( 6 reviews )
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Posted: Feb 27 2007
'The Rescue' is a must read.The author presents a very detailed look at many aspects of life in the Philippines during the Japanese occupation.From sugar cane farmers,allied prisoners,the resistance,americans hideing in the jungle,life aboard a US submarine just to name a few & ties it all together at the end of the book.It reads like a novel but is all fact.The research is incredible. I have read dozens & dozens of WW2 books,this ranks near the top!!Don't miss this one!!!
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( 4 of 5 found this review helpful ) Posted: Oct 31 2005
I've read dozens of books of the era of World War Ii that this book covers - the Philippines - and this one has to be the best. I like the first person stories but they are only about one man's (or woman's) point of view. Steven Trent Smith tells the story of several different groups of people trying to escape capture by the Japanese. It's as exciting and fascinating as any made-up story as the missionaries and the POWs and the businessmen all prepare, with the help of Filipinos, to meet the U.S. Navy submarine so they can be rescued. I don't know when I couldn't put down a true history book but this one this one kept me up very late at night until I knew those folks were safely in Australia. Some of the facts are a little suspect but nothing that makes a difference in the story. If someone wants to read only one book about the tragic situation in the Philippines during World War II, this one is it.
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( 3 of 3 found this review helpful ) Posted: Aug 4 2004
My husband and I read this book aloud to each other as we drove several thousand miles by car recently. It made the arduous trip insignificant because we enjoyed the content of this book so much. It tells the varying background stories of the various participants, friend and foe, so it doesn't read like a novel but takes more concentration to follow. However, it then tells about their lives converging at a specific time in history. It's an amazing story much better than fiction and a great history lesson from a broad personal perspective. Highly recommended.
