Ghost Soldiers

The Epic Account of World War II's Greatest Rescue Mission

By: Hampton Sides

Narrated by: James Naughton

Length: 5 hrs and 57 mins

Publisher's summary

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 US 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 US 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' 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 US 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.

©2001 Hampton Sides (P)2001 Random House, Inc., Bantam Doubleday Dell Audio Publishing, A Divison of Random House, Inc.

Critic reviews

"[It] took me on a queasy journey deep into the realm of pure evil - then rescued me in a blaze of heroics and righteous vengeance. There's grief, despair, and terror here, but there's also adventure, courage, and joy. (Erik Larson, author Isaac's Storm)

if you're a WW2 enthusiast this is for you

another heroic and moving story about the greatest generation. listen as you learn about the prison break led by army rangers to rescue pows

Good war story.

I love yankee endings and i like learning history from an exceptionally good writer like Hampton Sides.

I must read

everybody needs to read this book very good and should go down in history and in class and class and school class in high school should study a little bit about this stuff so men can think about what goes on

Amazing

The personal way this was written and performed was amazing. The story makes me so thankful for our freedoms and so ashamed of those who have forgotten the sacrifices to keep freedom alive. This was well-worth time to listen.

Lock n load

Great book! Oh Suzanna oh don’t you cry for me. I come from Alabama with a banjo

Ghost soldiers

Some books are interesting, others engrossing and other's tell stories sure to be remembered for quite some time. This book falls into all three categories. What a profoundly moving book! Excellent narration. Learned a lot about WWII at the same time!

A Forgotten Story from WWII

Not for the faint of heart, this history is well worth the time. Kudos to the author for reminding us of these heroes of the Pacific Campaign. Great narration.

Wonderful storytelling!

An incredible mission that I only knew slightly about. The original writing is a captivating account of heroic efforts of many, many people.
The audible adaptation just makes it even better! My most favorite listened to edition yet. The narrator had me hooked from the beginning!

Incredible Story and great narrating

What a fantastic example of human survival and heroic actions. Cannot recommend this book enough.

Intense! Riveting to the end and inspiring! A must

A must read. Couldn't put it down once I committed to reading thanks to Audible