The full story of the extraordinary top-secret mission to rescue 61 American POWs in a prison compound 23 miles from Hanoi.

Includes index and bibliography (p. 315-318). Includes index.

Prologue -- Son Tay Prison -- Polar Circle - Fort Belvoir, Virginia - SACSA - The Tank - Arlington Hall Station - the Plan - Fort Bragg, North Carolina -- Ivory Coast - Volunteers - Assets - Cuba? - Range C-2 - Bullets, Blowtorches, and Bolt Cutters - The Ivory Coast Yo-Yo - Carriers and CAS Agents - Leaks and Lost Messages - The Oval Office - The Cigarettes -- Kingpin - Takhi Royal Thai Air Force Base - Udorn Royal Thai Air Force Base - Yankee Station - Son Tay - The National Military Command Center -- Disarray - The Pentagon Press Room - The Halls of congress - Public Relations - Post Mortem -- Hoa Lo Prison - epilogue - Author Notes - Appendix