On January 28, 1945, 121 hand-selected U.S. troops slipped behind enemy lines in the Philippines. Their mission: March thirty rugged miles to rescu...
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Feb 24, 2011
Jesse
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The Bataan Death March is one of the most shameful acts in human history. In 1942 General Edward P. King Jr., against orders from General MacArthur, surrendered 75,000 troops to the Japanese army infiltrating the Philippines. This act concluded the Battle of Bataan and forced MacArthur to withdraw his own troops, vowing to return and free, not only his soldiers, but the Philippines from Japanese control.
The result was the Bataan Death March. The Japanese marched the prisoners 60 mil More...
The result was the Bataan Death March. The Japanese marched the prisoners 60 mil More...
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Jul 15, 2010
Alice
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Although I know this is a great book - I am really struggling through it. I am so hurt and offended by the treatment of soldiers during wartime I can't bear to turn another page. :( I'm going to try though (june)
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I finally finished it. (july)
When I was younger and would watch SciFi - I noticed that every time there was a peaceful alien visit - it would be always be said that the alien culture was so advanced compared to ours - and no longer warred. I didn't More...
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I finally finished it. (july)
When I was younger and would watch SciFi - I noticed that every time there was a peaceful alien visit - it would be always be said that the alien culture was so advanced compared to ours - and no longer warred. I didn't More...
Jan 19, 2009
Aimee
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This is a great book about the Americans in the Pacific during World War 2. It begins with the troops that were fighting the Japanese in the Philippines and their abandonment by McArthur as the Japanese slowly took over the island. It discusses the Bataan Death March, a forced march to the POW camps the troops were kept. The conditions of the camps the POW's had to live in are discussed in great detail also. The Sides goes into how the rescue mission came about...the reason behind it, the decis
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Oct 05, 2011
Grace
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'Ghost Soldiers' is an exciting account of the rescue of American POWs of WWII being held by the Japanese in prison camps in the Philippines. I listened to this story on audio and it was such a touching story, that it had me close to tears on more than one occasion.
It is such a gratifying feeling to know that there are people out there in this world who truly care about their fellow men. The Army Rangers and the Filipino guerrillas who went on this rescue mission risked everything More...
It is such a gratifying feeling to know that there are people out there in this world who truly care about their fellow men. The Army Rangers and the Filipino guerrillas who went on this rescue mission risked everything More...
Aug 24, 2011
***Dave
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This book details a US Rangers-led rescue from the Japanese POW camp at Cabanatuan in the Philippines in 1945. The mission was considered highly important, both as one of the first missions to use the newly constituted Ranger force, and because of very real concerns that the retreating Japanese would simply kill the prisoners before retreating.
In telling the main tale, we get a parallel story starting with the fall of Bataan in 1942, the fabled Bataan Death March, and brutal condit More...
In telling the main tale, we get a parallel story starting with the fall of Bataan in 1942, the fabled Bataan Death March, and brutal condit More...
Jul 25, 2011
Linda
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My father, "Pa" died 13 years ago, I spent my entire life shadowing him; I knew I was loved and I knew I was the favorite; yet there were things about him I didn't know. The part of his life that most shaped Pa was the years he spent on the Pacific Theater during WWII. In an attempt to understand my father to a greater extent, I chose to start reading books concerning the Pacific Theater....'Ghost Soldiers' was my first.......
When most people think of WWII they think of Naz More...
When most people think of WWII they think of Naz More...
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Mar 22, 2011
Rob
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Lots of brutal descriptions of Japanese POW camps, which were nasty. Kind of sets the scene with a terrible massacre at the beginning. Sides tries valiantly to work out why the Japanese treated POWs as they did, in a way he can square with the type of book he's writing, and I appreciated that.
Most of the book is actually about the camps and the Death March, which makes sense when it turns out that "one of the greatest rescue missions in history" is kind-of not-that-exciting More...
Most of the book is actually about the camps and the Death March, which makes sense when it turns out that "one of the greatest rescue missions in history" is kind-of not-that-exciting More...
Mar 07, 2011
Paul
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This is a story that people try to blot out and pretend that nothing happened, but is actually an important part of our history. This book is about the horrific Japanese POW Camps which kept American Soldiers. The first segment of the book is about a POW camp, where the Japanese pretend that an air raid is coming, but just brutally murders all of them as they cower in the poorly made bomb shelter. It then leads on to the great rescue mission, where Mucci and his men free hundreds of men out of t
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Oct 18, 2010
NTE
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
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Jun 26, 2010
Thurston
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My Dad gave me this book saying it was one of his favorites (I think of recent reads, as opposed to all time). I'm admittedly a poor student of history, and should value it more, so I welcomed the opportunity to learn more about the the Philippines (I play bball with a lot of guys of Filipino descent at work) and about my Dad.
The book starts with some pretty gruesome atrocities, with a strong slant of "them versus U.S." which on the see-saw of parental political discussions More...
