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The Long Walk, did it ever happen?

http://www.explorersweb.com/trek/news.php?id=19859

tazz, read that -> Gliniecki: "I have solid evidence Glinski didn't do The Long Walk":

http://www.explorersweb.com/trek/news.php?id=19856

You're welcome tazz. Perhaps I should go to watch the movie. Does anybody watch The Way Back

Absolutely one of the best stories of all time, one of my top two favorite books. The controversy over this half century has done nothing but bring about more interest in the story. The fact that Slavomir was able to keep everyone guessing until his death was pretty wicked. Only time I ever had ever had a serious conversation with someone from the main stream film industry was regarding this book.

I dropped the penny when he began talking about going weeks through the dessert without water.

Dow Williams wrote:Absolutely one of the best stories of all time, one of my top two favorite books. The controversy over this half century has done nothing but bring about more interest in the story. The fact that Slavomir was able to keep everyone guessing until his death was pretty wicked. Only time I ever had ever had a serious conversation with someone from the main stream film industry was regarding this book.

What's the other favourite book between your first two

Somehow the thread's book reminds me of Seven Years in Tibet...

Reminds me of "as far as my feet will carry me", which I've mentioned here on SP before. There's a movie about that one too, but I much prefer the book. I've read it both in Dutch and in German (non-translated version) and thought it was an amazing read.

The story is much the same, except that this one is actually... true.

Diego Sahagún wrote:The Long Walk, did it ever happen?

http://www.explorersweb.com/trek/news.php?id=19859

It was an excellent book, almost hard to believe. And I guess there is some questions being raised.

tazz wrote:Yeah I see that. It is still a good book. I don't care if it is fake or not. Of course it gave it more importance when thinking it was fact. That still won't change my mind on the fact that it is a good book. Just move it from the non-fiction section to the fiction section.

again, thanks for the link.

I agree. I wanted to believe it's true, though the rational part of me knows that's unlikely. Possible, probably only remotely possible, but unlikely. Also, his failure to discuss the trip after the book was published, the failure of anyone else to surface to corroborate, etc., etc. Ultimately, however, I don't really care. Still a gripping read.

Diego Sahagún wrote:

Dow Williams wrote:Absolutely one of the best stories of all time, one of my top two favorite books. The controversy over this half century has done nothing but bring about more interest in the story. The fact that Slavomir was able to keep everyone guessing until his death was pretty wicked. Only time I ever had ever had a serious conversation with someone from the main stream film industry was regarding this book.

What's the other favourite book between your first two

Somehow the thread's book reminds me of Seven Years in Tibet...

We Die Alone...a legit and well documented story of a Norwegian spy by the name of Jan Baalsrud. Howarth, the author, had his own doubt of some of the circumstances until he visited most each and every location involved in Jan's story and confirmed his recollection via various, but separate, witness accounts. I have original editions of both books. I have often toyed with the idea of following his footsteps, including a very cold and arduous swim.

We Die Alone is awesome. I mean, the guy has to outrun a bunch of armed Nazis, barefoot in a frigid Norwegian winter. The story kind of bogs down later (which I won't get into for those who haven't read it) but a great read nevertheless.

Yesterday I watched the movie. It's a fair film, too many walks in deserts and open spaces without anything more. Even they found the Himalayas just after crossing The Great Wall of China

It doesn't open in the US till January 21, but for those of you in the DC area I just found out there'll be a screening at National Geographic this week:

***
Thursday, January 13, 2011
7:00 p.m.
***
National Geographic Live! Washington D.C.
Grosvenor Auditorium
1600 M Street NW
Washington, DC 20036
***
All Tickets: $10
To purchase the tickets please visit:
http://events.nationalgeographic.com/events/films/2011/01/13/way-back/

Gary Schenk wrote:

MoapaPk wrote:I dropped the penny when he began talking about going weeks through the dessert without water.

Same here. I never finished after reading the bit about the Gobi.

That is a problem for the narrative, though you can partially explain it if you were inclined to do so: he padded the story; he lost track of the actual number of days; they compensated by eating the snakes they found, etc. You also have to consider that, if you've bought the premise of the story thus far, you have a group of extremely toughened individuals. They walked in chains behind trucks to Siberia, survived a gulag, walked all the way from Siberia to the Gobi, etc., etc. The story is a grand succession of hardships.

If you also factor in things from other survival stories that we know to be true, we know that people have an amazing capacity for endurance that goes beyond what we estimate when sitting on the sofa reading a book. Any misstatement of fact doesn't render every other fact implausible. But then, if you didn't like the book, that's a whole 'nother can of worms.

Have you seen the movie What's your opinion about it