site. Caught between man-eating headhunters and enemy Japanese, the wounded passengers endured a harrowing hike down the mountainside—a journey into the unknown that would lead them straight into a primitive tribe of superstitious natives who had never before seen a white man—or woman.

Drawn from interviews, declassified U.S. Army documents, personal photos and mementos, a survivor’s diary, a rescuer’s journal, and original film footage, Lost in Shangri-La recounts this incredible true-life adventure for the first time. Mitchell Zuckoff reveals how the determined trio—dehydrated, sick, and in pain—traversed the dense jungle to find help; how a brave band of paratroopers risked their own lives to save the survivors; and how a cowboy colonel attempted a previously untested rescue mission to get them out.

By trekking into the New Guinea jungle, visiting remote villages, and rediscovering the crash site, Zuckoff also captures the contemporary natives’ remembrances of the long-ago day when strange creatures fell from the sky. A riveting work of narrative nonfiction that vividly brings to life an odyssey at times terrifying, enlightening, and comic, Lost in Shangri-La is a thrill ride from beginning to end.

Review #2

Near the end of WWII, a plane crashed on New Guinea. A colonel based there thought he and another pilot had been the first white men to discover an Eden-like valley filled with towns of natives on the island. As a morale booster, he would send planes filled with soldiers and WACs to the valley, dubbed "Shangri-La" after the nirvana of LOST HORIZONS. One of the planes crashed and only three survive - two soldiers and one WAC. The WAC and one of the soldiers were severely injured.

The account then tracks their survival, how they were found and how they were rescued. The author uses diaries, Army records and interviews to reconstruct the events.

Mr. Zuckoff provides far more than a simple account, however. He provides some history of the participants. Especially interesting were the Filipino-American soldiers who volunteered for the rescue mission and the rescue operation itself (don't want to give it away). The most fascinating aspect, though, was the study of the natives who had lived a Stone Age war-mongering existence completely isolated from the rest of the world, or even the rest of the island and their interactions with the Americans. What makes it so unique is that he has the perspectives from both the American side and the natives' side because he was able to New Guinea last year and interview natives who still remembered the events. Thus he was able to provide their thinking as well as the Americans'. It is frequently amusing to learn the gross misunderstandings of members of the two so different cultures. Even with these gross misunderstandings they were able to peacefully co-exist for seven weeks.
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Apr 09, 2013 Sarah Beth rated it 3 of 5 stars

I receieved a copy of this book from HarperCollins.

Lost in Shangri-La describes the harrowing story of Americans stationed in Dutch New Guinea during WWII who ended up trapped in the jungle after a plane crash left most of their group dead. What was supposed to be a morale-boosting pleasure flight over the valley and for the men and women aboard to catch a glimpse of native villages went horribly wrong with the plane crashed, leaving 21 dead and only three survivors: John McCollum, Kenneth Deck...more I receieved a copy of this book from HarperCollins.

Lost in Shangri-La describes the harrowing story of Americans stationed in Dutch New Guinea during WWII who ended up trapped in the jungle after a plane crash left most of their group dead. What was supposed to be a morale-boosting pleasure flight over the valley and for the men and women aboard to catch a glimpse of native villages went horribly wrong with the plane crashed, leaving 21 dead and only three survivors: John McCollum, Kenneth Decker, and Margaret Hastings. Despite the fact that his twin brother and lifelong companion was killed in the crash and both of the other two survivors were severely wounded, John McCollum was able to lead Decker and Hastings to safety until help could reach them. Decker and Hastings both had severe burns and cuts, which quickly developed gangrene in the wet, tropical conditions of the jungle.

I found the most interesting part of the story was the beginning from when the different individuals are introduced, the crash occurs, and the three survivors are stumbling through the jungle. I lost interest in the second half when C. Earl Walter, Jr. is leading the escape mission and the rescuers and crash survivors are mostly sitting around as they wait for the government to devise a way to airlift them out of the jungle.

The author's description of Margaret Hastings was really intriguing. She seems like an impossible flirt, particularly when Walter recounts how he was terrified she would end up "pregnant" under his watch when she was flirting with his men. She was also the darling of the media during the ordeal and was referred to as the "Queen of Shangri-La." Yet she seemed quick tempered and stubborn - which probably helped her survive her ordeal. I do wish I could have learned more about Decker in particular, who appears stoic and brave throughout without pause.

