Ghost Soldiers: The Epic Account of World War II's Greatest Rescue Mission
NATIONAL BESTSELLER • “The greatest World War II story never told” (Esquire)—an enthralling account of the heroic mission to rescue the last survivors of the Bataan Death March—from the author of Blood and Thunder.
On January 28, 1945, 121 hand-selected U.S. troops slipped behind enemy lines in the Philippines. Their mission: March thirty rugged miles to rescue 513 POWs languishing in a hellish camp, among them the last survivors of the infamous Bataan Death March. A recent prison massacre by Japanese soldiers elsewhere in the Philippines made the stakes impossibly high and left little time to plan the complex operation.
In Ghost Soldiers Hampton Sides vividly re-creates this daring raid, offering a minute-by-minute narration that unfolds alongside intimate portraits of the prisoners and their lives in the camp. Sides shows how the POWs banded together to survive, defying the Japanese authorities even as they endured starvation, tropical diseases, and torture. Harrowing, poignant, and inspiring, Ghost Soldiers is the mesmerizing story of a remarkable mission. It is also a testament to the human spirit, an account of enormous bravery and self-sacrifice amid the most trying conditions.
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Community Reviews
Pro
There is not much to say on this book. It's a direct, engaging, information real life story without any noticeable bias. The lack of clear bias is rare in history books so this is a huge plus. It's fascinating and no chapter, passage or point is boring or wasteful. It's all there to tell one single short story about a rescue mission.
The writing is clear and direct. I understood everything and was very eager to listen to it chapter by chapter. It's just that engaging. You won't be abandoning it or avoid reading it. And you will try to read/listen to it as much as possible.
Con
Firstly, it's not really a macro story. So if you don't know about the basic WW2 Pacific war story this is not the ideal start. It's mostly a micro perspective that still informs you of ideas, emotions, missions and technology. But there is very little talk about presidential thinking patterns, the European war, or any sea war. It's still vastly more informative than the Pacific war version of Band of Brothers, or any other such TV show. And more informative than many documentary series on the topic. It's just not a macro war narration so you won't understand what the countries are up to.
I had a really hard time understanding what things looked like or how the map layout would look like. At one time we read about soldiers sneaking towards the camp while frantically telling the villagers to stop their dogs from barking. Then a few pages later we read about a village inviting the soldiers to a party they are holding for them. With singing and noise. So how did these things look like? I get that the author is trying to create tension by saying that even a dog bark can ruin their mission. But at the end it's clear that this area is much larger than what we initially assume. It's a vast landscape. Sneaking is essential but maybe the danger was overstated? At least we never quite understand who is where or what they are seeing. It's all open and big. There are fences and trees but besides that I'd need a map and photos to understand it. The audiobook has neither. I will obviously watch a documentary about it and look up photos. As I have a need to know more.
There are also quite a few negative things described in it. Sickness, death, starvation, war, and everything the Japanese army did. It gets negative and gloomy at times. It's not overdone or too much. It's just stuff I personally don't enjoy and would rather not read too much about. It's very much not for children. Take a deep breath and read about the horror that was the Japanese war mongering. And prepare for one too many pages about suffering.
Conclusion
What a great work. Definitely a must-read. Great, interesting, engaging and to the point. You can't go wrong with this. I do think it's more suited for men and people with some WW2 and USA interest. Everyone will enjoy it but it becomes just that much better if you understand the war itself too. It starts out just telling a story and goes full speed. You will feel lost and confused unless you know who wants what.
There is not much to say on this book. It's a direct, engaging, information real life story without any noticeable bias. The lack of clear bias is rare in history books so this is a huge plus. It's fascinating and no chapter, passage or point is boring or wasteful. It's all there to tell one single short story about a rescue mission.
The writing is clear and direct. I understood everything and was very eager to listen to it chapter by chapter. It's just that engaging. You won't be abandoning it or avoid reading it. And you will try to read/listen to it as much as possible.
Con
Firstly, it's not really a macro story. So if you don't know about the basic WW2 Pacific war story this is not the ideal start. It's mostly a micro perspective that still informs you of ideas, emotions, missions and technology. But there is very little talk about presidential thinking patterns, the European war, or any sea war. It's still vastly more informative than the Pacific war version of Band of Brothers, or any other such TV show. And more informative than many documentary series on the topic. It's just not a macro war narration so you won't understand what the countries are up to.
I had a really hard time understanding what things looked like or how the map layout would look like. At one time we read about soldiers sneaking towards the camp while frantically telling the villagers to stop their dogs from barking. Then a few pages later we read about a village inviting the soldiers to a party they are holding for them. With singing and noise. So how did these things look like? I get that the author is trying to create tension by saying that even a dog bark can ruin their mission. But at the end it's clear that this area is much larger than what we initially assume. It's a vast landscape. Sneaking is essential but maybe the danger was overstated? At least we never quite understand who is where or what they are seeing. It's all open and big. There are fences and trees but besides that I'd need a map and photos to understand it. The audiobook has neither. I will obviously watch a documentary about it and look up photos. As I have a need to know more.
There are also quite a few negative things described in it. Sickness, death, starvation, war, and everything the Japanese army did. It gets negative and gloomy at times. It's not overdone or too much. It's just stuff I personally don't enjoy and would rather not read too much about. It's very much not for children. Take a deep breath and read about the horror that was the Japanese war mongering. And prepare for one too many pages about suffering.
Conclusion
What a great work. Definitely a must-read. Great, interesting, engaging and to the point. You can't go wrong with this. I do think it's more suited for men and people with some WW2 and USA interest. Everyone will enjoy it but it becomes just that much better if you understand the war itself too. It starts out just telling a story and goes full speed. You will feel lost and confused unless you know who wants what.
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