81 Days Below Zero: The Incredible Survival Story of a World War II Pilot in Alaska’s Frozen Wilderness

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(as of Sep 16, 2026 05:14:54 UTC – Details)


“A riveting…saga of survival against formidable odds” (Washington Post) about one man who survived a World War II plane crash in Alaska’s harsh Yukon territory
Shortly before Christmas in 1943, five Army aviators left Alaska’s Ladd Field on a routine flight to test their hastily retrofitted B-24 Liberator in harsh winter conditions. The mission ended in a crash that claimed all but one-Leon Crane, a city kid from Philadelphia with no wilderness experience. With little more than a parachute for cover and an old Boy Scout knife in his pocket, Crane found himself alone in subzero temperatures. 81 Days Below Zero recounts, for the first time, the full story of Crane’s remarkable twelve-week saga.
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Grand Central Publishing
Publication date ‏ : ‎ March 1, 2016
Edition ‏ : ‎ Reprint
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Print length ‏ : ‎ 264 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0306824523
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0306824524
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 11.4 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.95 x 1 x 8.95 inches
Best Sellers Rank: #60,233 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #27 in Arctic & Antarctica History #79 in WWII Biographies #172 in World War II History (Books)
Customer Reviews: 4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars (2,067) var dpAcrHasRegisteredArcLinkClickAction; P.when(‘A’, ‘ready’).execute(function(A) { if (dpAcrHasRegisteredArcLinkClickAction !== true) { dpAcrHasRegisteredArcLinkClickAction = true; A.declarative( ‘acrLink-click-metrics’, ‘click’, { “allowLinkDefault”: true }, function (event) { if (window.ue) { ue.count(“acrLinkClickCount”, (ue.count(“acrLinkClickCount”) || 0) + 1); } } ); } }); P.when(‘A’, ‘cf’).execute(function(A) { A.declarative(‘acrStarsLink-click-metrics’, ‘click’, { “allowLinkDefault” : true }, function(event){ if(window.ue) { ue.count(“acrStarsLinkWithPopoverClickCount”, (ue.count(“acrStarsLinkWithPopoverClickCount”) || 0) + 1); } }); });
Customers find this book to be a gripping story of survival in Alaska’s frozen wilderness, with rich historical context and engaging content that holds readers’ interest throughout. They appreciate its readability as a quick read, and one customer notes how the historical background information adds depth to the narrative. The book receives mixed feedback regarding its accuracy and pacing.