The conclusion of this account seemed abrupt to me. The glider sent to carry them out is dangerous and they doubt its ability to get them home and yet it done. The book then shifts to years after the conclusion of the war and the lives of the individuals involved in the years following the crash.

I was impressed with Zuckoff's detailed research for this story, including his travel to New Guinea to talk to natives who may remember the event. Their role in the story was important - without their tolerance, the wounded survivors would have been killed or lost in hostile territory. I thought the insight into their culture - ongoing and ritualized warfare, gourds worn to cover the penis, cannibalism, removal of female's finger joints to express grief, etc. - was intriguing but also necessary since the Americans landed and lived for weeks in their land. Despite the numerous hilarious misunderstandings between Americans and native New Guinea residents that occurred due to a language barrier, the natives were amazingly welcoming and kind to the stranded Americans. (less)

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Feb 16, 2013 Karen rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: book-group-choice, nonfiction

Author does good job of creating suspense - even though we suspect the three survivors will get out of Shangri-La. Just when and how are uncertain. Since I usually find something to criticize, I will say that he included a few paragraphs that weren't really necessary. Glad to get most of the background information; just a little of it was not very relevant. At times, I skipped the technical explanations. I am not good at visualizing mechanics. I could certainly visualize the jungle. Seemed a lot...more

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Dec 29, 2012 Andrea rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: audiobookshelf, non-fiction

Listen to the audio version on a trip from Las Cruces to Dallas and back for Christmas. I picked this book because my in-laws were with us and I wanted something we would all be interested in and a book we could finish on the trip (without having to listen non-stop).

This turned out to be a great choice. Everyone enjoyed the narration by the author. My father-in-law who listens to a LOT of audio books said he thought this was one of the best narrations he's heard. The pacing of the story is grea...more

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Nov 24, 2012 Jim rated it 5 of 5 stars

Fabulous! I had only recently read and reviewed “Unbroken,” so my expectations were high for “Lost in Shangri-La,” since it also occurs in the Pacific during World War II.

This remarkable true story of survival, however, is not by a soldier captured by the Japanese. This is about the crash of a military plane that was on a sight-seeing run over a recently discovered high-elevation valley on northern New Guinea in May 1945. Just three of 24 people, including a woman in the Air Corps, survived the...more

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Nov 05, 2012 Becky rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: book-club

A really amazing story—I spent the whole book wondering why I'd never heard about this before. Zuckoff does a great job developing several of the 'characters' in the story with very little primary source material to go by. And the 'first contact' part of the story—reading about the society that had developed apparently devoid of connection with the outside world—was especially fascinating. I was struck by the things that I think of as fundamental to the human condition that are apparently not (t...more

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Sep 22, 2012 David rated it 3 of 5 stars

In Lost in Shangri-La, Mitchell Zuckoff uses his journalistic skills to relay the over 65 year old WWII story of the crash of the “Gremlin” aircraft carrying two dozen sightseers over a high altitude jungle valley in Dutch New Guinea. The plane smashes into a mountain side killing all but three passengers, John McCollom (who lost his twin brother in the crash), Ken Decker and a WAC named Margaret Hastings.

Zuckoff researched the story to provide many details that were not reported in the press o...more In Lost in Shangri-La, Mitchell Zuckoff uses his journalistic skills to relay the over 65 year old WWII story of the crash of the “Gremlin” aircraft carrying two dozen sightseers over a high altitude jungle valley in Dutch New Guinea. The plane smashes into a mountain side killing all but three passengers, John McCollom (who lost his twin brother in the crash), Ken Decker and a WAC named Margaret Hastings.

Zuckoff researched the story to provide many details that were not reported in the press of the day. He tells of the crash based on the first person accounts with some speculation as to the cause. The days following the crash were difficult for the injured trio as they attempt to make contact with our Allies. Throughout the story there are the hazards of being killed and eaten by cannibals, being shot by Japanese soldiers and from succumbing from their injuries.

The second part of the story is about the valiant paratroopers who saved the crash survivors from starvation, marauding native warriors and the serious wounds. From this point forward the biggest challenge is figuring out how to get the entire group out of the valley, hundreds of miles from any supporting bases. Lots of supplies become available from air drops and a novel escape method is developed.

