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Into the Mouth of the Cat: The Story of Lance Sijan, Hero of Vietnam
Lance Sijan was always a special kind of as a kid growing up in the Midwest; as a cadet who made his mark in the Air Force Academy. But it took Vietnam to show how special he wasin an epic of jungle survival and prison-camp defiance. On the night of November 9, 1967, Sijan was ejected from his crippled fighter-bomber over the steep mountains of Laos. Although critically injured and virtually without supplies, he evaded capture in savage terrain for six weeks. Finally caught and placed in a holding camp, he overpowered his guards and escaped, only to be captured again. He resisted his interrogators to the end, and he died two weeks later in Hanoi. His courage was an inspiration to other American prisoners of war, and he was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor.
256 pages, Paperback
First published November 1, 1984
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
April 15, 2021
Best Line: “In the spare text of the citation, the action of the honored individual is outlined. But there is no way the shorn, bureaucratic phrasing can convey the raw bravery, the triumph of will and faith, the suffering these young men endured and the incredible self-sacrifice they exhibited.” Page 26
Lance Sijan is the reason I use the word ‘hero’ lightly. What a beautiful dedication to a young man, as well as an entire generation of men, who stood for these ideas we hold so dear. Wow.
Lance Sijan is the reason I use the word ‘hero’ lightly. What a beautiful dedication to a young man, as well as an entire generation of men, who stood for these ideas we hold so dear. Wow.
March 22, 2014
This is my second time reading this book. The first was 25 years ago when I was 16 years old. I am glad that I knew the story of Lance P. Sijan when I joined the Army. I believe it had a subconscious effect on me. Now, re-reading his story so many years later, it is a reminder of the qualities that I have always lived by. Lance's story needs to be heard/read. I highly recommend anyone to read Into the Mouth of the Cat. Thank you for your service and sacrifice CPT Lance P. Sijan!
June 24, 2014
Wow!! What an amazing story of courage and honor under adversity! This young man had an incredible ability to control his emotions and take command of his thoughts under unimaginable circumstances.
June 25, 2008
Powerful story about Lance Sijan - this is one of the books from the Chief of Staff of the Air Force's reading list. It's a fast read and a tragic story.
October 18, 2012
I wish this was required reading for all HS students.
August 30, 2008
This is a must read for all Americans. An unparaled story of courage and heroism.
May 28, 2017
I would recommend this book for anyone looking to be inspired. This book is a quick read and leaves you wanting to read one more page.
July 29, 2019
Excellent book on a truly inspirational hero.
December 30, 2020
It is sad what man does to each other. Lance Sijan was an amazing person who should be honored as he has been. This book gives details of this hero's last two months prior to his death in the "Hanoi Hilton".
April 19, 2023
A must read of a Medal Of Honor of his courage and sacrifice during the Vietnam War.
May 28, 2023
Read multiple times. Riveting and inspiring story of a courageous airman who was shot down in Vietnam and his ordeal as a POW.
May 2, 2023
Mr. Sijan had great resolve in not being captured for such a long time and the condition that he was in after ejecting out of his fighter; however, arming his bombs is probably what brought him down. I have seen the area where he landed on Google maps and thought how rugged it is to have survived. Today you can see old weapons left behind from the war, plus bomb craters filled with water...What a war we got ourselves into and then out of, cost the life of Lance Sijan RIP
January 12, 2014
Review: Into the Mouth of the Cat by Malcom McConnell
This book is an outstanding account of the heroic actions of the Medal of Honor recipient, Captain Lance P. Sijan, in the Vietnam conflict. The personal notes from the author in the beginning and end reveal to the reader that his objective was to relay the perilous dangers that Captain Sijan had to endure to stay alive as long as he did after being shot down. The story begins with the author himself at the Vietnam Veteran’s Memorial finding the Lance’s name among the near 58,000 others engraved in dark black granite, then continues to a few weeks before Lance’s shoot down flying sorties with flashbacks to his time at the USAF Academy. One of the major skills that the author uses very frequently and well in this book is vivid use of detail. This truly shines when describing the numerous wounds Lance received upon his crash. It got to the point where I could almost smell what it would have been like to have been there with him on the ground in those jungles. I would be lying if I said the description and how the author times the delivery of information didn’t pull trigger some emotions in me even though from the beginning of this book, I knew how it was going to end. The pacing is just right for showing how drawn out his time in the jungle was due to his delirium and lack of nutrition. The ending is great because it does not stop at the ending of Lance’s story, but rather goes on to what happened after and some of the authors personal research and interviews. The kind of person that would enjoy this book is a person who enjoys reading a lot about military or history or action stories. This book, more so than others I have read, has strengthened my appreciation for the veterans of past conflicts which is something that everyone needs.
