Does Anyone Recognize This Book??

[adifrank]

I read a book(fiction) in the late 1980's or early 1990's about a u.s. airforce pilot testing a new covert plane and ejecting over russia before the plane crashes(or something along those lines) The story follows his trials and tribulations as he trys to survive the winter and find his way to the Bering Sea while a Russian spy hunts and trys to capture him for the information on the new plane he was flying.

The book changes from 1st person (the airforce pilot) to 1st person(the russian spy) The author was a well known espionage writer of the day with more than one book in print. Does this sound familiar to anyone? I can't remember the name of the author or the book's title. Can anyone help me?

 

[tartan_skirt]

I'm not familiar with the book, but from your author information maybe you should check this list on Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spy_fiction#Prominent_writers_of_spy_fiction

Might help a little, but I really don't know.

 

[VampGrrl]

Oh I think it may be Louis L'Amour's Last of the Breed. I lost a bet with my Dad and had to read this one. Here's the description:

Once again demonstrating his versatility, the prolific L'Amour has written a contemporary adventure novel set in the "Wild East" of Siberia. U.S. Air Force Major Joseph Makatozi"Joe Mack"is shot down by the Russians, who intend to wring secret information from him before executing him. The catch in their plans is that Rambo-like Joe Mack is part Sioux, part Cheyenne, and a nearly Olympic-caliber athlete. Still, it takes all his native skills and endurance to survive and overcome Soviet Colonel Arkady Zamatev and his Yakut henchman Alekhin as they track the American across the Siberian wilderness.

This book drove me nuts because he killed a bear with his shoelaces (some sort of trap) but it never said HOW EXACTLY. My Dad liked this feature because he said you didn't get bogged down in details but gosh darn it, if I'm ever trapped out in the wilderness it'd be helpful to know how to kill a bear with your shoelaes, ya know?

Hope this was what you were looking for!
M.

 

[adifrank]

Vampgrrl: I think that might be it!! Do you by any chance remember if this book was written in the double first-person format, changing from the American pilot to the Russian tracker?

 

[VampGrrl]

You know, I don't remember and my Dad doesn't remember and we can't seem to find the darned book! But I read him your description and he agrees that it sounds like Last of the Breed. Pop into a bookstore and leaf through it and see. My Dad says he thought they also made a movie of it.

 

[VampGrrl]

We went to amazon and did the search inside the book feature and it looks like it's all third person. But the story sounds right....

 

[adifrank]

Vampgrrl,
Thanks! You and your Dad were right!! I visited Amazon and read the first few pages. Thanks!

Adifrank