I enjoyed the interactions between the soldiers and the local tribesmen, including many initially incorrect assumptions for what the other group was thinking. Perhaps the best insight from this book was the observation that the tribal groups have been having small battles with a few deaths here and there over the last few thousand years. The battles were initiated to help the male warriors to improve their standing in the tribe, but perhaps the bigger benefit of not being fully peaceful is that none of the tribes became pacifist to the point that they could be wiped out by more aggressive tribes. Sort of a tribal détente.

I have to note that the reason this became a story is largely due to the fact that one sassy WAC was among the survivors. This made the story an important one in 1945 as well as today. Many other soldiers and airmen were lost in similar circumstances, but the story of the surviving WAC is what sells newspapers and books. I guess some things never change, and it is probably a good thing that chivalry is not dead.

This is a compelling story and worth reading. I enjoyed the story but feel that the bulk of the story is the waiting game which lasted for many weeks. While this is factually telling what happened, this lull in the action made this book a bit less compelling. Mainly for this dwell period I only give Lost in Shangri-La a fair read.

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Aug 22, 2012 Bertrand Brasil rated it 5 of 5 stars

Após ganhar o Independent Literary Award, ser considerado o melhor Livro de ficção do ano pela Amazon e um dos três melhores pela Entertainment Weekly, chega ao Brasil Perdidos em Shangri-La, de Mitchell Zuckoff. Uma cativante narrativa de acontecimentos reais, que reconstrói uma odisseia às vezes aterradora, às vezes cômica, mas emocionante do princípio ao fim.

Em 13 de maio de 1945, vinte e quatro soldados americanos embarcaram em um avião cargueiro para um passeio sobrevoando Shangri-La, um li...more Após ganhar o Independent Literary Award, ser considerado o melhor Livro de ficção do ano pela Amazon e um dos três melhores pela Entertainment Weekly, chega ao Brasil Perdidos em Shangri-La, de Mitchell Zuckoff. Uma cativante narrativa de acontecimentos reais, que reconstrói uma odisseia às vezes aterradora, às vezes cômica, mas emocionante do princípio ao fim.

Em 13 de maio de 1945, vinte e quatro soldados americanos embarcaram em um avião cargueiro para um passeio sobrevoando Shangri-La, um lindo e misterioso vale no coração das selvas montanhosas da Nova Guiné Holandesa. Quando o avião caiu, milagrosamente, três passageiros conseguiram escapar: Margaret Hastings, John McCollom e Kenneth Decker. Sua única chance era enfrentar uma angustiante descida pela encosta da montanha, em uma jornada que os levaria direto ao território de uma supersticiosa tribo, a qual jamais tivera contato com a civilização.

Perdidos em Shangri-la foi escrito com base em extensa e minuciosa pesquisa por parte do autor, em que analisou documentos militares, cartas, o diário de Hastings, entre outras fontes. Zuckoff visitou a região do acidente e entrevistou nativos da tribo, que, devido a uma profecia local, pensaram que os três tivessem sido espíritos enviados para anunciar o fim dos tempos.

Do momento da queda até o emocionante resgaste, o livro é de tirar o fôlego. Uma história de heróis que atravessaram uma densa floresta para encontrar ajuda; de como alguns paraquedistas arriscaram as próprias vidas para salvá-los; e de como um coronel idealizou uma audaciosa missão de resgate com recursos nunca antes testados.
Perdidos em Shangri-La frequentou as principais listas de mais vendidos dos Estados Unidos e recebeu avaliações positivas nos mais importantes veículos de comunicação do país.

“Mitchell Zuckoff reconstruiu de forma brilhante um dos episódios mais impressionantes da História.” (Washington Post)

“Uma narrativa impecável de uma história inacreditável.” (New York Times)
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Aug 13, 2012 Gerry Beane rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: history, non-fiction

Wow! This is a fascinating story about a relatively forgotten incident of a military plane crash and subsequent rescue near the end of World War II. Although it made headlines at the time, it was shortly thereafter overshadowed by the use of the secret atomic bomb to bring Japan to its knees in total surrender, thus ending the second World War.

When the crash occurred, though, it held the American public enthralled. Here was a story like no other during the war. A military plane was used to over...more Wow! This is a fascinating story about a relatively forgotten incident of a military plane crash and subsequent rescue near the end of World War II. Although it made headlines at the time, it was shortly thereafter overshadowed by the use of the secret atomic bomb to bring Japan to its knees in total surrender, thus ending the second World War.

