The Airmen and the Headhunters

The Unlikeliest Rescue of World War II

By: Judith M. Heimann

Narrated by: Susan Ericksen

November 1944: Army airmen set out in a B-24 bomber on what should have been an easy mission off the Borneo coast. Instead, they found themselves unexpectedly facing a Japanese fleet and were shot down. When they cut themselves loose from their parachutes, they were scattered across the island's mountainous interior.

Then a group of loincloth-wearing natives silently materialized out of the jungle. Would these Dayak tribesmen turn the starving airmen over to the hostile Japanese occupiers? Or would the Dayaks risk vicious reprisals to get the airmen safely home? The tribal leaders' unprecedented decision led to a desperate game of hide-and-seek and, ultimately, the return of a long-renounced ritual: head-hunting.

A cinematic survival story that features a bamboo airstrip built on a rice paddy, a mad British major, and a blowpipe-wielding army that helped destroy one of the last Japanese strongholds, The Airmen and the Headhunters is a gripping, you-are-there journey into the remote world and forgotten heroism of the Dayaks.

©2007 Judith M. Heimann (P)2007 Tantor Media Inc.

Amazing Story!

Would you listen to The Airmen and the Headhunters again? Why?

Yes. The story is amazing and individuals are true survivors. I don't understand how this has not been made into a film.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Airmen and the Headhunters?

The way they survived with great odds against them.

Did Susan Ericksen do a good job differentiating all the characters? How?

I feel she could have done a better job.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes.

Spellbinding

A most unusual story, made all that more intriguing by being true. Couldn't stop listening.

Great wartime survival story

This is an interesting and suspenseful story. I've been to Borneo recently, and had the benefit of guidebooks and the internet to learn about the island before I went, so it was interesting to hear that the airmen didn't have access to similar information before flying missions over the island.

As a side note, ignore the reviewer who complains about the narrator's accents. The accents are fairly mild, and not used very frequently. I can't believe someone could read this incredible story of courage and survival, and then whine about some accents.

The Airmen and the Headhunters.

This is a great Book. I have never even heard of this story and I am into all WW ll history. I would recommend this book over and over again. This is a Great Book.

Mediocre Story

This is not a very good story. In fact, I thought the writing and story was mediocre. There is a good story here but by the time the author put in all the filler, it left me hurrying to the end. It just didn't bring me into the tale