Tears in the Darkness

The Story of the Bataan Death March and Its Aftermath

De: Michael Norman, Elizabeth Norman

Narrado por: Michael Prichard

Audie Award, History, 2010

For the first four months of 1942, U.S., Filipino, and Japanese soldiers fought what was America's first major land battle of World War II, the battle for the tiny Philippine peninsula of Bataan. It ended with the surrender of 76,000 Filipinos and Americans, the single largest defeat in American military history. The defeat, though, was only the beginning, as Michael and Elizabeth M. Norman make dramatically clear in this powerfully original book.

From then until the Japanese surrendered in August 1945, the prisoners of war suffered an ordeal of unparalleled cruelty and savagery: 41 months of captivity, starvation rations, dehydration, hard labor, deadly disease, and torture---far from the machinations of General Douglas MacArthur. The Normans bring to the story remarkable feats of reportage and literary empathy.

Their protagonist, Ben Steele, is a figure out of Hemingway: a young cowboy turned sketch artist from Montana who joined the army to see the world. Juxtaposed against Steele's story and the sobering tale of the Death March and its aftermath is the story of a number of Japanese soldiers. The result is an altogether new and original World War II book: it exposes the myths of military heroism as shallow and inadequate; and it makes clear, with great literary and human power, that war causes suffering for people on all sides.

©2009 Michael and Elizabeth Norman (P)2009 Tantor

Military History At Its Finest

Humans at their worst and at the same time at their very best. I'm was amazed at how cruel the human being can be. War history told through letters, facts and interviews allowed me to be there and see everything first hand. General MacArthur was brilliant but also self absorbed to the detriment of his command. I thought about this book for several weeks after I had finished it. Excellently written and narrated.

Great for feeling the pain of WWII soldiers

I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this book. I just had to look up the main character on google after listening this. It is a remarkable true story of bravery

Depressing

I couldn't make it through this story as there was no redemption. If you want a great story of this point in history read Unbroken.

Wowed.

I cannot imagine anyone having such strength to endure the treatment and conditions POW s did in this campaign. Amazing stuff. Great listening.

Truely a magnificent work heard around the world.

I can't say enough about this book . From beginning to end the book held my attention. I knew something about the Bataan Death March but never got into the details. This audiobook changed that and filled in the gaps. l'm sure I'll listen to it again down the road. The authors must have taken years to compose all the facts and information concerning both sides of the story. I praise them both.

Amazing

Michael Prichard does an amazing job of narrating this powerful book. If this narration and story does not bring a tear to your eye several times, you must not be human. I, too, bought the hardback version the evening that I finished the audo version. I needed it in my library and I will encourage my 10 year old son to read it some day when he is old enough to understand and appreciate it.

very interesting

great and very interesting I found it compling to listen to to find out what happened.

Holy cow

Opened my eyes to an event I had never even heard of. Awesome listen, I couldn’t stop listening

Detailed Accounting of a Grim Story

I chose this book based on reviews that described it as a stellar, moving story about men who survived the horrors of war. For some, perhaps it was. For me, it was less of a story about the survivors than it was a detailed accounting of both American and Japanese strategy and battles in the Pacific.

Sorry, but that isn't my cup of tea. There were brief overlays that were compelling collages from the life of the boy/man from Montana who was catapulted unto an awful circumstance, but not enough to create a story line that kept my attention.

Likely this is a great war story, just not one that I could thoroughly enjoy.

Tragic story!

In so many ways, this is a tragic story. It is almost unbearable to listen to the suffering of the POW’s as they march on and on towards a goal that is hidden from them by the tormentors. Yet, the tormentors themselves are tormented by their training, impossible battle objectives and harsh beliefs. We can only imagine the sacrifice of the ‘Great Generation’ but they gave us freedom from evil. This is a well narrated story of unimaginable strength to survive which is told without bias. Highly recommended for the history lover.