Taps on the Walls: Poems from the Hanoi Hilton

by John Borling, John McCain (Introduction)

Overview

How did a prisoner of war survive six years and eight months of soul-crushing imprisonment and torture in the Hanoi Hilton during the Vietnam War? By writing poetry. And how did he do it without pencil or paper? Then-captain John Borling ''wrote'' and memorized poems to keep his mind sharp and his spirits up. He shared his creations with fellow captives by their only means of communication--the forbidden POW tap code. Rapping on the cell walls with his knuckles, Borling tapped poems--certainly of pain and despair, but also of humor, encouragement and hope--to keep everyone's strength and spirits alive. With a foreword by fellow POW, Senator John McCain, Taps on the Walls contains all the poems General Borling created during his confinement. Readers will discover remarkable stories of endurance, life lessons, and means to achieve personal triumph.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940161124338
Publisher:	Master Wings Publishing
Publication date:	02/12/2013
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	1 MB

About the Author

John Borling, Major General, USAF, Ret., is a native Chicagoan and Air Force Academy graduate. A fighter pilot, his many decorations include the Silver Star, two Bronze Stars, and two Purple Hearts. During his 37 years in the Air Force, Borling served in high-level command and staff positions throughout the world. After military retirement, he continued to serve at the chairman/CEO and board director level of many for-profit and not-for-profit entities. He also founded and directs SOS America, an organization that advocates universal military service for America's youth.

Editorial Reviews

Taps on the Walls adds to the historical record, as well as to the body of prison literature available to us. It's also a book that attests to the enduring value of poetry. Borling's collection offers resilience, verse as a means of preserving the imagination, verse as a bulwark against that which would destroy our individual humanity.

Washington Post - Brian Turner

The words in the book fly directly from the soul of the writer and into the heart and soul of the reader, without deflection or deterrence; provide a powerful and much needed refresher course on American core values in terms of what they have helped us accomplish in the past, and what they can help us accomplish in the future.

Blogger News Network - Ron Standerfer

Austere and powerful in its imagery...It challenges the reader and takes him to worlds that he has not inhabited or experienced.

Vietnam Veterans of America - David Wilson