Tears in the Darkness

The Story of the Bataan Death March and Its Aftermath

By: Michael Norman, Elizabeth Norman

Narrated by: Michael Prichard

Length: 17 hrs and 13 mins

Publisher's summary

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

Gripping, intense, and historical must read!

The thing that struck me most was that the Holocaust in Germany is common knowledge and the Bataan Death March is not. The atrocities committed against our own servicemen is an incredible and extremely moving story of survival.

At first I thought the book too graphic, but I now realize that nothing I knew before could have prepared me for the unbearable agonies and deaths that these men endured, nor for the inhumanity of war.

I was on the edge of my seat the entire book and by the time I got near the end, I wanted to drop the bomb on Hiroshima myself!

One comment though...the author's personal portrayal of General MacArthur is less favorable than historical accounts that I'm familiar with.

An incredible story and a must read for history buffs or anyone who loves a gripping read.

Exceptionally well written and presented

This was an exceptionally well written book. The level of detail was more than impressive and the narrator delivered all of it perfectly. I am usually over critical of American narrators but am going to search out more by this narrator. I have listened to countless WW2 audio books but always on Germany and Russia, none involving Japan and couldn't wait to get back to this one each time I was forced to step away. The writer has the rare ability to allow to you to feel as though you are experiencing events first-hand. I was unaware of so much of the history this provided and am going to look for my next one in the same genre to find out more. I highly recommend this book!

Sticks to your ribs!

In a couple of places I stopped the "tape" and just breathed, my jaw open, and "felt" the horror! At the end I enjoyed a wide smile and a happy moistening of the eyes as the authors wrap up the tale with a wonderful touch. I do a lot of books, but rate few. This one sticks to the ribs. I am glad my life includes knowing about these mens' courage. An excellent telling of an amazing situation. What a book!

If you could sum up Tears in the Darkness in three words, what would they be?
Well-written, striking, and charming (The charm comes with the way the authors wrap things up: Very nicely done!).

Who was your favorite character and why?
All the men who endured this torture are "favorites." The prisoners captured on Bataan were held by an enemy who actively hated, scorned, tortured, maimed, and killed them. Death came to the many who could not survive the broad-based, systemic tortures they suffered, from The March, to soul crushing deprivation of food, water, and sleep, to mass suffocation. Hell came to the Philippines, and all these survivors are miracles of courage and grit.

What does Michael Prichard bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?
The narrator was transparent (That's good!). He effected the voices, accents, and languages of a multitude of characters, allowing me to immerse in the story.

Love the story and the narrator.

I love a good story, especially one that really happened and this book had a great one and several more short stories to go along with it. Would recommend this book for sure.

Every American should read this book

This book show that not all cultures have the same values as Americans. You can not judge other cultures by the same standards as we judge ourselves.

Titled Appropriately

As a military retiree and amateur historian I fell fully into the narrative. I had read a lot on WWII mostly on the European theater and as a former Marine a lot on the island hopping campaign but never much about the Philippines, although I spent years there. This book brought the brutality to life but contrasted it with the hope and stoicism of the survivors. Well written and well read!

Tears in the Darkness is tiresome in many spots

Tears in the Darkness is tiresome in many spots. The author although introduces the main character initially he goes back to the characters life before the Army Air Corps and the Bataan Death March in the middle of the story. This becomes very tiring since the reader is more interested in the main characters time as a prisioner. In my estimation the story could be reduced by at least 1/3 and not have neglected the main idea.

Extremely moving!

Well told and excellent detail. Almost too much at times! I was stunned at the brutality of this story and felt so bad for the prisoners.

Incredible

I read a lot of WWII history but I have never read much about the Bataan death march. I know that the Japanese were brutal captors but never realized just how much our troops endured. Ben Steele’s story of survival is beyond my understanding. It’s a story of a true hero and a testament to the human spirit and determination to survive against unbelievable odds

Amazingly wonderful book.

What a wonderful book. If you ever feel sorry for yourself, this book will fix that in a hurry. The amazing resilience of the human spirit and the will to live, to survive jumps off the pages of this book. The narration is first class. Read/listen to this must read story.