The Survivor

by Peter Tadman

The emergency medical evacuation captured worldwide attention. Aboard the 1972 flight was British Nurse Judy Hill and her sick patients—a pregnant Inuit woman and 14-year-old David Kootook. Former German Luftwaffe pilot Marten Hartwell was at the controls. Before it was over, the journey led to one of the most absorbing survival stories in modern times. A massive military search effort, its results, and the subsequent intensive police probe and legal action are only a few of the gripping elements of this true story. What happened then and in the intervening years creates a mesmerizing account of events that now have their rightful place in history through a journalistic recording. Included in this haunting book are extraordinary tales of others with chilling survival stories and reaction from the church to the consumption of human flesh as a means to stay alive.

179 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1991

Reviews

[Renée · Rating 2 out of 5]

The first half was really engaging. The second half became much more bogged down. Very little time is spent on what actually happened to the initial survivors, and most of the book takes place in the aftermath of the crash, as retold through court documents.
The grammar is also a bit odd, with random commas seemingly thrown in wherever this former journalist deemed worthy. It was definitely in need of a more professional editor in that sense, rather than what was provided by the publishers located in Hanna, Alberta.
It was a quick read, and as I mentioned, initially very engaging, which is a good thing, as I needed that momentum to get through the second half.