When the crash occurred, though, it held the American public enthralled. Here was a story like no other during the war. A military plane was used to overfly a previously unknown, uncharted area and had been 'discovered' by a pilot while searching for military assets. The pilot had seen natives he described as like none he was aware of anywhere else in the world. They were a tall black race living in what appeared from the air as stone age conditions but in an organized society. There were no apparent landing spots nor any access by land, so it was assumed this society had developed for thousands of years with no contact from the 'modern' world.

The mystery was too much to ignore, so a series of 'sight seeing' flights occurred. On this particular tragic flight, the unknown terrain caused the plane to crash on the side of a mountain, killing all aboard except for 4 passengers, 2 WACS and 2 male soldiers. Their story of survival is as fascinating as any fictional account of survival in a foreign land or planet.

The book was extremely well-researched. The author contacted as many of those actually involved in the incident as we're still alive, including some of the natives who were mere teenagers at the time. Between the memories of survivors, military records, diaries and photographs, the author, Michael Zuckoff, has crafted an adventure story that must rank among the most incredible in history! Although it gets off to a relatively slow start, the persistent reader will be rewarded immensely with this story of adventure, history, romance, danger, tragedy and pathos - and it's all true. I began reading on a Sunday morning and it consumed my day until I finished the book in one sitting. Riveting!

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Aug 12, 2012 D. Martin rated it 3 of 5 stars

There's a promise of tension and excitement when you hear of a story involving a WWII military pleasure flight that crashes in an inaccessible New Guinea mountain valley. The valley is said to be the home of hostile, head-hunting, and cannibalistic tribes. The "modern" world has yet to chart the area because it's so difficult to get into (and out of). Most die in the crash, and many of the rest shortly thereafter. Only three remain, and now they have to fight their way back to civilization. Exci...more

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Jul 29, 2012 Judith rated it 4 of 5 stars

Wow! What a great read. This is the true story of an airplane crash in New Guinea near the end of WWII; the survival and rescue of 2 servicemen and a WAC. It helps that there are no villains in this story. The three survivors as well as their rescuers all behaved so courageously and decently and it was a pleasure not to encounter that stock character of the complainer who rubs everyone the wrong way or the selfish man who wants to exploit the natives. I was frequently on the edge of my chair exp...more Wow! What a great read. This is the true story of an airplane crash in New Guinea near the end of WWII; the survival and rescue of 2 servicemen and a WAC. It helps that there are no villains in this story. The three survivors as well as their rescuers all behaved so courageously and decently and it was a pleasure not to encounter that stock character of the complainer who rubs everyone the wrong way or the selfish man who wants to exploit the natives. I was frequently on the edge of my chair expecting one of the trigger-happy soldiers to shoot one of the natives or a native to throw a spear at one of the rescue paratroopers. But it never happened. That lack of battle did not dampen the suspense. It just made the story seem more realistic and less like a Hollywood version of a war story.

What makes this story so interesting is that the author devoted years to research and describes the story from every angle, including the natives' perspective during their interactions with the survivors while they awaited rescue. He doesn't presume to guess at their thoughts. He actually went back and interviewed people from the village who were there at the time. For example: when the paratroopers came in to set up base camp, the natives surrounded them, thinking they were birds. After a lengthy period of staring each other down, the natives began patting down the soldiers. This went on so long that the soldiers began to think that the natives mistook them for women and were engaging in some type of foreplay. The commander instructed his men to peel off their clothes and show the natives that they were men. This stopped the patting but didn't stop the staring. Turns out the natives thought the men's uniforms were part of their skin and that's why they were engrossed in touching them. As shocked as the natives were to discover that the clothing came off, apparently they were more shocked at the men's attitude about exposing their genitals. Even though the natives appeared essentially naked to the soldiers, they always kept a gourd cover over their penises and were completely appalled at the soldiers' lack of modesty.

