When Green Beret lieutenant James N. Rowe was captured in 1963 by the Vietcong, he became one of the first American POWs of the Vietnam War. For half a decade, Rowe endured illness and other unimaginable adversities. He suffered grueling psychological and physical torment. He experienced the loneliness and frustration of watching his friends die. And he struggled every day to maintain faith in himself as a soldier and in his country, which appeared to have forgotten him.

Harrowing and triumphant, Five Years to Freedom is an unforgettable story of survival—and a testimony to the disciplined human spirit.

“A touching story of bravery, spirit, and determination… a valuable book for anyone wishing a more complete picture of war.”
—Dallas Times Herald

“If you can read this story and not weep, you are inhuman.”
—The Cincinnati Post