Ghost Soldiers: The Forgotten Epic Story of World War II's Most Dramatic Mission

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A tense, powerful, grand account of one of the most daring exploits of World War II.

On January 28, 1945, 121 hand-selected troops from the elite U.S. Army 6th Ranger Battalion slipped behind enemy lines in the Philippines. Their mission: March thirty miles in an attempt to rescue 513 American and British POWs who had spent three years in a surreally hellish camp near the city of Cabanatuan. The prisoners included the last survivors of the Bataan Death March left in the camp, and their extraordinary will to live might soon count for nothing—elsewhere in the Philippines, the Japanese Army had already executed American prisoners as it retreated from the advancing U.S. Army. As the Rangers stealthily moved through enemy-occupied territory, they learned that Cabanatuan had become a major transshipment point for the Japanese retreat, and instead of facing the few dozen prison guards, they could possibly confront as many as 8,000 battle-hardened enemy troops.

Hampton Sides's vivid minute-by-minute narration of the raid and his chronicle of the prisoners' wrenching experiences are masterful. But Ghost Soldiers is far more than a thrilling battle saga. Hampton Sides explores the mystery of human behavior under extreme duress—the resilience of the prisoners, who defied the Japanese authorities even as they endured starvation, tropical diseases, and unspeakable tortures; the violent cultural clashes with Japanese guards and soldiers steeped in the warrior ethic of Bushido; the remarkable heroism of the Rangers and Filipino guerrillas; the complex motivations of the U.S. high command, some of whom could justly be charged with abandoning the men of Bataan in 1942; and the nearly suicidal bravado of several spies, including priests and a cabaret owner, who risked their lives to help the prisoners during their long ordeal.

At once a gripping depiction of men at war and a compelling story of redemption, Ghost Soldiers joins such landmark books as Flags of Our Fathers, The Greatest Generation, The Rape of Nanking, and D-Day in preserving the legacy of World War II for future generations.

What Customers Say About Ghost Soldiers: The Forgotten Epic Story of World War II's Most Dramatic Mission:

Ghost Soldiers is an incredible testament to the courage of the survivors and their story. This is an unbelivably tragic story of what these young americans endured.

A very disturbing look at some of the horrific experiences of world war II. Great story about the rescue mission of the survivors of the Bataan Death March.

The Bataan Death March is a topic that I was aware of, but not familiar with. Hampton Sides does a great job in telling the heat wrenching story of the 500 survivors of the Japanese POW camp.

Not only do the soldiers overcome remarable odds to even survive, they are also the beneficiary of an incredibly courageous rescue mission. Much like another great WWII book, "Flags of our Fathers", we see the heartless cruelty of the Japanese military.

Two books (IMO) stand head and shoulders above the heap of WWII reads. Flyboys is one, Ghost Soldiers is the other. The End

My order came in a timely fashion. The book as advertised,was in excellent condition. I am very pleased with the service.

Written in a narrative style by Sides that surpasses that of most fiction novels for its vibrancy and character depth, this non-fiction account actually inspired me to read more historical books -- a genre I've never been a particular fan of. One of the absolute BEST books I read in 2001 and still one that I vividly recall images from. Unfortunately, the next book it lead me to was Stephen Ambrose's "Band of Brothers" which was a major disappointment and, quite frankly, a bore. Covering the Death March of Bataan and the horrors of a Japanese Army POW camp set up to house the Allied forces in the Philippines, the book is a marvel. It's also extremely upsetting and at times difficult to read, but worth the struggle to be illuminated by the history of the Asian theater of WWII and by the story of the participants who gave their lives and, at times, their humanity, for a cause both sides believed in. After watching the Spielberg/Hanks mini-series on HBO, I was stunned that the writers were able to tell such compelling stories using source material that was uninspired and bland. But "Ghost Soldiers" is a thousand times superior to the Ambrose book and I envy the person who gets to read this gem for the very first time.

It was one of the best books I ever read as it gripped me. It reads very well, It shows how amazing this mission was and what they were up against, like 10,000 Jap troops nearby, a bridge with Japs near by and Japs within the camp itself. This is an exception recounting of a small band of Rangers going deep behind enemy line to rescue prisoners of war. You think it is impossible with all the travel, the problems, the locals etc and my god they did it. Well out numbered they travel 100 miles or so behind the lines, worked with the locals, the delays, the open ground they had to cover and of course getting all these prisoners back to American lines. No easy task. Will make your proud. I didn't say everything as I didn't wan,t to give it all away.