This author covers the lives of the major characters from start to finish so that you never have to wonder what happened to anyone. When I read the NYT review of this book, I thought it was going to be a survival story, but it is much more than that, and thankfully so. The survival part, while the main theme is not the main story. Plus there are lots of interesting black and white photos of the characters and places, which were taken at the time. It's good stuff. (less)

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Jul 24, 2012 Owen rated it 3 of 5 stars

Fascinating story from start to finish. Having deployed in the current military, I found it even more fascinating. The concept of how to fill time while away from friends and family but not in any real danger. This is much better with our available technology, but it's never fun. The evolving roles of women in military society, but society as a whole as well. The idea of 'blanket dates' and 'date swims' are a riot to me after 7 months in Afghanistan. (The current policy is to disallow sexual rel...more Fascinating story from start to finish. Having deployed in the current military, I found it even more fascinating. The concept of how to fill time while away from friends and family but not in any real danger. This is much better with our available technology, but it's never fun. The evolving roles of women in military society, but society as a whole as well. The idea of 'blanket dates' and 'date swims' are a riot to me after 7 months in Afghanistan. (The current policy is to disallow sexual relations between anyone- even married couples on the same base at the same time. Of course, 'swimming' was a riot to me in Helmand Province as well). At the same time the idea of going for a dangerous plane flight for fun resonated; I had friends so tortured by boredom they volunteered to ride along on convoys- uncomfortable boredom with a chance of being killed or maimed by roadside bombs. The idea of a crack guerilla Filipino paratrooper unit, ideal for irregular warfare in a location of some of our toughest fighting was ingenious, even if they were essentially forgotten about and used only for a rescue mission. It is a testament to the American will that we can even make it to wars, much less win one. (And why we will keep winning them). I did have tactical questions about why they only sent 10 paratroopers, given that they would be surrounded by several thousand hostiles and the most likely avenue of escape was a 150 mile trek through enemy infiltrated jungle mountains with three severely wounded people. Not sure what the thought process was there, but they got lucky the bloodbath never happened.

The book is delightfully researched, and Zuckoff brings the characters home. Among other things, it made me yearn for The Greatest Generation; the way these people worked, fought lost and won so much or little with such dignity. I suspect they did not watch much reality television. Well worth the read, a true adventure story, masterfully pieced together by Mr. Zucker.(less)

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Jul 15, 2012 Laura rated it 5 of 5 stars

As I turned the last page, I felt a certain sadness, ending what I felt was an amazing journey into the past with a group of survivors in the once unknown world of a lost civilization deep in the wild jungles of New Guinea. This book fascinated and enthralled me. It made me cry, laugh, cringe, and wonder. Without a doubt this is one of the best books I've read in 2012! I read parts of it in the car as my hubby drove and would recount what I was reading to him. Throughout the following days he ke...more As I turned the last page, I felt a certain sadness, ending what I felt was an amazing journey into the past with a group of survivors in the once unknown world of a lost civilization deep in the wild jungles of New Guinea. This book fascinated and enthralled me. It made me cry, laugh, cringe, and wonder. Without a doubt this is one of the best books I've read in 2012! I read parts of it in the car as my hubby drove and would recount what I was reading to him. Throughout the following days he kept asking, “So what's happening with the survivors now?”

Zuckoff has managed the feat of putting together the true story of how, in May of 1945, three people (two men and one woman all serving in the US Army) survived and were rescued from a plane crash in the middle of an impenetrable jungle in what was then uncharted territory populated by treacherous mountains that opened up to a never-before-seen valley scattered with the villages of cannibal tribesmen. Zuckoff is a master writer, capturing and recounting the day-to-day unfolding of the tragedy that turned into an adventure so that as a reader I felt I was living it with them.

Using the diary entries of Corporal Margaret Hastings (one of the survivors), the eyewitness accounts of the leader of the paratroopers that was sent in to rescue them and even the people of the tribes who remembered the day the white people fell from the sky, we are swept away into the world of WWII, Army outposts in foreign and dangerous but exotic lands, and the harrowing experience of three survivors with life-threatening burns and wounds who meet for the first time in history a lost people.

Although non-fiction, the narrative is suspenseful, riveting and touching. Zuckoff does not use sensationalism, and we get an honest portrayal as seen through the eyes of the survivors, rescuers and tribespeople. Zuckoff also gives background information of the various men and women, making this very much a story about ordinary, yet extraordinary men and women.

Zuckoff's research is impeccable with over 40 end pages of notes on sources and methods. The book also includes letters and emails from the families of those directly involved with this story who read this book and felt compelled to write to the author. By the end of the book, I felt I knew the cast of people who had been a part of this amazing and almost unbelievable story. This one is a keeper on my bookshelf and one that I will re-read again. Highly recommended to all who love stories of survival and the wonders of lost civilizations.
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Jun 14, 2012 Anne Slater rated it 3 of 5 stars

This is a thoughtfully (if ploddingly) set up story of a bunch of aviators and WACs who went for a joy ride over a desolate part of New Guinea, and crashed, killing ~22 of the people on board. That three survived is a miracle, especially the two who were seriously injured (one seemed to be totally UN injured). The larger miracle is that they were brought out, given the completely mountain-locked nature of the terrain. And that's what makes the story.