The book starts with some pretty gruesome atrocities, with a strong slant of "them versus U.S." which on the see-saw of parental political discussions More...
Jan 26, 2009
Nate
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Yet another WWII story that makes you say: "where did they find the courage to do this?", and "only Americans would do this". After being abandoned in Bataan and Corregidor, most American soldiers eventually made there way into Cabanatuan prison camp where they were ritualistically beaten down by Japanese guards, disease and malnutrition. As liberation became more of a certainty, a desperate and frantic Japanese Army ordered the slaughter of all POWs, basically to "hid
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Sep 14, 2011
Jeff
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After WWII, it was calculated that the casualty rate for Allied POW's held in German & Italian camps was 4%. Those held in Japanese camps perished at the astonishing rate of 27%. I wanted to know more about the Bataan Death March after reading Laura Hillenbrand's 'Unbroken', & then reading The Rape Of Nanking by Iris Chang. Ghost Soldiers rounds out a trilogy of sorts, recounting the harrowing five day march to the Cabanatuan camp & their subsequent rescue three years later by the newly formed A
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Apr 16, 2010
Frankie
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On January 28th, 1945, 121 hand selected troops march behind enemy lines in the Philippines. Their mission is to rescue 513 British and American POWs who had suffered three years in a terrible prison camp near the city of Cabanatuan. The prisoners included are the survivors of the Bataan Death March, and all those years of surviving might count for nothing. As the US army pushes back the Japanese, American prisoners are slaughtered in fear that they might be taken back by the US. As the American
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Jan 02, 2012
Heidi
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This book details the brutalities and atrocities endured by American POWs at the hands of the Japanese Imperial Army during the Bataan Death March and at the Cabanatuan POW camp during World War II. But it is also an amazing story of human spirit, camaraderie, and compassion. It describes a highly risky, but ultimately successful, rescue mission by American Rangers to save the Cabanatuan POWs. Although it was very hard for me to read parts of this book, I was intrigued by the details of the r
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Apr 26, 2010
David
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While definitely not for the faint-of-heart, this book is one that every American should read. It tells the story of an American POW camp in the Philippines during WWII, and how a group of Army Rangers went miles behind enemy lines to rescue the men in the camp before the Japanese could murder them all. Chapters alternate between the rescue story and the backstories of the prisoners: who they were, how they got there, and what the camp was like. This narrative structure is similar to an episode
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Oct 12, 2011
Gayle
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I believe this has to be one of the finest books written about the WWII prison camps, and the rescue of the American POW's. It's very intense, stirs your emotions, and keeps you in a state of awe at what the prisoners and rescuers went through. So many souls lost, not just those left behind in mass graves, but some men who came home had lost much of their own souls, never to be re-gained in this lifetime. The author did so much research and it is evident in the details of this book. After re
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Feb 07, 2011
Albert
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This book demands a five-star tribute if for no other reason than the survivors and victims of the Bataan Death March deserve all honor. Having known a survivor of that most brutal wartime atrocity and having now read this book, I can understand why he never discussed that part of his life.
The Army Rangers are said to "lead the way". Their heroism in freeing the doomed POW's of Cabantuan is often characterized as one of the bravest and most daring raids of WWII. I would not qu More...
The Army Rangers are said to "lead the way". Their heroism in freeing the doomed POW's of Cabantuan is often characterized as one of the bravest and most daring raids of WWII. I would not qu More...
Dec 12, 2011
Phil
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Ghost Soldiers: The Epic Account of World War II's Greatest Rescue MissionHampton Sides
Most people would recognize and understand what the Bataan Death March was and who was involved.
Also most Americans would not know why it happened, how many people there were, and where was support from America to help these men and women.
The author tells us about the men who were on the Death March, their lives as POW’s on Bataan and the rescue mission by Army Rangers in 1945 o More...
Most people would recognize and understand what the Bataan Death March was and who was involved.
Also most Americans would not know why it happened, how many people there were, and where was support from America to help these men and women.
The author tells us about the men who were on the Death March, their lives as POW’s on Bataan and the rescue mission by Army Rangers in 1945 o More...
Apr 13, 2009
J.C.
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a great book but one that had a few small problems. the book is told mainly in vignettes and focuses only on a few of the hundreds of men involved. The main problem with the book is that there is a narrative structure to the story but the author takes a variety of (important yet distracting) tangents thorough out the book that although difficult to read, leave you ultimately wanting more.
I enjoyed the way the book goes back and forth through time, focusing on the Army Pris More...
I enjoyed the way the book goes back and forth through time, focusing on the Army Pris More...
Dec 16, 2008
Christopher
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As WWII non-fiction goes, this book went by pretty quickly. I had read some in passing about the Cabanatuan camp rescue, but I had the relative roles of the Rangers, Alamo Scouts, and partisans a bit muddled in my head. I'm glad the Fillipino guerillas got enough billing in here, such indigenous forces have a tendency to be forgotten by later story-tellers. I was a little surprised to come across the Alamo Scouts in the middle of the book with little earlier discussion of the unit or the mass
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Feb 13, 2009
Allan
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Excellent work! Thoroughly researched and written with respect, "Ghost Soldiers" spoke to me about an event I was unfamiliar with. The Bataan Death March is quite familiar to my generation, but the rescue of the surviving POWs in January, 1945, was new.
