Long March to Freedom: The True Story of a Colombian Kidnapping

by Tom Hargrove

Running late for work one morning in September 1994, Tom Hargrove, communications director for an international agricultural aid organization in Cali, Colombia, was mildly annoyed when he spotted a roadblock, or retén, manned by soldiers in fatigues. He chafed at the delay, but told himself that guerrillas and kidnappers didn’t operate on a main highway in broad daylight. But Hargrove had been dreadfully mistaken. Despite his assertions that he worked for a non-profit agricultural agency, he was forced at gunpoint into a vehicle and driven into the mountains by communist narco-terrorists who believed he was a valuable hostage. For almost a year, Hargrove was held by the guerillas and moved from one remote location to another. To maintain his grip on sanity, he recorded his daily experiences in makeshift in a checkbook; on children’s notebooks; and on scraps of paper scrounged during his ordeal. Hargrove’s story, originally published in 1995, was the basis for the major motion picture Proof of Life, starring Russell Crowe and Meg Ryan. Now available again in paperback, Long March to Freedom chronicles one man’s spirited determination to hang onto life and faith amid nearly impossible circumstances.

362 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 6, 2007

Reviews

[Jimmy Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enough to make you fear traveling anywhere south of Texas. The movie "Proof of Life" was based on this book, which is comprised of the secret diaries Tom Hargrove kept while being held captive in Columbia. He was taken during a traffic stop, by mistake, since the agency he worked for to help the local population had the initials "CIA" in its acronym (CIAT, but apparently that "T" didn't resonate) and then after researching for reasons to hold him, the guerrillas discovered, like many others his age, he had served in Vietnam. He was held by undisciplined teenagers with automatic rifles, nearly starved to death, no exercise, no warmth, at times chained to his bed - imprisoned with no political beliefs to keep him going. A miracle he survived at all.

I've read many stories of those imprisoned, but this one was just wrenching. Being at the mercy of teenagers with no idea of the importance of keeping you fed - and knowing that the faceless company you work for has a "policy of not negotiating with terrorists" (sounds great, but you're barely alive) - absolutely harrowing.

[Angelique Delorme · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing book. So sad to hear what some people have to go through... and simply because others are uneducated and don't know better.