The true story that inspired the feature film Bridge of Spies In this new edition of his classic 1970 memoir about the notorious U-2 incident pilot Francis Gary Powers reveals the full story of what actually happened in the most sensational espionage case in Cold War history. After surviving the shoot-down of his reconnaissance plane and his capture on May 1 1960 Powers endured sixty-one days of rigorous interrogation by the KGB a public trial a conviction for espionage and the start of a ten-year sentence. After nearly two years the U.S. government obtained his release from prison in a dramatic exchange for convicted Soviet spy Rudolph Abel. The narrative is a tremendously exciting suspense story about a man who was labeled a traitor by many of his countrymen but who emerged a Cold War hero. Purchase the audio edition.