Lost in Shangri-La

Mitchell Zuckoff's travels to a beautiful and mysterious valley within the jungles of Dutch New Guinea called the 'Shangri-La'

Mitchell Zuckoff's Lost in Shangri-La: A True Story of Survival, Adventure, and the Most Incredible Rescue Mission of World War II

'Shangri-La' is a name given to a beautiful and mysterious valley within the jungles of Dutch New Guinea. The US Army based out of New Guinea during the WWII, set out a plane as part of a sightseeing operation into Shangri-La. The plane carried twenty-four American servicemen and WACs. Turbulence, bad piloting and a general lack of knowledge of the area forced the plane to crash. Eventually all but 3 passengers were left alive.

Left alone, the three quickly made way out of the dense vegetation and away from the crash site, only to worry of hidden Japanese troops, man-eating natives and wounds from the accident. Their journey into the unknown brings them face to face with a primitive tribe with superstitious beliefs. Their eye-opening experience with the natives is a story of kindness and humility, and manages to entice the reader into a mystery. The incredible rescue mission is by itself on the most successful retrievals in history.

Years later, Zuckoff travels to the New Guinea jungle to rediscover the crash site and captures first hand input from the natives. With facts from interviews of survivors, the search party and declassified US Army documents, Lost in Shangri-La recounts a true-life adventure. Despite the non-fiction Lost in Shangri-La is a wonderful thriller, still managing to provide you a bit of history in the bargain.