November 18, 2015
For a book that looks as though it was self-published, the writing was exceptionally smooth and strong, and the story was extremely gripping. Told with intelligence and beauty, Lance couldn't have asked for a better transcription of the events that took place. The only reason I gave it a "B" like grade is that the first few chapters dwelled too long on the mechanics and details of the planes and war strategies, to where I visually had to skim over parts that I could not mentally envision, and the "conclusion" or "afterword" of the story, showing the impacts of Lance's story at back home, meandered and lingered on his heroism more than necessary. The author was searching for an interesting backstory to explain Lance's inner will, but found little outside the ordinary. In a way, that's satisfying as a reader, but the constructs of the chapters felt like the writings of an author searching for a larger purpose. Some minimalism might have benefited the writing, as the introduction felt like a car going from 20 to 45 mph, with the middle section of Lance's survival hitting highs of 100+ mph, concluding with about an hour of 15 mph. It is what it is, but from a writing standpoint, it lent to an uneven flow. Still, this is a great war story and highly recommended.
July 27, 2018
Into the Mouth of the Cat: The Story of Lance Sijan, Hero of Vietnam is a book written by Malcolm McConnell and copyrighted in 1985 by Norton publishers. The book is based on the story of Lance Sijan who was a United States Air Force captain in the Vietnam War. On November 9, 1967, Sijan ejected from his F-4 Phantom II at high speeds and at a low altitude, which caused him to suffer massive injuries to his body. Upon waking the next morning, Sijan found that his left leg had a vertical splintering of the tibia known as a green tree fracture, his right hand was mangled with three of his fingers dislocated, deep cuts and gashes in his forearms, and a severe head wound.
June 17, 2019
So I have read this book and Of Love and War and each of these people are mentioned in the others book. They both received medals at the same ceremony. Although Lance received his after he had died. His survival after he was shot down and before he was captured is quite detailed and very amazing. There is less information on his physical torture than in Stockdales book although many of the same Vietnamese authorities are mentioned. Most of Sijans survival was before he got caught although his torture is mentioned and was too much in the end. Stockdales book was more about years of torture after being caught. Both amazing stories.
December 5, 2014
The book is based on a true story. Lance Sijan is from the Bay View neighborhood of Milwaukee and that's why I wanted to read it. Just like Unbroken, this story is almost hard to believe that it is real. He was shot down in Vietnam, survived 46 days in the wilderness was captured and tortured. The courage that was displayed was amazing. I will now have more remember his story when I visit the park named in his honor.
November 15, 2012
A very inspiring story around the first graduate from the Air Force Academy to receive the Medal of Honor for his actions in Vietnam. It is simply amazing the persistence, bravery, tenacity, and physical drive this man gave. He inspired his fellow prisoners and reinvigorated those who were breaking under torture.
January 26, 2009
Incredible story of amazing courage.
February 1, 2010
Not a huge fan of the writing, but it is an incredible story of suffering. I think it actually deserves 3.5 stars.
November 26, 2012
Read this book! An account of true honor in Lance Sijan, showing his indomitable spirit – truly an inspiring story.
July 19, 2011
Absolutely amazing!
April 3, 2013
The writing is a bit overblown but the central figure, Lance Sijan, is an undoubted hero.
March 11, 2014
Amazing story of an American Hero!
November 18, 2014
A hero in every sense of the word, and so so painful to read. I wish the book was more readily accessible because there are entire generations coming up who need to know this man's story.
November 8, 2015
Mediocre writing, but an incredible story. I am glad to have learned about this amazing American.
February 26, 2024
Great book. After winning the award, thought only fitting to tread about him. Glad I did. Very courageous and a hero.
June 3, 2011
what an unbelievable story!
Want to read
February 7, 2019Note to self--should read this because it is Chuck Nelson's favorite book. It's gotta be good.
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews