We Were There At The Battle For Bataan

by Benjamin Appel

""We Were There At The Battle For Bataan"" is a historical non-fiction book written by Benjamin Appel that recounts the events of the Battle of Bataan during World War II. The book is based on personal accounts of soldiers who fought in the battle and provides a vivid and detailed description of the events that took place. The book covers the initial Japanese invasion of the Philippines, the fierce fighting that took place in the jungles of Bataan, and the eventual surrender of American and Filipino forces. The author provides insight into the experiences of soldiers on both sides of the conflict, highlighting the bravery and sacrifice of those who fought and died in the battle. The book also explores the impact of the battle on the soldiers who survived and the families of those who did not. Overall, ""We Were There At The Battle For Bataan"" provides a compelling and informative account of one of the most significant battles of World War II.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.

Genres: History, Nonfiction

196 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1957

About the author

An American novelist who specialized in detective and crime fiction, Appel grew up in the Hell's Kitchen area of NYC, and his experiences strongly influenced his work. Appel worked as a bank clerk, farmer, lumberjack, factory hand, and housing inspector for New York City, until he finally published his fist book, Brain Guy in 1934.

Reviews

[Phoebe Hinkle]

One of the things about going on trips is that I frequently pick up books at thrift stores and such. That was the case with this book, and I read it in a very short time because I was bored.

I hardly knew anything about the guerillas in the Philippines, so that was interesting - but I wish there had been more about them, because I still don't know much. 😆 The kids felt very flat to me, and although their bickering thankfully didn't last much beyond the first chapter, I think Eddie was too hard on Diana.

It felt highly improbable to have American kids involved in the guerilla resistance - as it pretty much always is whenever an author tries to write a war story about kids fighting. (EDIT: after discussing it with my brother, he confirmed that it wasn't improbably at all. I was highly surprised because that seemed like exactly the sort of thing he would roll his eyes at. 😲)

It made me laugh when they were discussing how to knock out Japanese tanks by hand (without anti-tank weapons). Some of those tanks weren't even bulletproof, and they could be easily taken out by a hand grenade or a brave guy with a knife. I'm not surprised they destroyed all three tanks in the convoy. 😂

I do, however, relate to Eddie in not wanting to look weak by asking for help, and mentally punishing myself when hard things are happening in my life. So there's that.
And I know he was described as dark-haired, but I couldn't help picturing him as a blond. 😆

[Gina Johnson]

Could definitely be more than 3 stars depending on what your purposes are. I LOVE the We Were There Books. I have fond memories of reading all that the library had as a child and I’ve added the whole collection to my home library. That said, this one felt less informative and less well written than many of the others I’ve read. I read this for my own information because it was the only book we already owned about Bataan. I learned a little bit but not as much as I had hoped. A great book for middle grade (as it was intended! lol)

[Rubelyn]

Benjamin AppelWe Were There at the Battle for Bataan