I read The Long Walk as a teenager, probably not that long after it came out. Even with almost zero knowledge of the USSR at the time, it seemed a bit unlikely, to me. But it was a very gripping read, especially to one who loved Jack London and real life tales such as that of Shackleton, whose tale also seems unlikely but is verifiable. I seem to remember reading a similar story about an overland escape from Russia a little later, which seemed plausible, but I can't remember the title!
Read it at school, still have a copy on my bookshelf, but not yet persuaded daughter to read it. I imagine, much as Papillon or Banco, there is some level of artistic interpretation
Kim Stanley Robinson - I have Sixty Days and Counting on my bookshelf, read the first 2 chapters, gave up, not in the mood. May try again later.
Recently for me
1) Antony Beevor's Ardennes write up
2) The Third World War, The Untold Story - a 1980's set and written book by a British ex-general and others, fascinating as I was living in Germany with my dad in the RAF at the time
3) Dead Or Alive - Tom Clancy - America Saves the World, again, OK for a holiday read and killing time after work while away
4) almost finished HMS Ulysses with my son, still a cracking read and boy's own stuff
5) Now Reading Surface Detail by Iain M Banks, on of the few of his I've not read before, typically brilliant and recommended to someone I was working with last week.
