"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."

– Tim O'Brien, National Book Award-winning author of The Things We Carried, If I die in a Combat Zone, and Going After Cacciato

“[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.”

– Publishers Weekly

“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.”

– Sean Moores, Stars and Stripes

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

– Blake Stillwell, Military.com

“Once again, Leepson proves himself as an exceptional historian, employing various resources to tell Hegdahl’s story and the P.O.W experience… This is a must-read book, one of the most impressive Vietnam War narratives.”

– Journal of America's Military Past (JAMP)

“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.”

– Midwest Book Review

“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.”

– Washington Independent Review of Books

"The Unlikely War Hero is well-researched and written… [T]he number of sources that Leepson interviewed was extensive, and he successfully presents the hardship of the POWs and the difficulty that Hegdahl encountered in returning to the United States and civilian life after nearly three years of captivity.... The book is a must-read for anyone interested in the Vietnam War and the Prisoners of War issue of the conflict."

– Intelligence Specialist Master Chief (AW) David A. Mattingly, US Navy (Retired), Tuesday Tidings Naval History Newsletter

“Marc Leepson delves deeply into the captive experiences of Douglas Hegdahl and many of his fellow POWs in The Unlikely War Hero. It’s a book that will enrich the personal libraries of anyone who served in Vietnam, others old enough to remember the war, or those who are teaching and studying it today.”

– Special Forces Association Chapter 78

“Marc Leepson’s The Unlikely War Hero is a masterful account of a regular youngster, fresh from boot camp, who found himself called by misadventure to play a heroic act of patriotic resistance in the Hanoi Hilton. It will reassure you that middle America can and does produce young men who unfailingly perform their duty in the most trying of times.”

– Richard A. Stratton, U.S. Navy Lieutenant Commander (Ret), former Vietnam War A4 Skyhawk jet pilot held in H?a Lò Prison in North Vietnam from 1967-1973

“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.”

– Patrick Sheane Duncan, Vietnam War veteran, screenwriter and producer of Mr. Holland’s Opus and the HBO miniseries Vietnam War Story

“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.”

– Edward J. Marolda, Naval historian, author, and former director of Naval History and Senior Historian of the U.S. Navy

“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.”

– Dale Dye, Captain, US Marine Corps (Ret), author, actor, and military advisor

“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.”

– Homer Hickam, Vietnam War veteran and the author of Rocket Boys and October Sky

“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."

– Bill McCloud, Books in Review II, The VVA Veteran magazine

"[Marc Leepson's] latest book, The Unlikely War Hero, focuses on a subject [Vietnam prisoner-of-war (POW) Doug Hegdahl] that is incredibly interesting, has been clearly overlooked in the past, and demands to be known by the public for his extraordinary contributions to our Nation and the Armed Forces . . . In Hegdahl, Leepson has once again selected a subject that will clearly interest perspective readers . . . [brings] to light to many the extraordinary contributions Hegdahl made to his fellow POWs, their families, and our Nation. These contributions have been severely overlooked and must be known and respected by far more people."

– Lt. Col. Rick Baillergeon, U.S. Army, Retired, Military Review: The Professional Journal of the U.S. Army