It takes brains, grit, and maybe a dash of humour to be a survivor. Nobody knew that better than John Gordon "Scruffy" Weir, the subject of bestselling author Blake Heathcote's newest book. In The Survivor: Scruffy's War, Heathcote tells how Toronto-born Weir, the son of investment dealer Gordon Weir, went on to become a World War II fighter pilot, POW, participant in the Great Escape - and spy. Drawing on skills he had learned from an Ojibway hunter and in specials operations training, Weir endures a fiery plane crash and ...
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It takes brains, grit, and maybe a dash of humour to be a survivor. Nobody knew that better than John Gordon "Scruffy" Weir, the subject of bestselling author Blake Heathcote's newest book. In The Survivor: Scruffy's War, Heathcote tells how Toronto-born Weir, the son of investment dealer Gordon Weir, went on to become a World War II fighter pilot, POW, participant in the Great Escape - and spy. Drawing on skills he had learned from an Ojibway hunter and in specials operations training, Weir endures a fiery plane crash and four grim years in POW camps, capped by a 350 mile trek in 1945's infamous Winter March to Lubeck. In crisp prose, journal entries, and dozens of interview excerpts, Heathcote reveals how Weir was trained almost from birth for conditions neither he nor his teachers could ever have anticipated. Scruffy Weir spoke to no one about his experiences in war. No one, that is, except Blake Heathcote. And once he began to speak, Scruffy held nothing back. Over two years, and hundreds of hours of interviews, he talked to Heathcote about everything from his childhood to his flight training, the prison camps, the Great Escape, and the shadowy world of intelligence. And it wasn't all just talk. Scruffy's journals, personal notes, and thousands of photographs - many of them reproduced in this book - tell an unforgettable story of war and courage. What makes a survivor? Most of us can only guess. In this remarkable book, Blake Heathcote paints a moving and affectionate portrait of Scruffy Weir, an extraordinary man: a true survivor. From the Book: "There was a caveat: if John accepted, he could never talk about any assignments he was given, nor could he speak of or in any way acknowledge the existence of any such organization with anyone but Uncle Adrian. No one. Not his father or his closest and dearest friend. What's more, he would be accountable to the Network for the rest of his life, and there would be no turning back. The work would never be particularly easy, it would always have aspects of danger about it, and there would be no reward apart from the work itself. No one would ever know what he was doing or had done, and nor would he ever be thanked or awarded any medals or decorations. By and large the assignments would be mundane, achieving specific ends that were a small part of a much larger objective known only to Adrian. But there would come a time, as there did in all intelligence work, when John would be asked to take on an assignment that he did not want to take. Refusal was not an option."
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Add this copy of The Survivor: Scruffy's War to cart. $50.68, like new condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Atlanta rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Austell, GA, UNITED STATES, published 2013 by Testaments of Honour.
Add this copy of The Survivor: Scruffy's War to cart. $50.68, very good condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Baltimore rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Halethorpe, MD, UNITED STATES, published 2013 by Testaments of Honour.
Add this copy of The Survivor: Scruffy's War to cart. $50.68, good condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Reno rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Reno, NV, UNITED STATES, published 2013 by Testaments of Honour.
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Seller's Description:
Very Good. Size: 5x0x9; Clean With No Highlighting Or Marks Inside. 248 Pages With No Index. Paperback. Soft Cover. based on your address. -We can ship from USA and Canada. Specializing in academic, collectible and historically significant, providing the utmost quality and customer service satisfaction. For any questions feel free to email us.
Add this copy of The Survivor: Scruffy's War to cart. $68.00, very good condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Dallas rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Dallas, TX, UNITED STATES, published 2013 by Testaments of Honour.
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Very good. SIGNED by the author. Minor shelf and handling wear, overall a clean solid copy with minimal signs of use. Crease to front cover. Internally clean, with a tight binding. Secure packaging for safe delivery.
Add this copy of The Survivor: Scruffy's War to cart. $95.14, good condition, Sold by Bonita rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Newport Coast, CA, UNITED STATES, published 2013 by Testaments of Honour.
