, a prisoner of nature's fury, or a prisoner of society, one word smashes your thoughts against a blockade of desperation: Escape! The stakes are higher than freedom itself--chains unshackled, steel doors opened, gunfire avoided. At stake is life itself, and the odds against winning the struggle are immense. The stories in this collection are pulse-pounding accounts of escape attempts of soldiers trapped on battlefields, outdoor adventurers facing nature's darkest hours, and POWs of all nationalities. The pain of wounds, loneliness, and defeat are captured in prose that makes these stories come alive.