Reb Rev's Blog

Kidnapped. Bound and blindfolded. Pistol whipped and beaten. Thus begins the 311 day ordeal of Roy Hallums, an American contractor kidnapped and held for ransom in Iraq.

Hallums takes us (sometimes graphically) through the everyday life of being held captive by a gang of thugs in war torn Iraq. From the mundane, such as the daily diet, to the harrowing he describes the beatings which were given at times for punishment, at other times for the amusement of the guards and often for no apparent reason. Hallums includes some lighthearted moments such as the comical behavior of the captors as they made his “proof of life” video, with one of them acting as the “director.”

He also shares the perspective of his family as they dealt with the lack of information, bureaucratic stalemates and terror of just not knowing whether their loved one was still alive. Understandably, the experience was horribly difficult on them as well.

Hallums was finally rescued however, and we get the details (as much as allowed) of how that actually came about and how the plan was executed.

For me, this book was a page turner and I enjoyed it immensely.

I post these reviews as a member of Thomas Nelson’s Book Review Blogger Program J (www.booksneeze.com)