Marc Leepson graduated from George Washington University with a history degree in 1967, served in the U.S. Army for the following two years, including a tour in Vietnam, and earned an MA in history from George Washington. He was a staff writer for Congressional Quarterly for ten years before becoming a full-time freelancer. His work has appeared in magazines such as Smithsonian, Military History, Civil War Times, American History, Vietnam, and World War II, and in newspapers such as the Washington Post, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today. He is senior writer, arts editor, and columnist for The VVA Veteran (the magazine of Vietnam Veterans of America) and has written reviews for Publishers Weekly and Kirkus. He has been interviewed on The Today Show, the History Channel, MSNBC, Fox News, NPR, and many other TV and radio shows. His previous books are Ballad of the Green Beret: The Life and Wars of Staff Sergeant Barry Sadler from the Vietnam War and Pop Stardom to Murder and an Unsolved, Violent Death; What So Proudly We Hailed: Francis Scott Key, a Life; Lafayette: Lessons in Leadership from the Idealist General; Desperate Engagement: How a Little-Known Civil War Battle Saved Washington, D.C., and Changed American History; Flag: An American Biography; and Saving Monticello: The Levy Family's Epic Quest to Rescue the House That Jefferson Built. He lives in Middleburg, Virginia.

"What a strange, fascinating, and ultimately powerful account of one man's endurance of life as a POW during the American war in Vietnam. Doug Hegdahl, the youngest and lowest ranking prisoner in the infamous Hanoi Hilton, survived with a mix of courage and cunning, fortitude and the wiliness of a fox. This book, I believe, will stand the test of time as one of the finest nonfiction narratives to emerge from the Vietnam War."

"[A]n immersive biography of Doug Hegdal... Leepson presents a complete picture of the extraordinary story, including its unlikely beginnings... a striking picture of a canny survivor nonetheless committed to his compatriots. Vietnam War buffs will be riveted."

"Leepson has a firm handle on the subject. Utilizing archival research, personal interviews and his own experiences in the war, Leepson has written a thoroughly engaging biography - the first of its kind - about one of the unsung heroes of Vietnam... Hegdahl's incredible story adds a compelling facet to the canon of Vietnam literature... a compelling story, told by a skilled storyteller."

"...a compelling story about how men in the worst of times can endure horrible atrocities -- and still retain the will to resist and escape."

"Vividly written... solidly based on archival research, personal interviews, and [Marc Leepson's] experiences in the Vietnam War... The Unlikely War Hero is a unique and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, community, and college/university library Vietnam War History/Biography/Memoir collections and supplemental 20th Century U.S. Military History curriculum studies lists."

"Marc Leepson's The Unlikely War Hero: A Vietnam War POW's Story of Courage and Resilience in the Hanoi Hilton tells Hegdahl's story fully for the first time."

"Talk about forgotten heroes! In The Unlikely War Hero, Marc Leepson has dug gold. In telling one of the most remarkable stories to come out of the Vietnam War, he has come up with a damned good read. And he tells the story with compassion and verve."

"In The Unlikely War Hero, author and Vietnam War veteran Marc Leepson probes one of the most under-appreciated stories of the American POW experience during the long and costly war in Southeast Asia. With the empathy of a former enlisted man, Leepson tells a thoroughly researched story of Doug Hegdahl, the youngest and lowest-ranking American captured by the North Vietnamese, who used his status as a low-value prisoner to become a veritable font of first-hand information regarding the status and treatment of his fellow POWs upon his reluctant early release from captivity. This book tells us once again never to underestimate the wily American enlisted man. It's an inspiring treat to read for veterans and those who simply appreciate the unsinkable American spirit."

"This remarkable, true story of a young American who used common sense, humor, guts, and guile to outwit his pitiless captors kept me turning its pages. Marc Leepson's book is an astonishing story of survival in the brutal POW camps of North Vietnam by an average boy from South Dakota who kept himself alive, and helped many of his higher-ranking fellow captives. At times, I almost felt like I was in those cells with Doug and the other POWs. Doug Hegdahl may be an unlikely hero, but a hero he was, and the nation should be thankful for the perseverance he demonstrated across years of cruel captivity."

"The Unlikely War Hero is a captivating reading experience. Marc Leepson deserves our heartfelt thanks for telling Hegdahl's inspirational story for the first time in full, and for doing so in a way that people will want to read it and to not stop until they're finished."

"Marc Leepson's The Unlikely War Hero is a comprehensive and enthralling study of Navy sailor Douglas Hegdahl's captivity during the Vietnam War, and his extraordinary and dedicated service to his fellow POWs and to U.S. naval intelligence. It is a worthy complement to the literature on the POW experience."

Publisher: Stackpole Books

Pub date: 2024-12-17

Length: 240 pages