This column is another foray into the world of nonfiction, with the basis being real-life exploits of jailbreaks and spies and hunting. Nonfiction can truly be hit-and-miss, but I promise these three books are all hits. One was made into a movie, another into a mini-series, and finally, there’s a great look into one of my favorite authors’ other pursuits.
THE 10-SECOND JAILBREAK: THE HELICOPTER ESCAPE OF JOEL DAVID KAPLAN by Eliot Asinof, Warren Hinckle and William Turner — This 1973 book and real event inspired that Charles Bronson and Robert Duvall film BREAKOUT, right down to the helicopter landing in the middle of a prison yard. Unlike the movie, the book focuses more on Kaplan and how he ended up in the prison itself. From all accounts, it looks like he was set up — a patsy in a murder plot in which the victim turned out to be still alive.
All of this is true and truly frightening, when it might have been Kaplan’s uncle who tried to keep his nephew in the Mexican jail. Truth truly is stranger then fiction with this one. From the looks of it, Kaplan was living a sinful life, according to his uncle Jacob, the head of Welch’s — yes, the grape people. Joel supposedly was involved with smuggling guns, while Jacob might have been involved with some CIA goings on. So when Joel is set up for the fall and sent to a Mexican prison, he figured his family could easily pay his way out.
Nine years later, Joel does get out of prison by one of the more daring escapes ever. First, we watch as Joel has failed attempt after failed attempt, from faking illnesses to be taken into town, bribing guards to look the other way in a laundry truck, or even fellow prisoners taking his money and never delivering. Being moved from one prison to another, the only help Joel would get would be from his sister and a Mexican woman named Irma, whom he married while behind bars.
For fans of the movie, there was no Jill Ireland, and no one in the story looked like Duvall or Bronson, either. This is truly a fun read that reads like one of those great adventure stories, but with the caveat of it being all true. Well worth seeking out — even the hardcover can be found on the cheap.
REILLY: ACE OF SPIES by Robin Bruce Lockhart — The story goes that Sydney Reilly was the original superspy: a man who had 11 passports and a woman to go with each one. From all accounts, that’s not stretching the truth, since Reilly remains a true mystery. What Lockhart’s 1967 book tries to do is shed light onto this larger-than-life figure, from his Russian upbringing to becoming the top spy for British Intelligence.
But again, most of what we really know about Reilly is still shrouded in mystery, since he never discussed his upbringing or all his exploits, which we are told about secondhand, thankfully, by Lockhart’s father, who was also a compatriot of his. Both were involved with the big mission of attempting to kill Lenin.
It all reads like a James Bond novel, with the added knowledge that this man was totally for real and his exploits were jaw-dropping, like escaping enemy agents with not even the clothes on his back or infiltrating the German high command. Then we learn of the parade of women he was involved with in his career; marriage was not a hindrance to Reilly in the least. He also operated as sort of a free agent, only taking the operations he wanted to take. It seemed Reilly could come and go within British intelligence whenever the mood would strike him.
Even when the rumors of his death were spreading, Reilly would pop up to quell them. But then again, so little was known of the man that even the people he worked with never knew how or when he died. Lockhart tried his best to uncover the true story, with his style reading like a great spy thriller. Even with all the dates and names, this book was a breeze to fly through, which is an added bonus, since it could have easily fallen into that dry, paint-drying type of story.
ON GUNS AND HUNTING by Donald Hamilton — This 1970 book is an intriguing read, since it’s a collection of pieces Hamilton wrote for various magazines in the FIELD & STREAM set. What is truly surprising is that for a book that is all about hunting and guns, it’s not the gun porn most would expect. There is talk of different rifles and calibers, but Hamilton never dwells on it.
The pieces are more about his experiences, from his early days as a novice hunter to the seasoned pro taking his children along on the hunts. It also gives a total insight into the man who gave us Matt Helm. Don’t think its all hunting and shooting; there are a few pieces about Hamilton’s love of dogs, including a really touching piece called “Afghan, Farewell,” where Hamilton talks about his Afghan hound whom they took from a pound, but sadly had to be cut short by its own actions. Hamilton brings up that this dog was a character in one of his books: the Helm adventure THE REMOVERS.
Another piece focusing on Hamilton’s love for man’s best friend is “Who’s Minding the Store,” which goes off about dog breeding, detailing his own experiences with these people and how most of those dogs had to be destroyed, mainly due to health reasons. But there are plenty of pieces that show Hamilton started off as a hunter who could barley shoot a quail to pieces.
Is this book for everyone? Probably not. But if you enjoy a book that could probably beat up all your other books, this is a great ride. Actually, if you know any outdoorsmen in your family, this would make a great read for them. Even for a book that is close to 40 years old, it’s all still pretty relevant, since hunting is truly one of the great bonding experiences, as Hamilton shows in these fun pieces. Before I forget, yes, one of his dogs was a Labrador named Matt.
Next time: Right after the series premiere of QUARK on NBC! —Bruce Grossman
OTHER BOOKGASM REVIEWS OF DONALD HAMILTON:
• THE AMBUSHERS by Donald Hamilton
• THE BETRAYERS by Donald Hamilton
• THE DEVASTATORS by Donald Hamilton
• THE INTERLOPERS by Donald Hamilton
• THE INTIMIDATORS by Donald Hamilton
• IRON MEN AND SILVER STARS edited by Donald Hamilton
• LINE OF FIRE by Donald Hamilton
• THE MENACERS by Donald Hamilton
• THE MONA INTERCEPT by Donald Hamilton
• MURDERERS’ ROW by Donald Hamilton
• NIGHT WALKER by Donald Hamilton
• THE POISONERS by Donald Hamilton
• THE RAVAGERS by Donald Hamilton
• THE RETALIATORS by Donald Hamilton
• THE SHADOWERS by Donald Hamilton
• THE TERMINATORS by Donald Hamilton
• TEXAS FEVER by Donald Hamilton
• THE VANISHERS by Donald Hamilton
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
Always glad to see a gratuitous mention of Quark!
That was for you Bill and you know exaclty what that line is from.
One thing I’ve always really liked about Donald Hamilton is that he never delves into “Gun Porn”, unlike most action writers.