The unforgettable saga of Jim Thompson, America's longest-held prisoner of war is a heartbreaking story of courage, and resilience in the wake of unthinkable torture in Northern Vietnam. Tom Philpott, a military historian and journalist, combines oral history and historical research to interlace Thompson's wrenching experience as a POW with the trials of his wife Alyce, who lived for nine years with the uncertainty of her husband's fate. Upon his release, Thompson's troubles only multiplied as his family endured the fallout of severe alcoholism, adultery, teen pregnancy and a murder charge against Thompson's son. Based on extensive interviews with Thompson, his family, and dozens of people close to him from various stages of his life, Glory Denied is an epic work about the far-reaching implications of one man's sacrifice and the larger story of a generation ravaged by the effects of the Vietnam War.