Tears in the Darkness: The Story of the Bataan Death March and Its Aftermath
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 | Product Details: Hardcover 480 pages Release Date: 09 June 2009 Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux ISBN: 0374272603 Rating:   Sales Rank: 66698 | | Look for similar books by subject:
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| | Customer Reviews: I hated this book. (09 August 2010)As an historian, I am familiar with Revisionist history. This book made me want to scream. Although it's a good thing to know both sides of history, this book went beyond the pale for me. As the granddaughter of a Bataan survivor and Japanese POW camp, I was insulted and horrified at the portrayal of Gen. Homma as a gentle, sweet man who wrote poetry. My grandfather wrote poetry, with a genuine vision of life as a POW and kept a secret diary during his 3 years as a POW. I'm "glad" I read this book, but I CANNOT believe that Homma knew nothing of what happened on the Death March. And as someone who knows other survivors, I think this book insults their dignity and their heroism during the first battle of WWII for the United States. I appreciate the research, but not the interpretation. The Japanese fought the way they were trained to fight and to hate the Americans. Thus, their treatment of the American soldiers was typical of brainwashing and a total disregard for humane treatment of any of their captives. Just my humble opinion. I hated the book. One of the greatest books to read (27 July 2010)Can't say more than to say it is one of the greatest books I've ever read. A mixed bag (26 July 2010)The cover notes indicate this book is about the Bataan Death March and a survivor, Ben Steele. If the reader is younger than 50 years old, he probably hasn't been introduced to much of WWII history as those older than 60 were immersed in it from our families. For younger readers this will probably be their first literary exposure to the Japanese invasion of the Phillipines. With regards to being authorative, the authors have done extensive research on this topic and didn't leave any portion of their work behind. From that perspective the book starts out disjointed and jumps around. The authors demonstrate the fruits of their efforts through relating the training Japanese soldiers received, the training Ben Steele received, some of the things Ben Steele experienced before joining the Army Air Corps, and finally get to the initial conflict on December 8, 1941. During the initial 40% of the book the reader will be well advised to have an Oxford Unabridged Dictionary at his side to aid in deciphering some of the obtuse usages the authors favor to use. The authors, in my evaluation, wanted to offer an insight into the workings of the Japanese army, but probably figured that wouldn't generate too many sales. Ben Steele was added, again just my opinion, as a worthy example of the atrocities the honorable and cultured Japanese were capable of inflicting on conquered populations. I came away from this book with conflicting opinions. First, Ben Steele lived through hell and his story, and the thousands of other stories just like his, should never be forgotten. The conflicting opinion is Ben Steele's story was exploited to add "Street Creds" to an otherwise academic endeavor. The Ben Steele story can stand on its own, I didn't need the distraction of arguing the execution of General Masaru Homma. Tears excellent (23 July 2010)This book was everything the other positive reviews promised it would be: factual, but with an emotional connection through the experience (and artwork) of Ben Steele that kept the story moving well. The numerous interviews with participants on all sides (American, Japanese, Filipinos) also gave the book great balance and perspective. Tears in the Darkness (22 July 2010)It is difficult to imagine the things our troops went through as prisoners during WWII. What these men endured leaves you with deep respect for our military. An excellent book | |