Sides tells the stories of how all four groups came together - the Imperial Japanese Army with its Bushido code equating surrender with cowardice, the 600-odd survivors of the March who were awaiting execution when rescue cam More...
Sides tells the stories of how all four groups came together - the Imperial Japanese Army with its Bushido code equating surrender with cowardice, the 600-odd survivors of the March who were awaiting execution when rescue cam More...
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Oct 04, 2009
Mary
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This book describes an exciting rescue mission to free American POWs who had survived the Bataan Death March. While allied troops were liberating concentration camps in Europe, on the Philippines a special force of US soldiers went 30 miles into Japanese held territory to rescue those survivors. Not only is there supspense in the mission, but Sides tells about the horrors of the Bataan March itself, how it came to pass that these soldiers were captured in the first place and how they were treate
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Oct 06, 2009
Colin
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Holy crap. That was intense, I actually lost some sleep because of this book. I woke up in the middle of the night playing out the scenario in my head as if I were to be in the middle of it in the morning. I don't like the idea of war and I usually don't read about it, but this story is epic. When I think of world war 2 I usually think about Europe and the Nazis. But this story takes place in the Phillippines in a struggle with the Japanese. Trully this is a rare heroic story where the main obje
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Aug 04, 2011
Russell
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Really enjoyed how Sides kept the flow going, presented his material and enriched the story with dialog. In many ways this book was an eye-opener to the atrocities that occurred in the Philippines. I had heard stories, from both Americans and Filipinos, but I had no idea of the level of depravity. Likewise, my appreciation and gratitude was deepened (again for both people) especially due to the experiences I've had in the Philippines. That being said, there are some graphic elements of this book
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Aug 25, 2010
Allison
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Since graduating college last year, I’ve shied away from non-fiction books for fear of reliving 4am library cram sessions. However, this book completely reversed by blind loyalty to fiction! Ghost Soldiers was a genuine page turner, and knowing it was a true American story and having the photos in this addition to provide faces to the book’s “characters” made it an incredibly emotional and rewarding read.
The book chronicles the heroic mission by the Army Rangers in World War II to r More...
The book chronicles the heroic mission by the Army Rangers in World War II to r More...
Jul 23, 2010
Ben
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The story of the American army soldiers who experienced the atrocities of life as prisoners under the Japanese in the Philippines and of the Rangers tasked with freeing after years of desperation makes a strong impression.
The story is told from both perspectives. The first is that of the troops who fell into Japanese hands after finding themselves entrenched in a fight they couldn't win, without the promise of speedy American reinforcements (being that most of the naval fleet had bee More...
The story is told from both perspectives. The first is that of the troops who fell into Japanese hands after finding themselves entrenched in a fight they couldn't win, without the promise of speedy American reinforcements (being that most of the naval fleet had bee More...
Nov 30, 2008
Ben
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The compelling of the rescue of a POWs from a Japanese prison at the end of World War II. The story alternates between the rescue mission and the events in the Philippines starting with the initial defeat by the Japanese, and continuing on through the Bataan Death March and their time during the war. The already compelling situations and characters are presented in such an engrossing way that the story reads like the best fiction, with the added impact of being true stories.
The min More...
The min More...
Aug 03, 2011
Simon
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A rather harrowing account of the trials of the soldiers who endured the Bataan Death March and the three years of captivity under the Japanese in the Philippines. Cohesively written with much autobiographical detail the reader will be confronted with experiences bordering on the unimaginable, the oppressive weather, the cruelty of their captors and the ravages of disease along with the effects of chronic malnutrition. I found interesting the differences the prisoners found after three years of
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Jul 24, 2009
Francoise
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Great research yields a fascinating story that covers all the details of a very sad episode in history of the U.S. during WWII. These unfortunate soldiers lost at Bataan, forced to walk to the prison camp of Cabanatuan, and spending most of the war there being mistreated (generally) by the Japanese guards. I did not know anything about this at all, except for the general term "Bataan death march". This truly shows the extreme depths in which the human soul can survive and triumph, t
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Feb 27, 2011
Steve
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Take a riveting world war II story of rescue, interweave it with the grinding true tale of Bataan Death March survivors, and add in rich prose that brings the story to life and you’ll have a great book. But it wouldn’t be Ghost Stories. Not quite.
I mean no disrespect to the real life characters in the story. They did their part very well. Hampton Sides shines at times, but trips up in a in a few surprising moments of repetition and overreaching. But only a few.
The st More...
I mean no disrespect to the real life characters in the story. They did their part very well. Hampton Sides shines at times, but trips up in a in a few surprising moments of repetition and overreaching. But only a few.
The st More...