There were a couple of chapter-long sidebar se...more

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May 29, 2012 Josh rated it 2 of 5 stars

This book starts out with a group of people taking a joy ride with a plane and surprise they get in a crash. This book was very predictable It gave me no surprises. later in the book they get joined in their struggle from American paratroopers. They can't get helped by a plane because there is no place to land. Helicopters can't fly in the thin mountain air.They decide that the only way to escape is to have a plane fly over with a hook.
There was no movie for this book but I would imagine that it...more

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May 17, 2012 Literary Feline rated it 4 of 5 stars

I love to give books as gifts, especially to my dad. When the anniversary of his birthday came last January, I caught myself picking out books I would like to have given him if he was still alive. It’s become such second nature. As much as he loved mysteries and thrillers, I never quite seemed to put my finger on what he liked most (I sure did try though!)—but when it came to nonfiction, it was easy peasy. Mitchell Zuckoff’s Lost in Shangri-La is exactly the type of book I would have gotten for...more I love to give books as gifts, especially to my dad. When the anniversary of his birthday came last January, I caught myself picking out books I would like to have given him if he was still alive. It’s become such second nature. As much as he loved mysteries and thrillers, I never quite seemed to put my finger on what he liked most (I sure did try though!)—but when it came to nonfiction, it was easy peasy. Mitchell Zuckoff’s Lost in Shangri-La is exactly the type of book I would have gotten for him (with the stipulation that he loan it to me after).

World War II has always been a particular interest of mine (thanks, Dad!) and so it was only natural that I would gravitate towards Lost in Shangri-La for myself as well. It’s an amazing story as well as a tragic one.

The author provides an inside view to the events leading up to and after that fateful Mother’s Day, May 13, 1945, when the Gremlin Special went down in the remote mountainous jungle of Dutch New Guinea. Twenty-four American serviceman and Women's Army Corps (WACs) were on board the plane that day. As a bit of fun, their commanding officer was treating them to a trip to see “Shangri-La” first hand. Shangri-La was a supposed paradise with natives still living in the stone ages, untouched by the world war going on around them.

Despite the loss of their friends and comrades and life threatening injuries, the three survivors did what they could to survive, hoping against hope for rescue. Meanwhile, efforts to send in a rescue team were underway and a group of eager paratroopers were called upon to assist.

I got to know many of the victims and survivors as well as the major players involved in the rescue, including the natives. Mitchell Zuckoff conducted in-depth interviews with survivors and family and friends of those who were touched by the event in some way, dug through declassified military documents, relied on personal diaries and journals, and viewed film footage. He did an excellent job bringing it—and the people involved—to life.

Lost in Shangri-La reads like a novel, proving yet again how interesting real life can be. Even as sensational a story as it is and the media made it out to be at the time, Zuckoff takes great care with the story and with those he writes about. This book is much more about the people, about their will to survive, and about the human spirit.

The area in which the survivors found themselves was (and is) extremely remote. Very few outsiders had ever been there before. The terrain was very rough, dense with growth and rocky in many parts. The survivors were very lucky in many respects and the rescuers even more so. The rescue itself was quite harrowing. The military had to be creative in determining how to get into the area and get out again. I found myself holding my breath several times throughout the book and praying alongside Margaret Hastings, one of the survivors, even though I knew the outcome of the events of that time were already sealed.

I appreciated the author’s research and thoughts about the natives in then Dutch New Guinea. The misunderstandings between the Americans and natives were at times humorous, admittedly, but, when you think about it, had circumstances been different, it could have proved to be very dangerous and deadly for all involved. I couldn’t help but feel a bit sad for the natives knowing how much their way of life was about to change once their existence was fully known. “Progress” was about to come their way—and, as we all know, “progress” isn’t always favorable.

Lost in Shangri-La did not disappoint. It was an emotional journey for not only the real life people involved but for this reader as well. I don’t know that I would have been as strong in such circumstances.

I was fortunate enough to receive a paperback copy of the book for this tour and included in the back were letters written to the author, responses by friends and family of those involved in the crash or rescue effort. I had to stop several times as I read through the letters because they were causing me to tear up. (less)

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May 14, 2012 Book Him Danno rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, books-sent-by-author-publisher-for

I am a sucker for WWII stories and I have been dying to read this book every since I saw the title pop up on my kindle. The book isn't just about the survival of three people from a plane crash in Papua New Guinea it is also about a race and culture that was still basically living in the stone age.

The story starts off with 24 enlisted personnel winning a chance to fly over "Shangria-La" as part of a way to boast morale on the military base Hollandia. Mitchel introduces all 24 personnel along wi...more I am a sucker for WWII stories and I have been dying to read this book every since I saw the title pop up on my kindle. The book isn't just about the survival of three people from a plane crash in Papua New Guinea it is also about a race and culture that was still basically living in the stone age.

The story starts off with 24 enlisted personnel winning a chance to fly over "Shangria-La" as part of a way to boast morale on the military base Hollandia. Mitchel introduces all 24 personnel along with their different back stories so when the accident occurs you will likely have connected with someone that might have survived. The author gives you a feel for military life in New Guinea and how men and women were treated on the base.

Mitchel takes the reader though terrifying and heart breaking details of the crash and how only 3 were able to survive in the worst conditions imaginable during the first few hours after the crash. Of the three survivors only one was unharmed and the other two were seriously burned and one with a head injury but no one knew how bad it was. The three set off in hope the military would find them in the dense jungle but as they walked the more irritated the burns became. Once they found a clearing the burned victims realized they had developed gangrene and knew if help didn't arrive they would lose body parts and possibly even their lives. Once they found a clearing they all realized that they were near the native village they had been flying over and with all the horror stories of headhunters they were in fear of their lives.

As the story progress the author took many pages of one of the survivors journals and used that to paint a colorful pictures of how they survived and how the natives treated them until paratroopers could come to their rescue. Once the medical paratroopers arrive to help save the burned victims we learned of the painful way they removed gangrene from the burn victims bodies. The small band of men and one woman had to hike out of the jungle and back to their military base knowing they could run into cannibals, rough terrain and possibly even hidden Japanese units waiting for their chance at glory. I am going to leave the details of the true rescue a secret for those who haven't read the book, so they can enjoy every second.

This is a true story which makes it so easy to connect with the different individuals and their struggles. Knowing that this is a part of history, something you can touch and visit, makes this story even more fantastic than it already was.

Thank you Heidi for this review.(less)

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Apr 29, 2012 Nancy rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is a well researched and documented true story of the airplane crash at the end of WWII. In an effort to build morale and comraderie, airplane trips were scheduled and executed to a beautiful and inaccessible valley where savages lived their quiet and supposedly cannibalistic life on the island of New Guinea. An army outpost, located 150 miles from the village, housed a number of men and women on the island that boasted the native headhunters and Japanese holdouts. Leaving the army confines...more

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Apr 26, 2012 Renee rated it 4 of 5 stars

Mitchell Zuckoff does a very nice job of bringing together the intriguing threads of the lives of the survivors and those who perished during what should have been a routine R&R flight in Papua New Guinea in 1945 at the tail end of WWII. He brings the era and the players in this real life drama to life with his light prose and breezy style.

This is like so many of the non-fiction books I have read this year: stranger than fiction. It reads like a good fiction-thriller, but all true. A wonderf...more

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Apr 21, 2012 Amber rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is an interesting, thoroughly researched story of an incredible rescue mission in New Guinea in the latter stages of World War II. It is easy to read but not overly simple in its style, and the author went to great lengths to tell the story not just of the soldiers (including a woman) trapped in the jungle but also of the soldiers (many Filipino-American) and military leadership responsible for rescuing them, American-Philippine relations and how this affected Filipino soldiers, previous we...more

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Sisterhood of the...: Lost in Shangri-la, by Mitchell Zuckoff	1	4	Apr 25, 2013 09:27pm
The Book Addicts!: Q1 2013 Non-Fiction Read: Lost in Shangri-La	38	63	Mar 29, 2013 04:00pm
Nook Daily Find	3	16	Mar 04, 2013 12:24pm
Lost in history!!	7	49	Sep 16, 2012 09:26am
Gwinnett County P...: Lost in Shangri-La	1	4	Aug 23, 2012 11:58am
Little Professor ...: July Book	4	5	Jun 29, 2012 11:34am

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